Foraging associations of &lt;i&gt;Lethrinus olivaceus&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Cheilinus undulatus&lt;/i&gt;, and other fishes in an isolated and protected coral reef

Sorgon, Kent Elson S.; Abesamis, Rene A.

doi:10.3755/galaxea.g25-4

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…With regard to C. undulatus , diver‐based surveys on shallow reefs in 2017 showed that TRNP had the highest density of this species in the Philippines (Nañola et al, 2021), which is consistent with the present study showing high abundance of C. undulatus at shallow depths in TRNP. Rare natural behavior of C. undulatus hunting together with emperors and jacks as a group, which may be indicative of near‐pristine conditions, was also documented in TRNP in 2016 (Sorgon & Abesamis, 2023). This body of evidence strongly suggests that the no‐take protection of TRNP has been quite successful, allowing fishes, including those that are highly sensitive to overfishing, to recover for at least two decades.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Intact shallow and mesophotic assemblages of large carnivorous reef fishes underscore the importance of large and remote protected areas in the Coral Triangle

Salvador,

Utzurrum,

Murray

et al. 2024

Aquatic Conservation

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Overfishing remains a threat to coral reef fishes worldwide, with large carnivores often disproportionately vulnerable. Marine protected areas (MPAs) can restore fish populations and biodiversity, but their effect has been understudied in mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs), particularly in the Coral Triangle. Videos were analysed from baited remote underwater video systems deployed in 2016 to investigate the assemblage structure of large carnivorous fishes at shallow (4–12 m) and mesophotic (45–96 m) depths in two of the largest and most isolated MPAs in the Philippines: an uninhabited, fully no‐take MPA enacted in 1988 (Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park) and an archipelagic municipality surrounded by an extensive but not fully no‐take MPA declared in 2016 (Cagayancillo). Taxa focused on were groupers (Serranidae), snappers (Lutjanidae), emperors (Lethrinidae), jacks (Carangidae) and the endangered Cheilinus undulatus (Labridae). Mean abundance and species richness were not greater in TRNP than in Cagayancillo regardless of depth despite long‐term protection in the former. Limited impacts of fishing in Cagayancillo may explain this result. Differentiation of fish assemblages was evident between TRNP and Cagayancillo but more obvious between depths at each location, probably due more to habitat than MPA effects. In Cagayancillo, overall carnivorous reef fish, grouper and jack mean abundance were 2, 2 and 10 times higher, respectively, at mesophotic depths, suggesting that MCEs can serve as deep refugia from fishing. These findings of differentiation between depths and higher abundance of certain taxa in mesophotic depths emphasize that MCEs are distinct from shallow reefs, serve as important habitat for species susceptible to overfishing and, thus, must be explicitly included in the design of MPAs. This study also highlights the value of maintaining strict protection of MPAs like TRNP for the Coral Triangle and an opportunity to safeguard intact fish assemblages in Cagayancillo by expanding its no‐take zones.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%