Patrones de reclutamiento de 4 especies ícticas en hábitats de parche y cordillera del arrecife Banco Chinchorro (Caribe mexicano)

Fish recruitment patterns provide valuable information for understanding their population dynamics. This paper analyzes temporal and spatial variations in recruits abundance of 4 reef fishes (Stegastes partitus, Chromis cyanea, Gramma loreto and Scarus taeniopterus) at Chinchorro Bank, Mexican Caribbean, by means of visual censuses conducted in spur and patch habitats from February 2006 to February 2007. Habitat assessment was based on sea floor coverage recorded by video transects and on substratum complexity. The species studied showed a tendency towards higher recruitment rates in June, July and August. Using Ansari-Bradley pairwise tests and redundancy analysis, higher abundances of Chromis cyanea and Gramma loreto recruits were found to be associated mainly with spur habitats, which showed relatively high depth and complexity values. On the other hand, Scarus taeniopterus and Stegaste partitus showed no clear preference in terms of habitat selection. Although further studies on more habitats and species are needed, the results of this research highlight the relevance of coral spurs for recruitment and, consequently, for the maintenance of reef fish populations.