The hidden treasure: cryptobenthic fish on reefs with different uses of a Tropical Marine Protected Area.
Specialists in the use of micro-habitats and quite representative in terms of abundance and diversity in reef ecosystems, cryptobenthic fish are of great ecological importance, being responsible for several ecosystem services. Among the processes that shape cryptobenthic fish assemblages, substrate type, micro-habitat complexity and geomorphology are among the most relevant. In this study, we investigated the influence of use zoning and geomorphology on habitat selectivity patterns of cryptobenthic fish in the Tropical Southwest Atlantic in three use zones (Sustainable Use Zone: ZUS, Visitation Zone: ZV and Marine Life Preservation Zone). : ZPVM) in two different geomorphologies (Reef Plateau = PR and Internal slope = TI) in the Costa dos Corais Environmental Protection Area. In each use zone, 30 transects were carried out, 15 of them by geomorphology, the survey of the cryptobenthic fish fauna was carried out through visual interference censuses, a method that involves substrate manipulation, where the species, their abundances, used substrate, depth and complexity of the micro-habitat. The benthic composition was determined through photosquares and its proportion was used to calculate the Ivlev electivity, in order to determine the microhabitat selectivity of the most abundant species. A total of 900 individuals from 9 families and 17 species were recorded, with emphasis on greater richness and abundance belonging to the Gobiidae and Labrisomidae, 61.5% and 20.8% respectively. Cryptobenthic fish assemblages did not show significant differences between the three zones, only between geomorphologies. Regarding the use of microhabitats, two species stood out in terms of specificity with Elacatinus figaro and Enneanectes altivelis, often associated with corals in the ZPVM. Although no significant differences were found between the use zones, the ZPVM fulfills its role as a non-use area, harboring greater richness, density, diversity and less dominance