Importance of Mangroves, Seagrass Beds and the Shallow Coral Reef as a Nursery for Important Coral Reef Fishes, Using a Visual Census Technique

• Published in: Estuarine, coastal and shelf science Vol. 51; no. 1; pp. 31 - 44
• Main Authors: Nagelkerken, I., van der Velde, G., Gorissen, M.W., Meijer, G.J., Van't Hof, T., den Hartog, C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: Abudefduf saxatilis; Acanthurus bahianus; Acanthurus chirurgus; Acanthurus coeruleus; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Anisotremus surinamensis; bays; Biological and medical sciences; Brackish water ecosystems; Caribbean Sea; Chaetodon capistratus; fish; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Haemulon carbonarium; Haemulon chrysargyreum; Haemulon flavolineatum; Haemulon sciurus; Lutjanus apodus; Lutjanus griseus; Lutjanus mahogoni; mangrove swamps; Netherlands Antilles; nursery grounds; Ocyurus chrysurus; ontogenetic shifts; reefs; Rhizophora mangle; sea grasses; Sparisoma viride; Sphyraena barracuda; Synecology; Thalassia testudinum; Central America; Netherlands Antilles; America; West Indies; ontogenetic shifts; sea grasses; nursery grounds; mangrove swamps; fish; bays; reefs; Caribbean Sea; Cluster analysis; Brackish water environment; Interspecific comparison; Nursery (animal); Environmental factor; Coral reef; Habitat selection; Island; Vertebrata; Animal community; Mangrove; Pisces; Body size; Seagrass bed; Bonaire; Population density; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0272-7714; 1096-0015
• DOI: 10.1006/ecss.2000.0617

The nursery function of various biotopes for coral reef fishes was investigated on Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. Length and abundance of 16 commercially important reef fish species were determined by means of visual censuses during the day in six different biotopes: mangrove prop-roots (Rhizophora mangle) and seagrass beds (Thalassia testudinum) in Lac Bay, and four depth zones on the coral reef (0 to 3m, 3 to 5m, 10 to 15m and 15 to 20m). The mangroves, seagrass beds and shallow coral reef (0 to 3m) appeared to be the main nursery biotopes for the juveniles of the selected species. Mutual comparison between biotopes showed that the seagrass beds were the most important nursery biotope for juvenile Haemulon flavolineatum, H. sciurus, Ocyurus chrysurus, Acanthurus chirurgus and Sparisoma viride, the mangroves for juvenile Lutjanus apodus, L. griseus,Sphyraena barracuda and Chaetodon capistratus, and the shallow coral reef for juvenile H. chrysargyreum,L. mahogoni , A. bahianus and Abudefduf saxatilis. Juvenile Acanthurus coeruleus utilized all six biotopes, while juvenile H. carbonarium and Anisotremus surinamensis were not observed in any of the six biotopes. Although fishes showed a clear preference for a specific nursery biotope, most fish species utilized multiple nursery biotopes simultaneously. The almost complete absence of juveniles on the deeper reef zones indicates the high dependence of juveniles on the shallow water biotopes as a nursery. For most fish species an (partial) ontogenetic shift was observed at a particular life stage from their (shallow) nursery biotopes to the (deeper) coral reef. Cluster analyses showed that closely related species within the families Haemulidae, Lutjanidae and Acanthuridae, and the different size classes within species in most cases had a spatial separation in biotope utilization.