and migrating 

 as juveniles 

 these species 

 represent the 



species that use the marsh 



for a nursery. Many of 



are benthic feeders and 



next link in the benthic 



food chain 

 section. 



described in the previous 



Ruebsamen (1972) studied the stomach 

 contents of fish captured by seine in 

 small, shallow intertidal marsh ponds in 

 the Barataria basin (Table 21). Of the 

 nine most abundant species, six were 

 described as feeding on benthic infauna 

 such as copepods, amphipods, ostracods, 

 mysidaceans, polychaetes, tendipedid 

 larvae, nematodes, and annelid worms. 

 Two were described as detritus eaters, 

 (which probably means that they were using 

 the meiofauna in the sediment). The small 

 marsh ponds are frequented primarily by 

 resident fish, while migratory fish are 

 found in the deeper marsh creeks. In 

 Ruebsamen' s study of small marsh ponds, 

 spot ( Leiostomus xan thurus ) was the only 

 migratory species found in large numbers. 



Variation in the particular species 

 reported to use marsh ponds is often 

 related to differences in gear used and 



Table 21. Monthly occurrence and 



abundance of the fish species collected in 

 small salt marsh ponds (Ruebsamen 1972). 



definitions of what comprises a marsh 

 pond. Nevertheless, much evidence points 

 to heavy use of the marsh by nekton for 

 both food and shelter. Ruebsamen (1972) 

 found only the small fish in the 

 intertidal marsh ponds. As they grew they 

 usually disappeared from the samples. 



Hinchee (1977) found 20 to 25-mm 

 menhaden along the edges of Lake 

 Ponchartrain, apparently as they moved 

 into the estuary from the gulf. These 

 small juveniles moved into the marsh where 

 they stayed until they reached about 50 

 mm, after which they began their 

 emigration back out through the lake to 

 the open gulf (Figure 55). 



When conditions permit, many nektonic 

 organisms move up into the marsh itself. 

 Sikora (1977) found this true for the 

 grass shrimp in Georgia, and Wernie (1981) 

 found 30 percent of the silverside 

 (Menidia menidia ) and mummichog ( Fundulus 

 heterocl itus ) in a north Atlantic estuary 

 up in the marsh at high tide. 



Kelley (1965) sampled fish in marsh 

 ponds in the active Balize Delta. In this 

 nearly freshwater area he found mullet and 

 blue catfish the most abundant, but he 

 also reported plentiful croaker, spot, 

 sand seatrout, spotted seatrout, and 

 menhaden. It is interesting that 



ILake Stations 



J (Based on 237 Menhaden) 



I Marsh Stations 



l(Based on 15,927 Menhaden) 



.Total cauijht during study. 

 Present, ***** abundant. 



LENGTH CLASSES (mm) 



Figure 55. Length class frequency of gulf 

 menhaden captured in and near Lake 

 Pontchartrain (Hinchee 1977). 



62 



