Fish communities on intertidal zone of dead coral substrates in Van Phong bay

Abstract

Assessment of fish communities in the intertidal zone of dead coral substrates was carried out at 5 sites in Van Phong bay, Khanh Hoa province in March 2021. A total of 58 species of fi sh belonging to 44 genera, 25 families and 12 orders were identified. The Perciformes were the most diverse, accounting for 34.5%; Gobiiformes (19%); Blenniiformes (10.3%); Tetraodontiformes and Kurtiformes (8.6%). Families of small sized fish were common such as gobies (Gobiidae: 11 species), combtooth blenny (Blenniidae: 6 species) and cardinalfishes (Apogonidae: 5 species). Most of the individuals were juveniles (61.9%), in which the number of species and individuals of the opportunists group was higher than that of the permanent resident group, while the transient group was the lowest. The site at Ninh Phuoc supported the highest number of species. At the same time, the areas where seagrass beds were distributed had a more diverse and richer species composition than those in other areas.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.53818/jfst.02.2022.75