Abstract

<jats:p>
Recruitment patterns of juvenile
Rhabdosargus sarba (Sparidae) and
Pelates sexlineatus (Terapontidae) were examined by
frequent (1–4 weeks) beach seining of seagrass beds in Sydney,
south-east Australia. Two sites within each of two estuaries (Botany Bay and
Pitt Water) were sampled for one year. One site within Botany Bay was sampled
for 3 years. A total of 12 824 juveniles of R. sarba and
7037 juveniles of P. sexlineatus were collected.
R. sarba recruited in 4 pulses during winter/spring,
while P. sexlineatus recruited in 6 pulses during
summer/autumn, and the timing of recruitment events was consistent among
locations and years. P. sexlineatus recruitment
coincided with new moons, but R. sarba recruitment dates
were less precisely determined. Predictable annual recruitment patterns result
in temporal partitioning of seagrass habitat between these two abundant
estuarine species. Spatial differences in magnitude of recruitment events
among sites reflected patterns of estuarine circulation.</jats:p>