Species composition, habitat configuration and seasonal changes of coral reef fish assemblages in western Mexico

摘要: Summary In spite of their ecological and economic importance, reef fishes from the coast Oaxaca, Mexico are rarely studied, therefore precluding management conservation. In order to identify set habitat characteristics/environmental conditions that predict major shifts in fish assemblages space time, a stationary census (5′, φ = 5 m) was conducted on semi-monthly basis 2006 2009 at patch reefs along coast. Habitat configuration gathered using 25 m long point-intersect transects (data every 25 cm), recording all underlying coral species substrate characteristics (rocks, sand, algal mats, rubble or dead corals). Recorded were 65 452 grouped 11 orders, 36 families, 65 genera 89 species. Labridae (nine species), Pomacentridae (eight species) Serranidae (seven most frequent families. Abundance is severely skewed among species; four Thalassoma lucasanum, Chromis atrilobata, Apogon pacificus Stegastes acapulcoensis comprise nearly 59% abundance, contribute 30%, whereas (75) can be considered as rare since they <1% each total. Species richness family-level assemblage composition similar those recorded elsewhere eastern Pacific. Non-parametric multivariate analysis variance demonstrated changes diversity metrics might associated with environmental differences scale hundreds meters kilometers, well coupled oceanographic variables throughout exerting meaningful reef-related assemblages.