Habitat specialization in tropical continental shelf demersal fish assemblages

The implications of shallow water impacts such as fishing and climate change on fish assemblages are generally considered in isolation from the distribution and abundance of these fish assemblages in adjacent deeper waters. We investigate the abundance and length of demersal fish assemblages across a section of tropical continental shelf at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, to identify fish and fish habitat relationships across steep gradients in depth and in different benthic habitat types. The assemblage composition of demersal fish were assessed from baited remote underwater stereo-video samples (n = 304) collected from 16 depth and habitat combinations. Samples were collected across a depth range poorly represented in the literature from the fringing reef lagoon (1-10 m depth), down the fore reef slope to the reef base (10-30 m depth) then across the adjacent continental shelf (30-110 m depth). Multivariate analyses showed that there were distinctive fish assemblages and different sized fish were associated with each habitat/depth category. Species richness, MaxN and diversity declined with depth, while average length and trophic level increased. The assemblage structure, diversity, size and trophic structure of demersal fishes changes from shallow inshore habitats to deeper water habitats. More habitat specialists (unique species per habitat/depth category) were associated with the reef slope and reef base than other habitats, but offshore sponge-dominated habitats and inshore coral-dominated reef also supported unique species. This suggests that marine protected areas in shallow coral-dominated reef habitats may not adequately protect those species whose depth distribution extends beyond shallow habitats, or other significant elements of demersal fish biodiversity. The ontogenetic habitat partitioning which is characteristic of many species, suggests that to maintain entire species life histories it is necessary to protect corridors of connected habitats through which fish can migrate.     

Reef fish and habitat relationships in a Caribbean seascape: the importance of reef context

Marine protected area (MPA) effectiveness is contingent on understanding key ecological patterns and processes at appropriate spatial scales and may depend upon maintaining critical linkages among essential habitat patches to conserve reef-fish communities. Hypotheses were tested to investigate the importance of habitat linkages in the US Virgin Islands. As expected, reef context (the spatial pattern of surrounding habitat patches) was a strong predictor of reef fish assemblage structure. Specific relationships were functionally consistent with the ecology of the fishes of interest. For example, reefs with large amounts of seagrass nearby harbored the greatest numerical abundance of fishes, particularly mobile invertebrate feeders and the exploited fish families of Haemulidae (grunts) and Lutjanidae (snappers). Species richness for the entire fish community and within these fish groups was also strongly associated with reef context. Furthermore, reef fish mobility influenced how fishes related to reef context. Fish-habitat relationships were detected as far as 1 km from study reefs, suggesting that fish movements result in habitat encounter rates that may influence their patterns of distribution. Consequently, functional habitat connectivity of habitat patches appears important in structuring reef-fish assemblages, and suggests that landscape-scale metrics may provide insights useful to managers in the design of MPAs.     

Relationships between structural complexity,coral traits,and reef fish assemblages

With the ongoing loss of coral cover and the associated flattening of reef architecture, understanding the links between coral habitat and reef fishes is of critical importance. Here, we investigate whether considering coral traits and functional diversity provides new insights into the relationship between structural complexity and reef fish communities, and whether coral traits and community composition can predict structural complexity. Across 157 sites in Seychelles, Maldives, the Chagos Archipelago, and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, we find that structural complexity and reef zone are the strongest and most consistent predictors of reef fish abundance, biomass, species richness, and trophic structure. However, coral traits, diversity, and life histories provided additional predictive power for models of reef fish assemblages, and were key drivers of structural complexity. Our findings highlight that reef complexity relies on living corals—with different traits and life histories—continuing to build carbonate skeletons, and that these nuanced relationships between coral assemblages and habitat complexity can affect the structure of reef fish assemblages. Seascape-level estimates of structural complexity are rapid and cost effective with important implications for the structure and function of fish assemblages, and should be incorporated into monitoring programs.     

Multiscale habitat associations of detrivorous blennies (Blenniidae: Salariini)

The distribution and habitat associations of detrivorous blennies on a tropical coral reef were investigated at several spatial scales and compared with other fish that feed on the epilithic algal matrix to assess density and biomass contributions of small detrivorous fishes to these assemblages. At broad spatial scales total blenny abundance and biomass were highest on the tops of reefs exposed to prevailing winds. On the finer scale of microhabitat use, all species showed a preference for non-living corals, although the type of coral utilised differed between species. The high abundance of blennies on reef tops and non-living corals may be partially related to the quality and availability of detritus in these habitats. Comparisons of total blenny abundance and biomass with other territorial detrivores found that blennies accounted for approximately 60% of this functional group's density and 21% of their biomass on exposed reef tops. Overall, territorial detrivores were found to constitute approximately 37% of the density and 26% of the biomass of the detrivorous/herbivorous fish assemblage on exposed reef tops. Small detrivorous fish therefore represent a substantial proportion of fish assemblages that feed on epilithic algae and associated detritus on coral reefs.     

Relative Importance of Coral Cover,Habitat Complexity and Diversity in Determining the Structure of Reef Fish Communities

The structure of coral reef habitat has a pronounced influence on the diversity, composition and abundance of reef-associated fishes. However, the particular features of the habitat that are most critical are not always known. Coral habitats can vary in many characteristics, notably live coral cover, topographic complexity and coral diversity, but the relative effects of these habitat characteristics are often not distinguished. Here, we investigate the strength of the relationships between these habitat features and local fish diversity, abundance and community structure in the lagoon of Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. In a spatial comparison using sixty-six 2m² quadrats, fish species richness, total abundance and community structure were examined in relation to a wide range of habitat variables, including topographic complexity, habitat diversity, coral diversity, coral species richness, hard coral cover, branching coral cover and the cover of corymbose corals. Fish species richness and total abundance were strongly associated with coral species richness and cover, but only weakly associated with topographic complexity. Regression tree analysis showed that coral species richness accounted for most of the variation in fish species richness (63.6%), while hard coral cover explained more variation in total fish abundance (17.4%), than any other variable. In contrast, topographic complexity accounted for little spatial variation in reef fish assemblages. In degrading coral reef environments, the potential effects of loss of coral cover and topographic complexity are often emphasized, but these findings suggest that reduced coral biodiversity may ultimately have an equal, or greater, impact on reef-associated fish communities.     

The influence of coral reef benthic condition on associated fish assemblages

Accumulative disturbances can erode a coral reef's resilience, often leading to replacement of scleractinian corals by macroalgae or other non-coral organisms. These degraded reef systems have been mostly described based on changes in the composition of the reef benthos, and there is little understanding of how such changes are influenced by, and in turn influence, other components of the reef ecosystem. This study investigated the spatial variation in benthic communities on fringing reefs around the inner Seychelles islands. Specifically, relationships between benthic composition and the underlying substrata, as well as the associated fish assemblages were assessed. High variability in benthic composition was found among reefs, with a gradient from high coral cover (up to 58%) and high structural complexity to high macroalgae cover (up to 95%) and low structural complexity at the extremes. This gradient was associated with declining species richness of fishes, reduced diversity of fish functional groups, and lower abundance of corallivorous fishes. There were no reciprocal increases in herbivorous fish abundances, and relationships with other fish functional groups and total fish abundance were weak. Reefs grouping at the extremes of complex coral habitats or low-complexity macroalgal habitats displayed markedly different fish communities, with only two species of benthic invertebrate feeding fishes in greater abundance in the macroalgal habitat. These results have negative implications for the continuation of many coral reef ecosystem processes and services if more reefs shift to extreme degraded conditions dominated by macroalgae.     

Drivers of reef fish assemblages in an upwelling region from the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean

Reef fish assemblages are exposed to a wide range of anthropogenic threats as well as chronic natural disturbances. In upwelling regions, for example, there is a seasonal influx of cool nutrient-rich waters that may shape the structure and composition of reef fish assemblages. Given that climate change may disrupt the natural oceanographic processes by altering the frequency and strength of natural disturbances, understanding how fish assemblages respond to upwelling events is essential to effectively manage reef ecosystems under changing ocean conditions. This study used the baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS) and the traditional underwater visual census (UVC) to investigate the spatiotemporal patterns of reef fish assemblages in an upwelling region in the North Pacific of Costa Rica. A total of 183 reef fish species from 60 families were recorded, of which 166 species were detected using BRUVS and 122 using UVC. Only 66% of all species were detected using both methods. This study showed that the upwelling had an important role in shaping reef fish assemblages in this region, but there was also a significant interaction between upwelling and location. In addition, other drivers such as habitat complexity and habitat composition had an effect on reef fish abundances and species. To authors’ knowledge, this is the first study in the Eastern Tropical Pacific that combines BRUVS and UVC to monitor reef fish assemblages in an upwelling region, which provides more detailed information to assess the state of reef ecosystems in response to multiple threats and changing ocean conditions.     

Historical and contemporary determinants of global phylogenetic structure in tropical reef fish faunas

Identifying the main determinants of tropical marine biodiversity is essential for devising appropriate conservation measures mitigating the ongoing degradation of coral reef habitats. Based on a gridded distribution database and phylogenetic information, we compared the phylogenetic structure of assemblages for three tropical reef fish families (Labridae: wrasses, Pomacentridae: damselfishes and Chaetodontidae: butterflyfishes) using the net relatedness (NRI) and nearest taxon (NTI) indices. We then related these indices to contemporary and historical environmental conditions of coral reefs using spatial regression analyses. Higher levels of phylogenetic clustering were found for fish assemblages in the Indo‐Australian Archipelago (IAA), and more particularly when considering the NTI index. The phylogenetic structure of the Pomacentridae, and to a lower extent of the Chaeotodontidae and Labridae, was primarily associated with the location of refugia during the Quaternary period. Phylogenetic clustering in the IAA may partly result from vicariance events associated with coral reef fragmentation during the glacial periods of the Quaternary. Variation in the patterns among fish families further suggest that dispersal abilities may have interacted with past habitat availability in shaping the phylogenetic structure of tropical reef fish assemblages.     

Relationships between habitat structure and fish communities on coral

The influence of habitat structure on reef-fish communities at Bar Reef Marine Sanctuary, Sri Lanka, was investigated. The relationship between habitat characteristics and the distribution and abundance of 135 species of fishes was examined on two reef types: coral and sandstone reefs. Results suggested that the reef-fish communities were strongly influenced by various aspects of reef structure. However, relationships between habitat variables and fish communities structure, varied between the two reef types. Fish species diversity was correlated with a number of habitat variables on the sandstone reefs, although structural complexity seemed to play the dominant role. There were no correlations between habitat structure and fish diversity on the coral reefs. Total abundance was not related to any one habitat parameter on either reef type. However, abundances of some species, families and trophic groups were correlated with habitat features. These specific correlations were commonly related to food or shelter availability. For example, coral feeders were correlated with live coral cover, and pomacentrid species, which used branching corals for protection, showed a significant relationship with the density of Acropora colonies. This shows that a summary statistic such as total abundance may hide important information. Effects of habitat structure on the distribution patterns of the fish communities was further investigated using multi-dimensional scaling ordination (MDS) and the RELATE-procedure. With the MDS ordinations for both habitat and fish-community composition it was possible to show that the multivariate pattern between the two ecological components was clearly correlated.     

Reef fish assemblages in north-western Sri Lanka: distribution patterns and influences of fishing practises

The distribution and abundance of reef fishes in relation to habitat structure were studied within Bar Reef Marine Sanctuary (BRMS) and on an adjacent reef, disturbed by destructive fishing techniques, in north-western Sri Lanka, by visually censusing 135 species groups using fifty metre belt-transects. Two types of continental shelf patch-reefs are found in the study area: coral reefs and sandstone reefs, which are divided into distinct habitats, four for the coral reef (shallow reef flat, shallow patch reef, deep reef flat and Porites domes) and two for the sandstone reef (structured sandstone-reef and flat sandstone-reef). Fish assemblages varied in structure between reef types and among habitats within reef types. Functional aspects of habitat structure and composition, such as available food and shelter, seemed to be important factors influencing distribution patterns. The strongest separation in the organisation of fish assemblages in BRMS was between reef types: 19% of all species were confined to the coral-reef patches while 22% were restricted to the sandstone reef patches and 59% were represented on both reef types. In terms of distribution among habitats, 21% of all species were restricted to one habitat while only 1.5% were present in all. The highest density of fish was in the coral reef habitats while highest species diversity was found in the most structurally complex habitat: the structured sandstone-reef. This habitat also had the highest proportion of species with restricted distribution. Planktivores were the most abundant trophic group in BRMS, and the species composition of the group varied among habitats. The comparison of the disturbed reef with BRMS suggested that habitat alteration caused by destructive fishing methods has strongly influenced the fish community. Within the fished area the structure of the fish assemblages was more heterogeneous, fish abundance was lower by an order of magnitude and species numbers were lower than in BRMS.     

Hierarchical and scale‐dependent effects of fishing pressure and environment on the structure and size distribution of parrotfish communities

Parrotfishes are considered to have a major influence on coral reef ecosystems through grazing the benthic biota and are also primary fishery targets in the Indo‐Pacific. Consequently, the impact of human exploitation on parrotfish communities is of prime interest. As anthropogenic and environmental factors interact across spatial scales, sampling programs designed to disentangle these are required by both ecologists and resource managers. We present a multi‐scale examination of patterns in parrotfish assemblage structure, size distribution and diversity across eight oceanic islands of Micronesia. Results indicate that correlates of assemblage structure are scale‐dependent; biogeographic distributions of species and island geomorphology hierarchically influenced community patterns across islands whereas biophysical features and anthropogenic pressure influenced community assemblage structure at the within‐island scale. Species richness and phylogenetic diversity increased with greater broad‐scale habitat diversity associated with different island geomorphologies. However, within‐island patterns of abundance and biomass varied in response to biophysical factors and levels of human influence unique to particular islands. While the effect of fishing activities on community composition and phylogenetic diversity was obscured across island types, fishing pressure was the primary correlate of mean parrotfish length at all spatial scales. Despite widespread fishery‐induced pressure on Pacific coral reefs, the structuring of parrotfish communities at broad spatial scales remains a story largely dependent on habitat. Thus, we propose better incorporation of scale‐dependent habitat effects in future assessments of overexploitation on reef fish assemblages. However, strong community‐level responses within islands necessitate an improved understanding of the phylogenetic and functional consequences of altering community structure.     

Herbivorous fish assemblages and herbivory pressure on Laamu Atoll, Republic of Maldives

While herbivory is recognized as a fundamental process structuring coral reef communities, herbivore assemblages and processes are poorly described for reefs in the Indian Ocean region. We quantified herbivorous fish assemblage structure (abundance and diversity) in Laamu Atoll, Republic of Maldives, in four reef habitat types: faro reef flats, faro reef slopes, inner and outer atoll reef slopes (20 sites in total). Herbivorous fish assemblages, representing a total of 30 species, grouped strongly by habitat type, with the highest absolute abundance observed on faro reef flats and lowest abundance on inside atoll rim reef slopes. Removal of Thalassia seagrass blades by ambient herbivore assemblages was used in a bioassay to assess relative herbivory pressure among four habitat types (eight sites). Also, at one site a choice herbivory assay was performed to assess herbivore preference among four benthic plants across three depth zones. Relative herbivory, as indicated by Thalassia assays, was highest on inside atoll rim reef slopes and lowest on outside atoll rim reef slopes. Thalassia consumption did not correspond to overall herbivorous fish abundance, but corresponded more closely with parrotfish abundance. In the choice assays, herbivores showed strong preferences among plant types and consumption of most plant types was higher at mid-depth than in the shallow reef flat or deep reef knoll zones.     

Spatial variation and effects of habitat on temperate reef fish assemblages in northeastern New Zealand

Reef-associated fishes can respond to changes in habitat structure and the nature of their response can change with different spatial scales of observation. A structured hierarchical mensurative sampling design was used to sample temperate reef fish assemblages in northeastern New Zealand at several spatial scales over 2 years. The three spatial scales examined were tens of meters (transects), hundreds to thousands of meters (sites) and hundreds of kilometers (locations). We tested the hypothesis that fish assemblages differed between kelp forest habitat (relatively dense stands of the kelp, Ecklonia radiata (C. Agardh) J. Agardh, median depth=13.5 m) and barrens habitat (rocky reef dominated by turfing and encrusting red algae and the grazing urchin, Evechinus chloroticus (Valenciennes), median depth=6.7 m). Recently developed multivariate techniques were used to test for and quantify multivariate variation at different spatial scales. There were significant effects of habitat on the spatial distribution of fish assemblages, characterised by greater abundances or frequencies of Parika scaber, Chromis dispilus, Trachurus novaezelandiae, Nemadactylus douglasii, Bodianus unimaculatus, Odax pullus and Pseudolabrus miles in kelp forest habitat, and greater abundances or frequencies of Notolabrus celidotus, Notolabrus fucicola, Girella tricuspidata, Coris sandageri, Chironemus marmoratus, Parma alboscapularis, Scorpis violaceus and Kyphosus sydneyanus in barrens habitat. Some of the more common species, including Upeneichthys lineatus, Scorpis lineolatus and Cheilodactylus spectabilis showed no strong consistent effects of these two differing habitats on their distributions. There was, however, a significant Habitat×Locations interaction: effects of habitat did not occur at all locations. Variability was highest at the scale of individual transects and variability from site to site and from location to location was comparable. Spatial variation was large compared to inter-annual variation, which was minimal, and spatial patterns were consistent in the 2 years examined. Further experiments, including manipulations, are required to understand what mechanisms and processes might be driving these patterns. This study, coupled with results from previous studies, suggests that there may be a dynamic inter-play between effects of habitat on fish and effects of fish on biogenic habitat, such as kelp forests.     

Retention of Habitat Complexity Minimizes Disassembly of Reef Fish Communities following Disturbance: A Large-Scale Natural Experiment

High biodiversity ecosystems are commonly associated with complex habitats. Coral reefs are highly diverse ecosystems, but are under increasing pressure from numerous stressors, many of which reduce live coral cover and habitat complexity with concomitant effects on other organisms such as reef fishes. While previous studies have highlighted the importance of habitat complexity in structuring reef fish communities, they employed gradient or meta-analyses which lacked a controlled experimental design over broad spatial scales to explicitly separate the influence of live coral cover from overall habitat complexity. Here a natural experiment using a long term (20 year), spatially extensive (∼115,000 kms²) dataset from the Great Barrier Reef revealed the fundamental importance of overall habitat complexity for reef fishes. Reductions of both live coral cover and habitat complexity had substantial impacts on fish communities compared to relatively minor impacts after major reductions in coral cover but not habitat complexity. Where habitat complexity was substantially reduced, species abundances broadly declined and a far greater number of fish species were locally extirpated, including economically important fishes. This resulted in decreased species richness and a loss of diversity within functional groups. Our results suggest that the retention of habitat complexity following disturbances can ameliorate the impacts of coral declines on reef fishes, so preserving their capacity to perform important functional roles essential to reef resilience. These results add to a growing body of evidence about the importance of habitat complexity for reef fishes, and represent the first large-scale examination of this question on the Great Barrier Reef.     

Habitat structure and body size distributions: cross‐ecosystem comparison for taxa with determinate and indeterminate growth

Habitat structure across multiple spatial and temporal scales has been proposed as a key driver of body size distributions for associated communities. Thus, understanding the relationship between habitat and body size is fundamental to developing predictions regarding the influence of habitat change on animal communities. Much of the work assessing the relationship between habitat structure and body size distributions has focused on terrestrial taxa with determinate growth, and has primarily analysed discontinuities (gaps) in the distribution of species mean sizes (species size relationships or SSRs). The suitability of this approach for taxa with indeterminate growth has yet to be determined. We provide a cross‐ecosystem comparison of bird (determinate growth) and fish (indeterminate growth) body mass distributions using four independent data sets. We evaluate three size distribution indices: SSRs, species size–density relationships (SSDRs) and individual size–density relationships (ISDRs), and two types of analysis: looking for either discontinuities or abundance patterns and multi‐modality in the distributions. To assess the respective suitability of these three indices and two analytical approaches for understanding habitat–size relationships in different ecosystems, we compare their ability to differentiate bird or fish communities found within contrasting habitat conditions. All three indices of body size distribution are useful for examining the relationship between cross‐scale patterns of habitat structure and size for species with determinate growth, such as birds. In contrast, for species with indeterminate growth such as fish, the relationship between habitat structure and body size may be masked when using mean summary metrics, and thus individual‐level data (ISDRs) are more useful. Furthermore, ISDRs, which have traditionally been used to study aquatic systems, present a potentially useful common currency for comparing body size distributions across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.     

Effects of coral restoration on fish communities: snapshots of long‐term,multiregional responses and implications for practice

Coral restoration is widely used around the world to address dramatic declines in coral cover; however, very few studies have looked specifically at the temporal response of fish assemblages (i.e. abundance and diversity) to coral restoration. Several critical reef functions and processes are driven by fishes, thereby making their recovery and responses around restoration structures key indicators of success. This study evaluates fish abundance and community composition on restoration plots following 8–12 years of restoration activity, in four locations (two Caribbean and two Indo‐Pacific). Responses were very complex with region‐, site‐, and body size‐specific patterns. Overall, fish abundance only increased in Indo‐Pacific sites where damselfish responded positively to increased coral cover and topographic complexity. Restoration effects on other fish families and particularly on larger bodied reef fish were negative or neutral at all locations. If restoration initiatives are going to substantively improve the condition and recovery of degraded reef fish communities, restoration efforts need to be planned, designed, and monitored based on fish‐specific habitat requirements and locally specific community dynamics.     

Effect of simulated macroalgae on the fish assemblage associated with a temperate reef system

Increased habitat complexity is supposed to promote increased diversity, abundance and biomass. This study tested the effect of the macroalgal cover on temperate reef fishes by mimicking macroalgae on artificial reefs in NW Sicily (Mediterranean Sea). Macroalgal cover affected reef fishes in different ways and independently of intrinsic temporal trends. The fish assemblages of manipulated and control artificial reef units differed in the relative abundances of the associated species, but little in species composition. In line with studies in seagrass habitats, fishes were most abundant in reefs covered by artificial macroalgae. Three species (Boops boops, Serranus scriba and Symphodus ocellatus) exhibited consistently greater abundance on vegetated reef units than on control reef units. The total number of species and the abundance of three particular species (S. scriba, S. ocellatus and Thalassoma pavo) displayed temporal trends which were independent on short and large temporal scales. Only fish total biomass and one species (Spicara flexuosa) displayed strong effects of interaction among the experimental factors. Mechanisms to explain these findings are discussed from observational evidence on habitat use and interactions among multiple species. This study highlights that manipulative experiments involving repeated sampling of fish in artificial habitats appear to be a valid approach to study fish-habitat relationships in fluctuating environments. It is also concluded that macroalgae mimics may serve as a tool for restoring lost marine vegetated habitats when current human-induced conditions prevent the recovery of pristine macroalgal stands.     

Community structure and biogeography of shore fishes in the Gulf of Aqaba,Red Sea

Shore fish community structure off the Jordanian Red Sea coast was determined on fringing coral reefs and in a seagrass-dominated bay at 6 m and 12 m depths. A total of 198 fish species belonging to 121 genera and 43 families was recorded. Labridae and Pomacentridae dominated the ichthyofauna in terms of species richness and Pomacentridae were most abundant. Neither diversity nor species richness was correlated to depth. The abundance of fishes was higher at the deep reef slope, due to schooling planktivorous fishes. At 12 m depth abundance of fishes at the seagrass-dominated site was higher than on the coral reefs. Multivariate analysis demonstrated a strong influence on the fish assemblages by depth and benthic habitat. Fish species richness was positively correlated with hard substrate cover and habitat diversity. Abundance of corallivores was positively linked with live hard coral cover. The assemblages of fishes were different on the shallow reef slope, deep reef slope and seagrass meadows. An analysis of the fish fauna showed that the Gulf of Aqaba harbours a higher species richness than previously reported. The comparison with fish communities on other reefs around the Arabian Peninsula and Indian Ocean supported the recognition of an Arabian subprovince within the Indian Ocean. The affinity of the Arabian Gulf ichthyofauna to the Red Sea is not clear. Received in revised form: 2 November 2001 Electronic Publication     

Simple ecological trade-offs give rise to emergent cross-ecosystem distributions of a coral reef fish

Ecosystems are intricately linked by the flow of organisms across their boundaries, and such connectivity can be essential to the structure and function of the linked ecosystems. For example, many coral reef fish populations are maintained by the movement of individuals from spatially segregated juvenile habitats (i.e., nurseries, such as mangroves and seagrass beds) to areas preferred by adults. It is presumed that nursery habitats provide for faster growth (higher food availability) and/or low predation risk for juveniles, but empirical data supporting this hypothesis is surprisingly lacking for coral reef fishes. Here, we investigate potential mechanisms (growth, predation risk, and reproductive investment) that give rise to the distribution patterns of a common Caribbean reef fish species, Haemulon flavolineatum (French grunt). Adults were primarily found on coral reefs, whereas juvenile fish only occurred in non-reef habitats. Contrary to our initial expectations, analysis of length-at-age revealed that growth rates were highest on coral reefs and not within nursery habitats. Survival rates in tethering trials were 0% for small juvenile fish transplanted to coral reefs and 24-47% in the nurseries. As fish grew, survival rates on coral reefs approached those in non-reef habitats (56 vs. 77-100%, respectively). As such, predation seems to be the primary factor driving across-ecosystem distributions of this fish, and thus the primary reason why mangrove and seagrass habitats function as nursery habitat. Identifying the mechanisms that lead to such distributions is critical to develop appropriate conservation initiatives, identify essential fish habitat, and predict impacts associated with environmental change.