Habitat preference of combtooth blennies (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Blenniidae) in very shallow waters of the Ionian Sea, south-eastern Sicily, Italy

Tiralongo, Francesco

doi:10.3750/aip2016.46.2.02

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…All species were recorded except from those belonging to the families of Blenniidae, Gobiidae, and Tripterygiidae. Despite their important role in the ecology of shallow rocky reefs (Tiralongo et al, 2016), obtaining reliable diversity, density and biomass estimates for these highly diverse, small, crypto-benthic species would need a different type of sampling approach (e.g., Patzner, 1999;Tiralongo et al, 2016;Prato et al, 2017), which could not be followed due to fieldworkrelated logistical constraints.…”

Section: Field Protocolmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small-Scale Coastal Fishing Shapes the Structure of Shallow Rocky Reef Fish in the Aegean Sea

et al. 2019

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Shallow rocky reef fish assemblages were studied in sites of low versus high fishing pressure (FP) across the Aegean Sea, in order to assess community structure at a large scale and investigate spatial variability in relation to FP, depth, and geographic location. A total of 15 pairs of high and low FP sites were selected (18 sites in North Aegean, 12 in South Aegean). The level of FP was defined based on a fishing pressure index specifically developed for coastal small-scale fisheries in the region. In each site, fish communities were investigated at two depth zones (5 and 15 m). Number of species, fish size (Total Length; TL) and abundance were recorded along strip transects through underwater visual surveys. Abundance and TL were used to estimate biomass, and fish species were assigned to distinct trophic and commercial status groups. An 8fold range in fish density and a 14-fold range in fish biomass were detected, while community structure was affected by all variables considered (FP, depth, geographic location). The N Aegean sites scored higher in number of species and biomass of carnivorous fish, whereas the S Aegean had a higher biomass of several allochthonous and thermophilous species. Abundance and biomass estimates were higher in low FP sites, and primarily at the 15 m depth zone, where low FP sites had the double abundance and 2.8 times higher biomass. Biomass of carnivores was generally very low, except at deep sites of low FP. Given that sites of lower FP represent areas of lower conflicting interests for fisheries whilst providing enhanced biomass levels, they should be included in future marine conservation planning schemes, as they could contribute to the replenishment of fisheries and the boosting of conservation benefits provided by MPAs, once properly managed.

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Section: Field Protocolmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small-Scale Coastal Fishing Shapes the Structure of Shallow Rocky Reef Fish in the Aegean Sea

et al. 2019

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“…Mataró's minimum depth also explained the absence of species typical of shallow waters, such as many species of blenniids (e.g. A. sphynx, L. trigloides and M. canevae), whose highest diversity (Kotrschal 1988, Macpherson 1994) is restricted to the narrow depth zone from 0 to 1 m (Illich and Kotrschal 1990) and the negative correlation between depth and blenniid diversity was recently proved (Tiralongo et al 2016). This absence was also detected for some other species characteristic of shallow waters (C. argentatus and Z. zebrus).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Free-diving underwater fish photography contests: a complementary tool for assessing littoral fish communities

et al. 2018

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Characterizing fish communities must be a priority to safeguard resources and determine critical changes. Here, species richness and the spatial and temporal evolution in the structure of fish assemblages were analysed based on photos taken in underwater free-diving contests. A total of 29 contests held from 2008 to 2015 at four different locations along the northeastern Spanish coast, including a marine protected area were analysed. Contests reward the number of species per participant and photographic quality. Species image frequency from each tournament were standardized to catch image rate. A total of 88 taxa were recorded, including 32 cryptobenthic species, the highest number recorded in the Mediterranean littoral system so far. Cluster analyses yielded four major groups. Catch image rates in the marine protected area were significantly higher for seven species of high commercial interest and for two big labrids of recreational interest, including an endangered species (Labrus viridis). Overall, the study showed that photographic free-diving contest data are a potential tool for determining species richness in littoral systems since contest rules promote competition between participants to obtain maximum fish diversity. We believe that this type of cost-effective data can be applied worldwide as a complementary way of monitoring littoral fish assemblage.

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“…Visual census may also create bias due to failure to record all organisms in wavy conditions (Harmelin‐Vivien et al ., 1985). In the present work, the structural and orientation complexity of one of the stations did not allow the diver movement to be carried out on a straight line to form a strip (or distance) transect (Azzurro et al ., 2007; de Girolamo & Mazzoldi, 2001; Francour, 1999; Frau et al ., 2003; Glavičić et al ., 2020; Tiralongo et al ., 2016); instead, the authors used the time constraint approach, which, to their knowledge, has already been used once (Letourneur et al ., 2003). Still, the approximate distance covered in both sampling stations was similar.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the wider coastal zone, the dominant substrates are sandy and muddy (with or without vegetation) and rocky, deeper alternating with soft substrates (Castro & Huber, 2015). Generally, fish abundance increases with habitat complexity (Guidetti, 2000); thus, rocky substrates can be expected to host higher fish abundance; nonetheless, there are taxon‐specific exemptions to this rule, e.g ., some species of Labridae and Blennidae prefer cobbly substrates (Ordines et al ., 2005; Tiralongo et al ., 2016; Tuya et al ., 2009). As a result, no general rule can be drawn regarding the association of abundance and substrate for all fish taxa (Frau et al ., 2003), and other characteristics of the shallow coastal environment like depth, inclination, wave regime and water clarity are considered important in determining species abundance (Ajemian et al ., 2015; Benfield & Minello, 1996; Letourneur et al ., 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fish distribution and behaviour with regard to the time of day and the anthropogenic structural modification of the shallow littoral

Samourdani

Tzanatos

2022

Journal of Fish Biology

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The shallow littoral zone is under a variety of environmental drivers and anthropogenic pressures. As these factors are highly dynamic, they may affect the distribution and behaviour of littoral fish. The present study investigates the effect of the time of day and the benthic habitat type on the shallow littoral fish community. Diel variations in total fish abundance, community composition, species abundance and behaviour were studied in two neighbouring stations in the Patraikos Gulf (Greece): one with cobble seabed cover and another with anthropogenic habitat structural modifications, like large artificial blocks, rocks and other objects. Visual census revealed that community composition differed depending on both the time of day and the habitat type. Total abundance was highest in the morning, whereas both diel abundance and habitat use were found to be taxon specific, with most species showing a preference for the artificial rocky habitat. Diel differences in species behavioural patterns were also observed, with a greater percentage of fish being active during the day (morning and noon) rather than in the afternoon. Although the fish community does not change entirely within a day or between adjacent locations, it is significantly variable in even small spatial and temporal scales. Consequently, there are implications for the design and implementation of sampling designs and monitoring plans that should be consistent in time of day throughout the sampling period and include locations structurally modified by humans. Furthermore, the management of the shallow littoral zone should consider the small-scale variability and alternate anthropogenic habitat with natural unaltered patches.

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Habitat preference of combtooth blennies (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Blenniidae) in very shallow waters of the Ionian Sea, south-eastern Sicily, Italy

Cited by 8 publications

References 25 publications

Small-Scale Coastal Fishing Shapes the Structure of Shallow Rocky Reef Fish in the Aegean Sea

Small-Scale Coastal Fishing Shapes the Structure of Shallow Rocky Reef Fish in the Aegean Sea

Free-diving underwater fish photography contests: a complementary tool for assessing littoral fish communities

Fish distribution and behaviour with regard to the time of day and the anthropogenic structural modification of the shallow littoral

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