Community structure and fish assemblage at Marsa Abu Dabab, Red Sea, Egypt. | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries | ||||
| Article 15, Volume 15, Issue 2, April 2011, Page 105-124 PDF (508.45 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2011.2103 | ||||
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| Author | ||||
| Magdy Alwany | ||||
| Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| The fish assemblages of different habitats at Marsa Abu Dabab (north Marsa Alam, Red Sea) were examined by visual census techniques. Fish communities were estimated for each of the investigated habitats; seagrasses and coral reefs which have divided into three sectors; sector A (at north) and C (at south) represent coral reef habitats, whereas sector B (in the middle) represents seagrass habitat. A total of 172 fish species representing 94 genera were recorded at Marsa Abu Dabab. The coral reef habitat had the highest number of species (162 species), while the seagrass habitat had the lowest (90 species). The highest average abundance was recorded at sector C in the reef wall habitat (1119 fish/1000 m3), with the lowest value at sector B in the seagrass habitat (240 fish/1000 m3). Some fish species were restricted to seagrass or coral reefs, while others were widespread along the gradient. Regarding to fish distribution patterns, five families showed increasing in coral reef habitat (Pomacentridae, Labridae, Acanthuridae, Chaetodontidae and Serranidae), while other three families were abundant in seagrass beds (Siganidae, Sparidae and Mullidae). The five families in coral reef habitats showed in high abundance on reef wall (RW) more than reef flat (RF), except Acanthuridae. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Marsa Abu Dabab; Coral reefs; diversity; Fishes; Egypt; Red Sea; Seagrass | ||||
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