Habitat Associations of Juvenile Fish at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia: The Importance of Coral and Algae

Juvenile coral reef fish at Ningaloo Reef exhibit strong habitat specialization, with 25 species uniquely associated with coral reefs and seven with algal meadows, indicating potential ontogenetic shifts. Species-specific preferences were also observed between live and dead coral, as well as among different coral morphologies, with corymbose corals supporting a disproportionate number of fish. These findings underscore the importance of conserving multiple habitat types in marine parks to protect ecologically and fisheries-important species, particularly those vulnerable to climate change.

Wilson, S. K., Depczynski, M., Fisher, R., Holmes, T. H., O’Leary, R. A., & Tinkler, P. (2010). Habitat Associations of Juvenile Fish at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia: The Importance of Coral and Algae. PLoS ONE, 5(12), e15185. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0015185