Phylogeny, reef fish conservation biology, and the Live Reef Fish Trade

Abstract

Coral reefs and associated systems support highly diverse assemblages of fishes that demonstrate remarkable variation in patterns of geographic distribution, ecology, behavior and life history. Unfortunately, our understanding of these patterns is relatively limited. Meanwhile, many species for which little information exists are under direct or indirect threat from destructive fishing, over-fishing, and habitat loss associated with fish harvests and from the effects of coral bleaching. The necessity to obtain good data is in conflict with the urgency to define species-specific levels of sustainability, if any, and to develop and implement effective conservation and management plans. Phylogenetic methods may be utilized to analyze life history traits, and well as patterns of ecology and behavior. These methods have been applied in intra- and intergeneric comparisons or in comparisons between different families of fishes. The results have predictive value for related species for which little or no data exist. This point is illustrated in comparisons within two families of reef fishes, the groupers (Serranidae: Epinephelinae), which are harvested for food, and the hawkfishes (Cirrhitidae), which are harvested largely for the aquarium trade.