Importance of mangroves, seagrass beds and the shallow coral reef as a nursery for important coral reef fishes, using a visual census technique

Citation
I. Nagelkerken et al., Importance of mangroves, seagrass beds and the shallow coral reef as a nursery for important coral reef fishes, using a visual census technique, EST COAST S, 51(1), 2000, pp. 31-44
Citations number
49
Categorie Soggetti
Aquatic Sciences
Journal title
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
ISSN journal
02727714 → ACNP
Volume
51
Issue
1
Year of publication
2000
Pages
31 - 44
Database
ISI
SICI code
0272-7714(200007)51:1<31:IOMSBA>2.0.ZU;2-M
Abstract
The nursery function of various biotopes for coral reef fishes was investig ated on Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. Length and abundance of 16 commercia lly important reef fish species were determined by means of visual censuses during the day in six different biotopes: mangrove prop-roots (Rhizophora mangle) and seagrass beds (Thalassia testudinum) in Lac Bay, and four depth zones on the coral reef (0 to 3 m, 3 to 5 m, 10 to 15 m and 15 to 20 m). T he mangroves, seagrass beds and shallow coral reef (0 to 3 m) appeared to b e the main nursery biotopes for the juveniles of the selected species. Mutu al comparison between biotopes showed that the seagrass beds were the most important nursery biotope for juvenile Haemulon flavolineatum, H. sciurus, Ocyurus chrysurus, Acanthurus chirurgus and Sparisoma viride, the mangroves for juvenile Lutjanus apodus, L. griseus, Sphyraena baruacuda and Chaetodo n capistratus, and the shallow coral reef for juvenile H. chrysargyreum, L. mahogoni, A. bahianus and Abudefduf saxatilis. Juvenile Acanthurus coerule us utilized all six biotopes, while juvenile H. carbonarium and Anisotremus surinamensis were not observed in any of the six biotopes. Although fishes showed a clear preference for a specific nursery biotope, most fish specie s utilized multiple nursery biotopes simultaneously. The almost complete ab sence of juveniles on the deeper reef zones indicates the high dependence o f juveniles on the shallow water biotopes as a nursery. For most fish speci es an (partial) ontogenetic shift was observed at a particular life stage f rom their (shallow) nursery biotopes to the (deeper) coral reef. Cluster an alyses showed that closely related species within the families Haemulidae, Lutjanidae and Acanthuridae, and the different size classes within species in most cases had a spatial separation in biotope utilization. (C) 2000 Aca demic Press.