Distribution of shallow water coral reef fishes on the Northeast coast of St. Croix, USVI

Three protected backreef embayments on St. Croix's Northeast coast: Cottong arden Bay, Teague Bay, and Yellowcliff Bay were sampled quantitatively from October 1998 to September 1999 to determine species composition and fish a bundance. juvenile reef fish assemblages were monitored using visual belt t ransects. Significant differences in species richness and abundance of juve niles were identified among distinct patch reef, seagrass, rubble, algal pl ains, and sand habitats within the three embayments. Patch reef had the hig hest species diversity among habitats in the three areas. Scarids, labrids, and haemulids were the most abundant families sampled, Teague Bay had the highest fish density per site, while Yellowcliff Bay had the highest specie s density. The slippery dick Halichoeres bivittatus, the bucktooth parrotfi sh Sparisoma radians, and Haemulon spp. were the most abundant species. The re were significant seasonal differences in fish relative abundance and spe cies diversity.