Abstract
Identifying relationships between fishes and their environment is an integral part of understanding coral reef ecosystems. However, this information is lacking for many species, particularly in understudied and remote regions. With coral reefs continuing to face environmental pressures, insight into abundance and distribution patterns along with resource use of fish communities will aid in advancing our ecological understanding and management processes. Based on ecological surveys of hawkfish assemblages (Family: Cirrhitidae) in the Red Sea, we reveal distinct patterns in the distribution and abundance across the continental shelf, wave exposure, and with depth, particularly in the four colour morphs of Paracirrhites forsteri. Distinct patterns were observed among hawkfishes, with higher abundance of all species recorded on reefs farther from shore and on wave exposed reef zones. Cirrhitus spilotoceps was only recorded on the exposed crest, but unlike the other species, did not associate with live coral colonies. Overall, the most abundant species was P. forsteri. This species exploited a variety of habitats but showed an affinity for complex habitats provided by live and dead coral colonies. No difference in habitat use was observed among the four colour morphs, but distinct patterns were apparent in distribution and abundance with depth. This study suggests that in addition to P. forsteri exhibiting diverse colour morphologies, these various morphotypes appear to have corresponding ecological differences in the Red Sea. To better understand this, further studies are needed to identify what these differences extend to and the mechanisms involved.
Highlights
Understanding the ecological relationships between organisms and their environment forms the basic underpinnings for understanding ecosystems and how these may be altered in the face of disturbance [1,2,3]
Of the four hawkfish species known to exist in the Red Sea, only Cirrhitus spilotoceps, Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus, and Paracirrhites forsteri were recorded in the study area
Oxycirrhites typus was not observed on any transects
Summary
Understanding the ecological relationships between organisms and their environment forms the basic underpinnings for understanding ecosystems and how these may be altered in the face of disturbance [1,2,3]. Reef assemblages are highly influenced by environmental variables as this determines habitat and food availability, physiological performance, distribution, and abundance. Environmental variables often exist on a spatial gradient in coral reefs and can influence patterns of assemblage composition for associated organisms along this gradient. Studies have shown shifts in various fish taxa with cross shelf gradients, wave energy, and depth [7,8,9,10,11]. This means that environmental heterogeneity produces distinct environmental habitats along a gradient that positively or negatively influence organisms depending on their requirements or adaptations
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