The composition of the rockpool fish community of El Pital was described. A total of 29 rockpools with volumes ranging from 0.12 to 0.83 m3 were sampled from March to September 2009 using dip nets and clove oil anesthetic solution. A total of 106 fishes belonging to 19 species were captured. The most abundant species were Bathygobius ramosus, Abudefduf concolor, Mugil curema and Mugil hospes, representing 66% of all fishes collected. Resident fish comprised 32%, transients comprised 60%, and accidental visitors comprised 8%. High percentages of juvenile fish were recorded (87%), showing that the intertidal zone may act as an important nursery site for fish.

The ichthyology collection at the Natural History Museum of El Salvador (MUHNES) was established in 1970. Herein, we provide the first quantitative and qualitative description of the collection; and the first public record of the specimens and taxa therein represented. The MUHNES fish collection is the largest and most important of El Salvador, hosting 3791 specimens in 1005 lots representing 26 orders, 75 families, 159 genera and 248 species from both marine and freshwater environments, including larval, juvenile and mainly adult specimens. MUHNES specimens include 39% of the 587 species reported in the official national checklist of fishes of El Salvador, and support the inclusion of 47 additional species for a new total of 634. Furthermore, MUHNES specimens support (1) the occurrence of Cathorops fuerthii along the coast of El Salvador, extending its distribution from northern Costa Rica; (2) the occurrence of Atherinella starksi in El Salvador, reducing a gap for records between Nicaragua and México and (3) the extension in the distribution range of Profundulus kreiseri to Morazán, El Salvador. This study represents an advance on the understanding of diversity and distribution of the national ichthyofauna.

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Substratum preferences and contact interactions among sessile organisms can be a major determinant of biotic gradients in the structure of benthic communities on coral reefs. Sponges are a substantial component of these communities, but their substratum requirements and interactions with other benthic taxa are poorly understood. Here, we quantified sponge substratum preferences and interactions from 838 randomly selected photo-quadrats across different depths (5, 10 and 15 m), exposure (sheltered and exposed), and substratum topography (horizontal, inclined and vertical surfaces) on coastal coral reefs in Kimbe Bay. A high proportion (55%) of sponge colonies were associated with dead coral, unconsolidated coral rubble (7%) and calcium carbonate rock (CaCO3 rock) (7%), even though they represented only 10%, 4% and 1% of the available substratum, respectively. Sponges interacted most frequently with algae (~ 34%), corals (~ 30%) and crustose coralline algae (CCA ~ 19%) that represented ~ 46%, ~ 18% and ~ 14% of the substratum cover, respectively. The microhabitat preferences of sponges and frequency of interactions with other taxa were mostly consistent across various exposure, depth and substratum topography conditions. Most interactions appeared to be “stand-offs” (71%) which are interactions with no clear winner or loser. However, when overgrowth occurred, sponges were usually winners, overgrowing corals (92%), CCA (81%) and macroalgae (65%). Three sponge species Dysidea sp1, Lamellodysidea cf. chlorea and Lamellodysidea chlorea accounted for 51% to 96% of the overgrowth of sponges over algae, corals and CCA, but there was no one species found to always win or lose. Our results suggest that sponges avoid other biological substrata by preferentially settling on dead coral, coral rubble and CaCO3 rock, but when they do come into contact with algae and corals, they frequently overgrow their spacial competitors.