caa a22 4500 606228098 CHVBK 20210128101202.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20150501xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10641-014-0365-1 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10641-014-0365-1 Depth and reef profile: effects on the distribution and abundance of coral reef fishes [Elektronische Daten] [M. Jankowski, N. Gardiner, G. Jones] The physical and biological structure of coral reef habitats vary in relation to depth and the profile of the reef, from vertical walls to gentle slopes. The differing roles of depth and reef profile on fish distribution and abundance, and the role of habitat structure in explaining these patterns, have received little attention. Here these effects were distinguished by surveying reef fish species and benthic habitat in quadrats on three aspects (shelf, slope and wall) at each of two depths (5m and 15m) in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea. Both depth and reef profile accounted for considerable variation in reef fish communities. Species diversity and richness was highest on the shelf profile and lowest on the wall profile at 5m. Whereas, at 15m the opposite was true with the wall profile being the most diverse and species rich profile and the shelf being the least. Wall habitats were the most different from the other two profiles in terms of community structure. Depth had a greater influence on fish communities on slope and shelf habitats, with shallow slopes and shelfs similar to one another, and deep slopes and shelfs also similar. Some rare species, such as Chromis delta and Pictichromis paccagnellae, were restricted only to walls. The relative effects of depth and reef profile on benthic habitat structure were similar to the fish communities, with the sponge and encrusting coral dominated wall habitats being the most dissimilar to the other aspects, with clear depth patterns also. There was a significant correlation between the fish communities present and the habitat availability at the depths and on the reef profiles studied. The correlation was best explained by sand, branching coral, encrusting coral, massive coral and rubble. Depth and reef profile had a significant interaction, which suggests that, clearly, both depth and profile are important factors affecting reef fish communities. Although, benthic habitat appears to only partially explain these patterns. Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht, 2014 Reef profile nationallicence Reef fish community nationallicence Abundance nationallicence Depth distribution nationallicence Reef fish ecology nationallicence Jankowski M. School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, 4811, Townsville, QLD, Australia aut Gardiner N. School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, 4811, Townsville, QLD, Australia aut Jones G. School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, 4811, Townsville, QLD, Australia aut Environmental Biology of Fishes Springer Netherlands 98/5(2015-05-01), 1373-1386 0378-1909 98:5<1373 2015 98 10641 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-014-0365-1 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-014-0365-1 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Jankowski M. School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, 4811, Townsville, QLD, Australia aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Gardiner N. School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, 4811, Townsville, QLD, Australia aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Jones G. School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, 4811, Townsville, QLD, Australia aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Environmental Biology of Fishes Springer Netherlands 98/5(2015-05-01), 1373-1386 0378-1909 98:5<1373 2015 98 10641