Effects of habitat change from a bare sand/mud area to a short seagrass Halophila ovalis bed on fish assemblage structure: a case study in an intertidal bay in Trang, southern Thailand

Ichthyological Research volume 63, pages391–404(2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Fish assemblage structures in an intertidal sand/mud area invaded by short seagrass Halophila ovalis and a nearby non-invaded sand/mud area in Trang Province, Thailand, were examined in detail by visual census to elucidate the effects of such habitat change on assemblage structure. The assemblage structure in the newly established seagrass bed showed a significant shift from that in the sand/mud area, despite the total fish species numbers remaining similar to each other (i.e., 30 and 29 species, respectively). Total fish density was significantly lower in the seagrass bed. In addition, differences in density patterns of component species between seagrass and sand/mud fish assemblages were evident, some fish species being restricted to or more abundant in the alternative habitat. Such differences may have arisen, at least in part, from differences in practical food availability/accessibility between the two habitat types, and/or specific microhabitat preferences of the resident fishes. Although seagrass habitats are often regarded as supporting a richer fish assemblage compared with bare sand/mud areas, the present study clearly indicated that the latter also supported a unique fish assemblage, including juveniles of fishery target species. Accordingly, both seagrass and bare sand/mud habitats should be taken into consideration for both the conservation of greater overall biodiversity in the coastal environment and the continued existence of local fisheries.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Hisashi Kurokura, Suwat Tanyaros, Charuwan Pharksuwan, Suparat Tubcharoen, Ruanrit Susuwan, Parichat Hukiew, Patcharee Kaeoprakan and the staff of the Faculty of Science and Fisheries Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya, for their generous assistance in this work, and Koichi Shibukawa and Toshihiro Yokoo for their helpful suggestions in fish identification. Constructive comments on the manuscript from Graham Hardy and the anonymous referees were much appreciated. This work was conducted with the permission of the National Research Council of Thailand (Project ID 2010/064) and was financially supported by a Grant-in aid for Scientific Research (B) from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan (No 25304030).

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Affiliations

  1. Research Center for Coastal Lagoon Environments, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu-cho, Matsue, Shimane, 6908504, Japan

    Masahiro Horinouchi & Kouji Seto

  2. Department of Marine Science, Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya, 179 Moo3 Sikao-Pakmeng Road, Tambon Maifad, Sikao, Trang, 92150, Thailand

    Prasert Tongnunui

  3. Faculty of Fisheries, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyocho, Nagasaki, Nagasaki, 8528521, Japan

    Keisuke Furumitsu & Atsuko Yamaguchi

  4. Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 5-10-1 Shimoda, Shizuoka, 4150014, Japan

    Koetsu Kon

  5. Graduate School of Kuroshio Science, Kochi University, 200 Monobe, Nankoku, Kochi, 7838502, Japan

    Yohei Nakamura

  6. Center of Water Environment Studies, Ibaraki University, 1375 Ohu, Itako, Ibaraki, 3112402, Japan

    Kouki Kanou

  7. Department of Ecosystem Studies, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 1138657, Japan

    Ken Okamoto & Mitsuhiko Sano

Authors
  1. Masahiro Horinouchi
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  2. Prasert Tongnunui
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  3. Keisuke Furumitsu
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  4. Koetsu Kon
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  5. Yohei Nakamura
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  6. Kouki Kanou
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  7. Atsuko Yamaguchi
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  8. Kouji Seto
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  9. Ken Okamoto
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  10. Mitsuhiko Sano
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Correspondence to Masahiro Horinouchi.

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Cite this article

Horinouchi, M., Tongnunui, P., Furumitsu, K. et al. Effects of habitat change from a bare sand/mud area to a short seagrass Halophila ovalis bed on fish assemblage structure: a case study in an intertidal bay in Trang, southern Thailand. Ichthyol Res 63, 391–404 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-016-0510-2

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Keywords

  • Halophila ovalis
  • Habitat change
  • Fish assemblage
  • Thailand