Environment and Fisheries Applied Techniques Research Department, Fisheries Technology Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Yaeyama Field Station, Coastal and Inland Fisheries Ecosystem Division, Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan.
PeerJ. 2024 Jul 19;12:e17772. doi: 10.7717/peerj.17772. eCollection 2024.
Although numerous coral reef fish species utilize substrates with high structural complexities as habitats and refuge spaces, quantitative analysis of nocturnal fish substrate associations has not been sufficiently examined yet. The aims of the present study were to clarify the nocturnal substrate associations of 17 coral reef fish species (nine parrotfish, two surgeonfish, two grouper and four butterflyfish) in relation to substrate architectural characteristics. Substrate architectural characteristics were categorized into seven types: (1) eave-like space, (2) large inter-branch space, (3) overhang by protrusion of fine branching structure, (4) overhang by coarse structure, (5) uneven structure without large space or overhang, (6) flat and (7) macroalgae. Overall, fishes were primarily associated with three architectural characteristics (eave-like space, large inter-branch space and overhang by coarse structure). The main providers of these three architectural characteristics were tabular and corymbose , staghorn , and rock. Species-specific significant positive associations with particular architectural characteristics were found as follows. For the nine parrotfish species, with large inter-branch space and overhang by coarse structure; with eave-like space and large inter-branch space; with large inter-branch space; with overhang by coarse structure; five species (, , , and ) with eave-like space. For the two surgeonfish species, with overhang by coarse structure; with eave-like space. For the two grouper species, with eave-like space; with overhang by coarse structure. For the four butterflyfish species, with eave-like space and large inter-branch space; and with large inter-branch space; showed no significant associations with any architectural characteristics. Four species (, , and ) also showed clear variations in substrate associations among the different fish size classes. Since parrotfishes, surgeonfishes and groupers are main fisheries targets in coral reefs, conservation and restoration of coral species that provide eave-like space (tabular and corymbose ) and large inter-branch space (staghorn ) as well as hard substrates with coarse structure that provide overhang (rock) should be considered for effective fisheries management in coral reefs. For butterflyfishes, coral species that provide eave-like space (tabular ) and large inter-branch space (staghorn should also be conserved and restored for provision of sleeping sites.
尽管许多珊瑚礁鱼类物种将具有高结构复杂性的基质用作栖息地和避难空间，但对夜间鱼类基质关联的定量分析尚未得到充分研究。本研究的目的是阐明 17 种珊瑚礁鱼类物种（9 种鹦嘴鱼、2 种鲷鱼、2 种石斑鱼和 4 种蝴蝶鱼）与基质建筑特征的夜间基质关联。基质建筑特征分为七种类型：（1）檐状空间，（2）大枝间空间，（3）由细分支结构突出物的悬垂，（4）由粗结构的悬垂，（5）无大空间或悬垂的不均匀结构，（6）平坦和（7）macroalgae。总体而言，鱼类主要与三种建筑特征（檐状空间、大枝间空间和粗结构悬垂）相关联。这三种建筑特征的主要提供者是板状和伞状、鹿角珊瑚和岩石。发现以下特定物种与特定建筑特征存在显著正关联。对于 9 种鹦嘴鱼物种， 与大枝间空间和粗结构悬垂相关； 与檐状空间和大枝间空间相关； 与大枝间空间相关； 与粗结构悬垂相关；5 种物种（ 、 、 、 和 ）与檐状空间相关。对于两种鲷鱼物种， 与粗结构悬垂相关； 与檐状空间相关。对于两种石斑鱼物种， 与檐状空间相关； 与粗结构悬垂相关。对于四种蝴蝶鱼物种， 与檐状空间和大枝间空间相关； 与大枝间空间相关； 与任何建筑特征均无显著关联。四种物种（ 、 、 和 ）也表现出不同鱼类体型类别之间基质关联的明显变化。由于鹦嘴鱼、鲷鱼和石斑鱼是珊瑚礁中的主要渔业目标，因此应考虑保护和恢复提供檐状空间（板状和伞状）和大枝间空间（鹿角珊瑚）以及提供粗结构悬垂的硬基质（岩石）的珊瑚物种，以实现珊瑚礁的有效渔业管理。对于蝴蝶鱼，还应保护和恢复提供栖息场所的檐状空间（板状）和大枝间空间（鹿角珊瑚）的珊瑚物种。
