Rocky banks (i.e. sea mountain-like structures rising from the sea bottom) are hard substrate habitats of high socio-economic value (e.g. for fishermen and divers) and ecological relevance as they often host unusually high density of fish. Here we tested whether the response of fish assemblages to protection (i.e. related to the presence of a Marine Protected Area (MPA)) in rocky banks is comparable with the response of rocky reefs dropping from the coast (hereafter called ‘coastal rocky substrates’), and whether there are differences between fish assemblages associated with protected and unprotected rocky banks. Fish assemblages were assessed in shallow and deep coastal rocky substrates, and in rocky banks, in unprotected and protected conditions at a Mediterranean MPA in north-east Sardinia in August 2007 and 2008. Whole fish assemblage structures (in terms of biomass) differed between protected and unprotected conditions in both study years. Fish assemblages at rocky banks, in addition, differed from those associated with coastal rocky substrates. Total fish biomass (summing contribution of all species) was higher under protected than unprotected condition in 2007, while species richness and total fish density did not demonstrate any significant change related to protection. The responses to protection displayed by the target species Epinephelus marginatus and Diplodus sargus were clear especially in terms of greater frequency of large-sized specimens in both study years. Biomass of E. marginatus in 2007 and density of D. sargus in 2007 and 2008 were significantly higher in protected than unprotected conditions, especially in protected rocky banks. This study emphasizes the ecological and socio-economic role of protection and the potential role of rocky banks within management/conservation programmes in the Mediterranean Sea.

We present a list with 10 new records of reef fish on the coast of Santa Catarina State, the southernmost site of tropical reef fish occurrence on the Brazilian coast. We also comment on the distribution-range of the recently described Halichoeres sazimai (Labridae).

Reef fish community structures at three sites in the state of Rio de Janeiro (Pedra Vermelha (PV), Cabo Frio Island—Arraial do Cabo; Mãe Island (MI), Itaipu—Niterói; Comprida Island (CI), Cagarras Archipelago—Rio de Janeiro) were investigated to assess differences in fish species composition, density and distribution of trophic groups, between sites, correlating the observed patterns of fish distribution with environmental factors. Thirty-six visual strip-transects yielded 67 species of 34 families. Studied locations shared at least 40% of all species, mostly of western Atlantic distribution. The three sites presented significant differences on diversity, density and species dominance. CI presented the highest values, except for total density, which was higher at PV, probably due to its partial degree of protection. MI showed the lowest values, suggesting possible impacts from the proximity to the shore. The main trophic categories were omnivores followed by mobile invertebrate feeders, in similarity to what was previously observed for south-eastern Brazil. Inherent habitat features of each location regarding depth, declivity, visibility and rugosity resulted in different species distribution and dominance patterns.