Species Diversity and Habitat Distribution of Fishes in Sharm El-Maiya Bay, Sharm El-Sheikh, Red Sea | ||||
| Catrina: The International Journal of Environmental Sciences | ||||
| Article 11, Volume 2, Issue 1, January 2007, Page 83-90 PDF (359.17 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
Magdy Alwany  1; Mahmoud Hanafy2; Mohammed Kotb2; Ali Gab-Alla2
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| 1Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt | ||||
| 2Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, 41522 Ismailia, Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| The fish assemblages of different habitats in Sharm El-Maiya Bay, Sharm El-Sheikh, Red Sea, were examined by visual census technique. Fish communities were estimated for each different habitat (coral patches, seagrasses, muddy substrate and coral reefs). A total of 155 fish species representing 98 genera were counted. Coral reef habitat had the highest number of species (146 species), while the muddy habitat had the lowest number (6 species). The highest average abundance was recorded at coral patch habitat (1014 fish/1000 m3), with the lowest value at muddy habitat (64 fish/1000 m3). Most individuals belonged to the Mullidae, followed by the Pomacentridae, Chaetodontidae, Labridae, Serranidae and Acanthuridae. The highest diversity of fishes was recorded on the coral reef areas. This habitat has nearly all fish families (36 families). Sparidae and Mullidae were more abundant at seagrass habitats inside the Sharm El-Maiya Bay more than other habitats. Corallivores were less abundant at the seagrass and muddy habitats than on fringing coral reefs and coral patches. In general, both the herbivores and invertebrate-feeder fishes are the most abundant in the Sharm El-Maiya Bay. They represent 42.2 % of total fish population in the study area. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Fish abundance; habitats; diversity; Red Sea; Egypt | ||||
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