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The importance of small-scale environment factors to community structure patterns of tropical rocky reef fish

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2013

Hudson T. Pinheiro ,
Agnaldo S. Martins  and
Jean-Christophe Joyeux
Hudson T. Pinheiro*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, 29075-910, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
Agnaldo S. Martins
Affiliation:
Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, 29075-910, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
Jean-Christophe Joyeux
Affiliation:
Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, 29075-910, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: H.T. Pinheiro, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Deparment, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA email: htpinheiro@gmail.com
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Abstract

Understanding the spatial distribution of fish species and fish trophic guilds in reef environments may help improve our knowledge about ecological relationships and therefore favour sound strategies for sampling, coastal management and conservation policy. To verify if small-scale changes are important in forming the fish community structure at a tropical rocky coastal island, we assessed the depth, structural complexity and wave exposure gradients. The community structure changed along all gradients analysed. The trophic guilds found on the sheltered, low and intermediate exposure zones, in the deepest areas and in areas of highest structural complexity showed significant differences when compared with the general assemblage. Rocky reefs, even of narrow (transversal) extension, can show great changes in fish community structure at so small a scale that these changes are generally overlooked. The relationships evidenced between community and environment provide strong support for the importance of considering a wide array of such distinct environmental conditions when determining the structure patterns of the community.

Keywords

complexityexposuredepthrocky-shoreassemblagesabundance
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 93 , Issue 5 , August 2013 , pp. 1175 - 1185
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2013 

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