Reef fish and benthic community structures of the Santa Luzia Marine Reserve in the Cabo Verde islands, eastern central Atlantic Ocean

Reef fish and benthic community structures of the Santa Luzia Marine Reserve in the Cabo Verde islands, eastern central Atlantic Ocean

Understanding ecological structures and the dynamics of reef fish assemblages is a fundamental step in current conservation biology. Patterns of abundance and biomass of reef fish communities of the tropical Cabo Verde Archipelago (eastern central Atlantic Ocean) have not been assessed previously. W...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:African journal of marine science Vol. 41; no. 2; pp. 177 - 190
Main Authors: Freitas, R, Mendes, TC, Almeida, C, Melo, T, Villaça, RC, Noguchi, R, Floeter, SR, Rangel, CA, Ferreira, CEL
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Grahamstown Taylor & Francis 03-04-2019
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects:
Algae
Archipelagoes
Benthos
Biodiversity
Biology
Biomass
Carnivores
Carnivorous animals
Communities
conservation
Conservation biology
Density
Dominant species
Feeders
Fish
Fishing
Herbivores
Invertebrates
Labridae
Marine fishes
Multivariate analysis
oceanic MPA
Overfishing
Plankton feeders
Pomacentridae
Predators
Reef fish
Reef fishes
Reefs
Seaweeds
Species
Substrates
trophic groups
Tropical climate
Underwater
underwater visual census
West Africa
Cape Verde Islands
United States > US
Atlantic Ocean
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Summary:Understanding ecological structures and the dynamics of reef fish assemblages is a fundamental step in current conservation biology. Patterns of abundance and biomass of reef fish communities of the tropical Cabo Verde Archipelago (eastern central Atlantic Ocean) have not been assessed previously. We studied general patterns of reef fish trophic groups and benthic cover at 11 sites around Santa Luzia Island, employing underwater visual census (UVC) and benthic photo-quadrats. Fish assemblage attributes were plotted against several descriptors, such as fishing intensity, water surge, and complexity and type of substrate, using multivariate analysis. The 15 most abundant species accounted for 94.12% of all fishes censused by UVC; nine of these were also among the 15 species with the highest biomass. The families Muraenidae, Pomacentridae and Labridae were the most speciose, while Chromis spp. (Pomacentridae) and Labridae were the dominant groups in terms of both density and biomass. In terms of trophic groups of fishes, planktivores dominated fish density (69%, with 4 species), followed by mobile invertebrate feeders (17.9%, with 13 species), with other groups such as carnivores (3.6%) and roving herbivores (2.7%) being less prevalent. The benthic community was partially dominated by crustose coralline algae and macroalgae (more than 25% of total coverage). The low densities of large piscivorous and carnivorous fishes in the reserve might be directly linked to overfishing. The highest fish and benthic biodiversity were detected in the northwestern Santa Luzia reef sites, indicating this area as a priority for establishment of a no-take zone in the future.
ISSN:1814-232X
1814-2338
DOI:10.2989/1814232X.2019.1616613