Mean numbers of Penaeus semisulcatus caugh the beam trawls were greater during the pre-wet season
and were higher at the Enhalus acoroides s(SG1) than at the Halophila/Halodule site (SG2;
Table 5). This pattern matches that shown for these
sites during 1990-1992 (Haywood et al. 1995). Mean
catches of P. esculentus were always higher at SG1
than SG2, but there was no consistent seasonal
pattern.
The numbers of Penaeus semisulcatus found in stomachs
of predatory fish were higher during the pre-wet
season at both sites, even though numbers were
always greater at SGl than at SG2. The number of
P. semisulcatus found in the stomachs during both
seasons at both sites increased as the number of
P. semisulcatus caught on the seagrass beds increased
(Fig. 4). The numbers of P. esculentus in fish stomachs was generally low compared with the numbers of P.
semisulcatus, but were greatest at SG1 in the early dry
season (Table 5).
The TPPIgill nets was higher during the early dry than
the pre-wet season at SG1, but higher during the prewet
at SG2 (Table 5). The very high TPPIgfl ..,, for SG2
in the pre-wet was largely because 218 queenfish were
caught, compared with 35 from SG1 during the same
season. The TPPIgill did not bear any clear relationship
to the numbers of prawns in stomachs.
The Penaeus semisulcatus mortality index (highest
negative number indicates highest mortality) was
higher at SG1 than SG2 and higher in the early dry
season at SG1 and during the pre-wet season at SG2