Coker Darren J, Chaidez Veronica, Berumen Michael L
Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
PLoS One. 2017 Jan 26;12(1):e0169079. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169079. eCollection 2017.
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.
确定鱼类与其环境之间的关系是理解珊瑚礁生态系统不可或缺的一部分。然而，许多物种缺乏此类信息，尤其是在研究不足和偏远地区。随着珊瑚礁持续面临环境压力，深入了解鱼类群落的丰度和分布模式以及资源利用情况，将有助于推进我们对生态的理解和管理进程。基于对红海鹰鱼群落（科：鳃棘鲈科）的生态调查，我们揭示了大陆架、海浪暴露程度以及深度方面的分布和丰度的明显模式，特别是在福氏副鳃棘鲈的四种颜色形态中。在鹰鱼之间观察到了明显的模式，所有物种在离岸较远的珊瑚礁和海浪暴露的珊瑚礁区域记录到的丰度更高。斑点鳃棘鲈仅在暴露的顶部被记录到，但与其他物种不同的是，它不与活珊瑚群落相关联。总体而言，最丰富的物种是福氏副鳃棘鲈。该物种利用多种栖息地，但对活珊瑚和死珊瑚群落提供的复杂栖息地表现出偏好。在四种颜色形态之间未观察到栖息地利用的差异，但在深度分布和丰度方面存在明显模式。这项研究表明，除了福氏副鳃棘鲈表现出多样的颜色形态外，这些不同的形态型在红海中似乎具有相应的生态差异。为了更好地理解这一点，需要进一步研究来确定这些差异延伸到哪些方面以及涉及的机制。
