Community structure of coral reef fishes in el quadim bay (el quseir, egyptian red sea coast)

Abstract

This study investigates the community structure of fishes on the coral reef in El Quadim Bay, in order to obtain baseline data for a regular monitoring programme. A total of 16,683 fishes, representing 111 shallow-water species belonging to 47 genera and 31 families, was counted at 12 transects. Multivariate analysis indicates significant differences between the fish communities of the left side and right side of bay, as well as at different depths. This might be due to different exposure to wave action. The fish community in El Quadim Bay is very similar to those in undisturbed reefs and marine reserves in the Red Sea. © 2007 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.