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Rocky reef fish community structure in two Azorean islands (Portugal) central North Atlantic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2010

Áthila Andrade Bertoncini ,
Leonardo Francisco Machado ,
João Pedro Barreiros ,
Maurício Hostim-Silva  and
José Roberto Verani
Áthila Andrade Bertoncini*
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de São Carlos—PPGERN—CxP.676São Carlos SP 13.565-905Brazil
Leonardo Francisco Machado
Affiliation:
Universidade dos Açores, Departamento Ciências Agrárias and ImarAçores 9701-851 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
João Pedro Barreiros
Affiliation:
Universidade dos Açores, Departamento Ciências Agrárias and ImarAçores 9701-851 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
Maurício Hostim-Silva
Affiliation:
Centro Universitário Norte do Espírito Santo—CEUNES—UFES—Rodovia BR101 Norte, Km. 60, Bairro Litorâneo, São Mateus—ES 29.932-540Brazil
José Roberto Verani
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de São Carlos—PPGERN—CxP.676São Carlos SP 13.565-905Brazil
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Á.A. Bertoncini, Universidade Federal de São Carlos—PPGERN—CxP.676, São Carlos SP 13.565-905Brazil email: athilapeixe@gmail.com
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Abstract

The community structure of shallow rocky reef fish fauna of the Azores Archipelago is described from underwater visual censuses carried out at eight areas (Terceira and Corvo Islands). A total of 52 fish species from 26 different families was observed, and the ten most abundant fish corresponded to 82.7% of all fish. Trophic categories are given for observed species with comments on distribution and densities along sampled depth strata. Mean densities along sampled strata were tested for significant differences. Sparidae, Labridae and Carangidae were the most speciose families being Diplodus sargus, Pagellus acarne, Coris julis, Thalassoma pavo and Tripterygion delaisi the most abundant species that consequently also accounted for the highest densities.

Keywords

shallow rocky reefsfish communitiestrophic structuretemperate reefsAzores
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 90 , Issue 7 , November 2010 , pp. 1353 - 1362
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2010

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