Data sets

Fish community surveys at 10 sites in Peros Banhos Atoll, Salomon Atoll, Eagle Island, and Three Brothers Atolls


Subject
biological_organisms
Contact
Dr Mark Spalding
Contact email
mspalding@TNC.ORG
Start year
1996
End year
1996
Data format
xlsx
Description
Data on reef fish community structures on outer reef slopes at ten sites in the northern Chagos Archipelago. All sites were on outer reef slopes at 15 metres depth. Data were gathered by a single observer using a fixed point visual census technique.The majority of observed species were counted, although certain cryptic, nocturnal or rare groups were ignored (notably Muraenidae, Holocentridae, Scorpaenidae, Apogonidae, Blenniidae, Gobiidae).**TABLE 1.** Summary of some of the findings at the ten different study-sites. “Unique” species and families are those which were only observed at one site or (in bold type) one atoll. Site names and locations are given in Figure 1.**TABLE 2.** List of the twenty most abundant fish species, with total numbers of individuals, by site, and overall. Trophic groups are indicated with the following abbreviations: pk - planktivorous; pi - piscivorous; om - omnivorous; in - benthic invertebrate feeder**TABLE 3. Details of the abundance and diversity at the ten sites, and overall, by family. Ni - number of individuals; Ns - number of species. Families are listed in order of decreasing abundance.
Keywords
fish reef_fish abundance diversity underwater_visual_census
Notes
Download
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Authors
Spalding Mark .