Composition and ecological aspects of the fish assemblage of the Marine Protected Area APA Baía das Tartarugas, southeastern Brazil

Abstract

Understanding biodiversity and ecological patterns is a key step for the protection and sustainable use of natural resources. Located in the shore of the city of Vitória (Brazil), the Environmental Protected Area (APA in the Brazilian legislation) Baía das Tartarugas is a Marine Protected Area that lies in a biogeographic transitional zone, and presents a high diversity of marine habitats. Here we provide the first checklist of the ichthyofauna of the APA Baía das Tartarugas and its surroundings, analyzing aspects of fish geographic distribution, trophic structure, and habitat use patterns. We found 278 fish species belonging to 78 families occurring in the studied region. Regarding reef fishes, the region harbors 31.8% of all species recorded in the Brazilian Province, including 20 Brazilian endemics. According to the IUCN and the Brazilian red list, 12 species are classified as endangered (VU, EN or CR). Along with several environmental disturbances registered inside and around the APA, our results highlight the biological importance of the region and the need of a management plan that promotes both the mitigation of harmful activities and the sustainable use of the local resources.