There is increasing evidence that non-reef habitats in the seascape surrounding coral reefs are widely used by reef-associated fishes. However, our understanding of seascape use in the Indo-Pacific region is incomplete due to its large geographical range and as a consequence, considerable environmental variation (e.g. tidal regimes). We used remote video cameras to survey reef-associated fishes within five habitat types (coral reef slope, coral reef flat, macroalgal beds, mangroves and seagrass meadows) around the Tigak Islands, Kavieng, Papua New Guinea. Of the 282 shallow-water reef-associated species observed across 360 videos, 35% (99 species) were recorded in non-reef habitats, the majority (78 species) on multiple occasions. We found that macroalgal beds dominated by low-complexity algal genera (e.g. Halimeda , Caulerpa ) were used extensively by reef-associated fishes, complementing previous research that has documented the use of canopy-forming macroalgae (e.g. Sargassum ). Mean species richness and relative abundances (Max N ) of reef-associated fishes were twofold higher in macroalgal beds than mangroves or seagrass. Interestingly, mangroves contained the most distinct fish assemblage of the three non-reef habitats, including several reef-associated species that were not recorded from any other habitat type. This suggests that mangroves possess attributes not shared by other shallow non-reef, or even reef, habitats. Importantly, many of the fish families commonly found in non-reef habitats (i.e. lethrinids, lutjanids) are targeted by local fishers and are thus critical to sustaining local livelihoods. Our study demonstrates that non-reef habitat use is common for many reef-associated fishes and highlights the need to incorporate a range of habitats into study designs to better understand habitat use patterns in the Indo-Pacific. Given the widespread degradation of coral reefs and other shallow-water habitats, we emphasize the need to recognize that reefs are embedded within a mosaic of habitat types that influence patterns and processes and that management strategies should be scaled appropriately.

中文翻译：

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拓宽我们的视野：巴布亚新几内亚 Kavieng 的珊瑚礁相关鱼类对海景的利用是普遍而多样的

越来越多的证据表明珊瑚礁周围海景中的非珊瑚礁栖息地被珊瑚礁相关鱼类广泛使用。然而，我们对印度洋-太平洋地区的海景利用的理解并不完整，因为它的地理范围很大，因此环境变化很大（例如潮汐情况）。我们使用远程摄像机对巴布亚新几内亚卡维恩提加克群岛周围五种栖息地类型（珊瑚礁斜坡、珊瑚礁平坦、大型藻床、红树林和海草草甸）内的珊瑚礁相关鱼类进行了调查。在 360 个视频中观察到的 282 种浅水珊瑚礁相关物种中，35%（99 种）记录在非珊瑚礁栖息地，大多数（78 种）多次出现。我们发现大型藻床以低复杂性藻类属（例如 Halimeda 、Caulerpa ) 被珊瑚礁相关鱼类广泛使用，补充了先前记录使用形成冠层的大型藻类（例如马尾藻）的研究。大型藻床中珊瑚礁相关鱼类的平均物种丰富度和相对丰度 (Max N) 比红树林或海草高两倍。有趣的是，红树林包含三个非珊瑚礁栖息地中最独特的鱼类组合，其中包括几种未从任何其他栖息地类型记录的与礁石相关的物种。这表明红树林具有其他浅层非珊瑚礁，甚至是珊瑚礁栖息地所不具备的特性。重要的是，许多常见于非珊瑚礁栖息地的鱼类家族（即lethrinids、lutjanids）是当地渔民的目标，因此对维持当地生计至关重要。我们的研究表明，对于许多与珊瑚礁相关的鱼类来说，非珊瑚礁栖息地的使用很常见，并强调需要将一系列栖息地纳入研究设计，以更好地了解印度-太平洋地区的栖息地使用模式。鉴于珊瑚礁和其他浅水栖息地的广泛退化，我们强调需要认识到珊瑚礁嵌入在影响模式和过程的栖息地类型的镶嵌中，并且应适当调整管理策略。