Factors affecting the catchability of reef fishes in antillean fish traps

Factors affecting the catchability of reef fishes in Antillean fish traps w ere investigated by experimental fishing on Barbados west coast fringing re efs. The species characteristics investigated included mobility on the reef , activity within the trap, gregariousness, and capacity for squeezing thro ugh mesh. The catchability of the study species varied considerably. Long t erm mobility was positively correlated with ingress and catchability, indic ating that more mobile species are more likely to encounter and hence enter traps. No other effects of species-specific characteristics on catchabilit y were detected. The presence of prey in traps increased the catchability o f piscivores by lowering piscivore escapement, and the presence of piscivor es in traps decreased the catchability of prey by lowering prey ingress, bu t the effects were weak in both cases. Catchability was negatively correlat ed with the percent reef cover of the substratum and with substratum rugosi ty, suggesting that Craps are more attractive to fish in areas of low habit at complexity. Consistent with this, although fish density was higher at si tes with greater habitat complexity, catch rates were not.