Influence of habitat complexity on fish density and species richness in structurally simple forereef seagrass meadows
Seagrass meadows are highly productive habitats that support commercially and ecologically important fishes and invertebrates. However, evidence of fish-habitat relationships are seldom drawn from forereef seagrass meadows that are structurally simple in terms of species richness and relative size a...
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| Format: | Article |
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De Gruyter
2018
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| _version_ | 1796961525383036928 |
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| author | Ho, Nina Ann Jin Ooi, Jillian Lean Sim Affendi, Yang Amri Chong, Ving Ching |
| author_facet | Ho, Nina Ann Jin Ooi, Jillian Lean Sim Affendi, Yang Amri Chong, Ving Ching |
| author_sort | Ho, Nina Ann Jin |
| collection | UM |
| description | Seagrass meadows are highly productive habitats that support commercially and ecologically important fishes and invertebrates. However, evidence of fish-habitat relationships are seldom drawn from forereef seagrass meadows that are structurally simple in terms of species richness and relative size and, consequently, their role as habitats is unclear. In this study, fish-habitat relationships were examined in such meadows in the forereef seagrasses of Tinggi Island and Babi Besar Island, Malaysia, by documenting habitat complexity attributes (canopy height, shoot density and percent cover), distance to adjacent coral reefs, and water depth within 2×2 m quadrats. Fish assemblages were recorded using the Remote Underwater Video Station method. A total of 1166 individuals from 86 taxa were found and enumerated. This study showed that (1) fish density and species richness were significantly associated with seagrass percent cover alone; (2) commercially important carnivores formed the majority of the fish populations in the meadows, and (3) fish density and species richness were positively correlated with distance to the nearest adjacent coral reef, indicating the need to account for the effects of neighboring habitats in studies of this nature. Thus, structurally simple seagrass meadows are still important fish habitats, especially as feeding grounds for commercially significant carnivores. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T05:55:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | um.eprints-21886 |
| institution | Universiti Malaya |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T05:55:24Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | um.eprints-218862019-08-08T01:34:04Z http://eprints.um.edu.my/21886/ Influence of habitat complexity on fish density and species richness in structurally simple forereef seagrass meadows Ho, Nina Ann Jin Ooi, Jillian Lean Sim Affendi, Yang Amri Chong, Ving Ching Q Science (General) QH Natural history Seagrass meadows are highly productive habitats that support commercially and ecologically important fishes and invertebrates. However, evidence of fish-habitat relationships are seldom drawn from forereef seagrass meadows that are structurally simple in terms of species richness and relative size and, consequently, their role as habitats is unclear. In this study, fish-habitat relationships were examined in such meadows in the forereef seagrasses of Tinggi Island and Babi Besar Island, Malaysia, by documenting habitat complexity attributes (canopy height, shoot density and percent cover), distance to adjacent coral reefs, and water depth within 2×2 m quadrats. Fish assemblages were recorded using the Remote Underwater Video Station method. A total of 1166 individuals from 86 taxa were found and enumerated. This study showed that (1) fish density and species richness were significantly associated with seagrass percent cover alone; (2) commercially important carnivores formed the majority of the fish populations in the meadows, and (3) fish density and species richness were positively correlated with distance to the nearest adjacent coral reef, indicating the need to account for the effects of neighboring habitats in studies of this nature. Thus, structurally simple seagrass meadows are still important fish habitats, especially as feeding grounds for commercially significant carnivores. De Gruyter 2018 Article PeerReviewed Ho, Nina Ann Jin and Ooi, Jillian Lean Sim and Affendi, Yang Amri and Chong, Ving Ching (2018) Influence of habitat complexity on fish density and species richness in structurally simple forereef seagrass meadows. Botanica Marina, 61 (6). pp. 547-557. ISSN 0006-8055, DOI https://doi.org/10.1515/bot-2017-0115 <https://doi.org/10.1515/bot-2017-0115>. https://doi.org/10.1515/bot-2017-0115 doi:10.1515/bot-2017-0115 |
| spellingShingle | Q Science (General) QH Natural history Ho, Nina Ann Jin Ooi, Jillian Lean Sim Affendi, Yang Amri Chong, Ving Ching Influence of habitat complexity on fish density and species richness in structurally simple forereef seagrass meadows |
| title | Influence of habitat complexity on fish density and species richness in structurally simple forereef seagrass meadows |
| title_full | Influence of habitat complexity on fish density and species richness in structurally simple forereef seagrass meadows |
| title_fullStr | Influence of habitat complexity on fish density and species richness in structurally simple forereef seagrass meadows |
| title_full_unstemmed | Influence of habitat complexity on fish density and species richness in structurally simple forereef seagrass meadows |
| title_short | Influence of habitat complexity on fish density and species richness in structurally simple forereef seagrass meadows |
| title_sort | influence of habitat complexity on fish density and species richness in structurally simple forereef seagrass meadows |
| topic | Q Science (General) QH Natural history |
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