Redundancy and diversity of functional reef fish groups of the Mexican Eastern Pacific (original) (raw)
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In spite of their ecological and economic importance, reef fishes from the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico are rarely studied, therefore precluding their management and conservation. In order to identify the set of habitat characteristics/environmental conditions that predict major shifts in fish assemblages in space and time, a stationary census (5′, u = 5 m) was conducted on a semi-monthly basis from 2006 to 2009 at patch reefs along the coast. Habitat configuration was gathered using 25 m long point-intersect transects (data every 25 cm), recording all underlying coral species and substrate characteristics (rocks, sand, algal mats, rubble or dead corals). Recorded were 65 452 fishes grouped in 11 orders, 36 families, 65 genera and 89 species. Labridae (nine species), Pomacentridae (eight species) and Serranidae (seven species) were the most frequent families. Abundance is severely skewed among species; four species Thalassoma lucasanum, Chromis atrilobata, Apogon pacificus and Stegastes acapulcoensis comprise nearly 59% of the fish abundance, 11 species contribute 30%, whereas most of the species (75) can be considered as rare since they contribute <1% each to the total. Species richness and family-level assemblage composition are similar to those recorded elsewhere in the eastern Pacific. Non-parametric multivariate analysis of variance demonstrated that changes of diversity metrics might be associated with environmental differences on the scale of hundreds of meters to kilometers, as well as coupled with major changes on oceanographic variables throughout time, exerting meaningful changes on reef-related fish assemblages.
Frontiers in Marine Science
The Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano (hereafter called PNSAV) is the largest coral reef extension in the central region of the Gulf of Mexico. These reefs are unique since they have developed near a coastal environment that is directly influenced by the discharges of Veracruz city, the rivers located on the continental shelf, and the port of Veracruz. This study evaluates the functional diversity, in terms of richness, evenness, and divergence, of the PNSAV fish community. We were interested in quantifying any similarities or differences in functional diversity metrics when one examines reef fish assemblages on a single reef or joint reef subsystems; thus, is there a difference based on scale? A total of 297 fish assemblages were observed in seven PNSAV reefs between May 2006 and April 2021. Significant differences were found in the Functional Richness of the assemblages between subsystems, years, and reef-depth interaction, but none were found among the reefs, or betwe...
Coral reef fish assemblages at Banco Chinchorro, Mexican Caribbean
Bulletin of marine …, 2003
As part of the characterization studies for the management plan of the Banco Chinchorro biosphere reserve, an atoll-like reef off the Caribbean coast of Mexico, fish assemblages and abundances by trophic groups were analyzed. Over the course of three years 384 visual censuses, in 20 ¥ 2-m transects, were conducted in a series of strata previously defined by coral structure and development. The known (mainly non-cryptic) ichthyofauna of Chinchorro consists of 163 species. Twenty-four of these (in ten families, contributing 3.29% of the recorded individuals) are regularly captured by fishery cooperatives operating within Chinchorro. Deep or shallow zones with good reef development tended to have more species and a higher fish density; these zones are located in four (out of 17) regions, which have been proposed for conservation. Six trophic groups were distinguished: benthophagous fishes (Haemulidae, Labridae) were the most abundant group (37.6%), followed by planktivores (27.4%) and omnivores (20.0%) (mainly Pomacentridae). Herbivores (Acanthuridae, Scaridae) were intermediate in abundance (12.2%), and higher trophic levels (piscivores and ichthyobenthophagous fishes: Serranidae, Lutjanidae, Carangidae) had the lowest densities (below 2%). Overfishing may have affected fish communities at Chinchorro; this was inferred because commercial fish populations are scarce and individuals are small. Ecological evaluation of habitats is an integral part of the development of management plans and programs for the use and conservation of large ecosystems, such as coral reefs. The analysis of emergent properties of communities and populations of reef organisms provides criteria and judgment elements to be weighed as possible indicators of the conservation status of these complex ecosystems. As the main component of nekton, fishes have a great importance in coral reefs, from the ecological and human use points of view. Moreover, they provide valuable tools for gauging the conservation status of reef ecosystems, because they may be very sensitive to environmental changes. Although this virtue has been explored more thoroughly in freshwater (Fausch et al., 1990), fishes have been included in such reef health monitoring protocols as the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) Program (Ginsburg, 2000). Chaetodontid abundance, for example, has been correlated with coral density or diversity (Birkeland and Neudecker, 1981; Findley and Findley, 1985). One of the most striking attributes of reef fish communities is their species diversity, which is the result of two interrelated processes: 1) differential distribution, i.e. efficient habitat use in the coral reef, and 2) morphologic and trophic specialization (Anderson et al., 1981; Gladfelter et al., 1980; Sale et al., 1984; Williams, 1986). The understanding of these processes requires a knowledge of pattern in reef fish communities. Banco Chinchorro is an atoll-like reef off the southern Caribbean versant of Mexico (Fig. 1). This is the most comprehensive report on the fish assemblages of Chinchorro. The only antecedent is Garduño's (1988) thesis (results published by Chávez, 1997, and Garduño and Chávez, 2000), describing composition, diversity, and trophic groups of § Deceased while paper in review. The surviving authors dedicate the finished work to his memory.
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2008
We compared the reef fish assemblages of two habitats, coral reefs and coral communities (rocky substratum with coral colonies), in the Las Perlas Archipelago in Pacific Panama and attempted to determine associations with habitat variables. We used a modified Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) survey to record fish species and quadrat transects to determine benthic composition. Multivariate non-parametric multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) ordinations were performed in PRIMER and univariate correlations were used to determine relationships. The reef fish of coral communities were significantly more diverse and species rich than those of coral reefs. The two habitats had significantly different species and size composition, but trophic and family groups overlapped between habitats. Topography, exposure, and the percentage cover of branching and massive corals correlated significantly with differences in fish parameters. The reef fish assemblages of this region appear to be determined more by the larger scale structural features that characterize the two habitats than by features that vary over small scales within the habitats.
Condition of coral reef ecosystems in central-southern Quintana Roo(Part 2: Reef fish communities)
Atoll Research …, 2003
Increases of fishing and tourism threaten the natural relationships between reef fish communities and their environments. All species of reef fishes were visually assessed in the central and southern Mexican Caribbean in eight fringing reefs, four of which are in a protected biosphere reserve. The sampling design included three spatial scales from tens of meters to tens of kilometers. A total of 9,908 individuals belonging to 128 species and 43 families were identified in 144 belt transects. Zooplankton feeders were the most important trophic group by number of individuals; plant and detritus feeders dominated by number of species. Herbivores were larger in unprotected reefs than in the reserve. Regression analyses showed significant inverse relationships between total fish species density and macroalgal index (a proxy for macroalgal biomass) and, for "large" (≥25 cm diameter) stony corals, partial-colony mortality and live/dead ratio. Significant inverse relationships were also found between mean abundance of the plant and detritus feeders guild and macroalgal index and macroalgae abundance. Geomorphological factors and anthropogenic impacts, both positive (protection) in the reserve and negative (fishing and tourism) in unprotected areas, may explain these spatial patterns in reef-fish community structure.
Helgoland Marine Research, 2006
We compared the community structure of reef fish over different physical complexities in 12 study zones of Bahía Honda, Gulf of Chiriquí (BH-GCH), Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP), Panama, aiming at an analysis of the importance of the physical structure provided by corals, rocks and benthic sessile organisms. This was the first region that emerged in the Isthmus of Panama; it exhibits the oldest benthic fauna and has constant conditions in terms of temperature and salinity. Two hundred and eighty-eight visual fish censuses were conducted on 48 benthic transects from February to July 2003. One hundred and twenty-six fish species of 44 families were found. Plankton feeding pomacentrids and labrids along with haemulids that feed on mobile invertebrates were the most abundant, particularly in shallow areas. Fourteen species showed size-segregations between zones, suggesting ontogenetic migrations (smaller fishes in shallow high-complexity zones, larger-sized fishes in deeper habitats). Highly mobile and site-attached genera were abundant in most shallow, wave-exposed zones particularly on exposed rocky substrates. Planktivores were the most abundant, followed by carnivores, feeders on mobile invertebrate and piscivores. Herbivores and feeders on sessile invertebrate were lower in abundance. Species richness exceeds that of any other studied region close to the mainland in the TEP and correlates with substrate diversity, increasing size-heterogeneity of holes and structural complexity. Species diversity increases with habitat complexity and benthic diversity. It seems that water current strength, tides and waves which select for swimming, play an important role in the community organization. The study region has been proposed as a refuge-centre in the TEP, where reef fishes that evolved on coral reefs have shifted their distribution onto rocky reef habitats.
Journal of Fish Biology, 1998
The reef fish community of the Mexican Caribbean and the factors governing its structure are poorly known. Using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), the relationship between fish community species composition and abundance, and environmental variables was investigated at three Mexican Caribbean reefs. These reefs are separated by c. 70 km: Boca Paila, located in the northern Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve; Tampalam, in the southern portion of said reserve; and Majahual, an unprotected area near the Mexico/Belize border. One hundred and thirty-four fish species belonging to 41 families were identified by underwater visual census. Their quantitative data, and 15 environmental variables collected during 60 sample transects, were analysed. The sample stations were distributed among the three reefs, and covered five dominant habitat types: reef lagoon, back reef, reef crest, reef front and reef slope. The variables estimated were: temperature, depth, current direction, current intensity, vertical relief, visibility, topographical complexity and substratum coverage (percent of sand, seagrass, algae, rock and rubbles, gorgonians, massive coral, branching coral and encrusting coral). Ordination diagrams with points based on fish species, sample sites, and environmental variables, showed a pattern mainly determined by degree of reef site complexity. Habitat scale environmental factors defined element distribution in three main areas: (a) reef fish species associated with lagoon and back reef sites of low topographical complexity; (b) species associated with intermediate complexity reef crest sites; and (c) species associated with high complexity reef front and reef slope sites. Nearly 52% of the variation in fish species data was explained by environmental variables in the direct and simultaneous ordination analysis. Topographical complexity was the most important variable, but depth, encrusting coral coverage, and vertical relief also had significant effect on fish species. Use of multivariate statistical methods proved valuable in deciphering the reef fish community structure patterns in the southern Mexican Caribbean. The current study provides a base for future reef fish research and regional tourism and fisheries management. 1998 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles
Habitat interdependence in coral reef ecosystems: a case study in a Mexican Caribbean reef
Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management, 1998
The structural patterns and trophodynamics of the different fish species in the reef complex of Palancar-Chunchakaab, located in the South of Cozumel Island, Mexican Caribbean, were studied. A total of 166 species were identified for the whole reef complex. The analysis of 19,636 recorded and 2291 fish collected allowed the populations to be characterized in terms of diversity, distribution, abundance, dominant species and habitat-fish interactions. Using these parameters, three well defined reef-fish communities were described in relation to three zones: (1) Thalassia zone (THZ), (2) Lagoon (LA) and (3) Shelf-Edge Reef (SER). These communities included 64 species (39% of the total number) that were restricted to a single zone, . The remaining 61% consisted of migratory species that interacted between the defined zones (interdependence of habitat): (1) THZ–LA, (2) THZ–LA–SER, and (3) LA–SER. Diversity was highest in the rainy season in SER (H′ n=3.3). Analysis of distribution and frequency of 42 of the recorded species revealed that for 25%, life cycle and THZ–SER were closely related. The remaining 75% were more associated with SER or THZ and they used these habitats for feeding, breeding and/or protection. In THZ, >70% of the total number of species were juveniles; in LA, 40% were preadults–adults; and in SER 80% were adults. The obvious interdependence between habitats suggested a distinct use of the resources by means of migration patterns. By decreasing the order of importance, the major diet types can be ranked as follows: (1) type I carnivores, mainly active by day, preying on small organisms such as crustaceans, polychaetes, mollusks, echinoderms; (2) type II carnivores, nocturnal species consuming larger crustaceans and fish; (3) strict piscivores species; (4) herbivores species; (5) planktivores species; (6) omnivores species; and (7) sessile invertebrate browsers. With the exception of SER, 14%–44% of the type II invertebrate feeders were restricted to the three defined habitats. Of the migratory species, the large invertebrate feeders were the dominant group (21%–41%). The present study suggests that the variation of species diversity patterns and trophic structure are associated with sequential habitat use according to the life cycle. This type of study allowed us to compare the diversity and trophic community of reef fish of the same system and to recognize the energetic interdependence that exists between the habitats.
Revista de Biología Tropical, 2014
Reefscape architecture, shaped by dominant coral morphologies, can play a major role in determining the structure and composition of fish assemblages by affecting niche and resource availability and mediating interspecific interactions. To explore the role of dominant coral morphologies on reef fish communities, we carried out a comparative study of the fish community associated with a Massive Coral Community (MCC) and a Branching Coral Community (BCC) at Gorgona Island, Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP). On each community, the benthic substrate was assessed through the "chain transect method" while the fish assemblage was evaluated through visual surveys on belt transects. We found differences between both fish assemblages in terms of the abundance, diversity (H'), and evenness (J'). The BCC, despite being formed by morphologically complex pocilloporid colonies, had a simple and relatively flat architecture that attracted principally small and territorial fishes. Significant higher abundances of Chromis atrilobata and Thalassoma lucasanum at the BCC boosted the total fish abundance but caused low fish evenness and diversity. Conversely the MCC, composed of massive coral species with considerable sizes and diversity of shapes, held a complex and high-relief reefscape capable of sustaining a more diverse and even fish community, although with the same species richness as the BCC. Fishes with large sizes, roving behavior and piscivore-feeding preferences were especially attracted to the MCC. Although, massive coral species are important in determining a diverse and complex reefscape architecture, both dominant coral morphologies (massive and branching) attract and provide resources to different types of fish according to their size, mobility and trophic group. Our results suggest that a loss of massive coral species and a community shift towards stress-resistant taxa (such as Pocillopora spp.), could alter the structure and function of fish assemblages in the TEP due to the habitat loss for large, mobile and piscivore species. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (Suppl. 1): 343-357. Epub 2014 February 01.