The surf-zone of twelve sandy beaches on a tropical Atlantic dissipative coastline (Sergipe, Brazil) was studied to assess whether fish assemblages may be affected by spatial (proximity to estuaries) and seasonal (wet vs. dry) variations. Sampling locations were classified into sites of greater estuarine (EC) and marine (MC) contribution according to the coastal geomorphology. Samples were obtained by beach seining, and selected environmental variables including distance from estuarine mouths were recorded for each location. A total of 2134 fishes belonging to 21 families and 33 species were collected. The eight most abundant species were Mugil liza, Anchoa januaria, Polydactylus virginicus, Atherinella brasiliensis, Caranx latus, Trachinotus carolinus, Menticirrhus littoralis, and Trachinotus goodei. Species abundance varied significantly between sites and seasons, and taxonomic distinctness only between sites. Distance from estuaries, water salinity and temperature, and rainfall were the best predictors of the spatial and seasonal changes of fish assemblages in the surf-zone of tropical Atlantic dissipative sandy beaches. The occurrence of juveniles and recruits from most of the species recorded supports the nursery habitat hypothesis of shallow surf-zones.

研究了热带大西洋消散海岸线（巴西塞尔吉佩）上十二个沙滩的冲浪区，以评估鱼类组合是否可能受到空间（靠近河口）和季节性（湿与干）变化的影响。根据沿海地貌，采样位置分为大河口（EC）和海洋（MC）贡献的地点。通过海滩围网获得样本，并记录每个位置的选定环境变量，包括与河口的距离。共采集鱼类21科33种2134条。数量最多的 8 个物种是Mugil liza、Anchoa januaria、Polydactylus virginicus、Atherinella brasiliensis、Caranx latus、Trachinotus carolinus、Menticirrhus littoralis和Trachinotus goodei。物种丰度在不同地点和季节之间存在显着差异，并且仅在地点之间存在分类差异。与河口的距离、水的盐度和温度以及降雨量是热带大西洋消散沙滩冲浪区鱼类群落空间和季节变化的最佳预测指标。记录的大多数物种的幼鱼和新兵的出现支持浅海冲浪区的苗圃栖息地假设。