Fish and benthic invertebrates are important groups that inhabit shallow coastal areas. Many studies use these two groups separately to answer questions related to environmental relationships, but few assess the correlation between these two groups. This study aimed to assess correlation between richness and composition of fish and benthic invertebrate assemblages and to evaluate their responses to environmental variables in sandy beaches in a tropical coastal area in south-eastern Brazil. We tested for a correlation between fish and benthic invertebrates and evaluated which environmental variables influenced each group. Fish and invertebrate taxonomic richness were not correlated across sites. In addition, the two groups were not significantly correlated, even after controlling the effects of the environmental variables. The taxonomic richness of the two groups were influenced by different set of environmental drivers: fish were influenced mainly by the physicochemical variables, being positively correlated with salinity and dissolved oxygen, and negatively with temperature, whereas invertebrates richness were related mainly to granulometric variables, decreasing in fine and very fine sediment. Fish and invertebrate showed similar patterns with more influence of environmental variables than biotic variables that had comparatively more effects on the invertebrate than on the fish assemblage. Spatial segregation in species distribution along the beaches were found with the Gerreid fish predominating in semi-exposed beaches whereas the sparid Diplodus argenteus, the haemulid Orthopristis ruber and the clupeids Harengula clupeola and Sardinella brasiliensis predominated in the exposed beaches. The Polychaetae families Syllidae and Dorvilleidae, and isopod of the family Cirolanidae predominated in semi-protect beaches, whereas polychaetas of the families Glyceridae and Saccocirridae predominated in the exposed beaches. In this study, we showed that fish and benthic invertebrates are influenced by different environmental variables in tropical sandy beaches and no significant correlation was found between these two taxonomic groups. Our findings are a step to a better understanding of the fish-benthic invertebrate relationship and a contribution to management policies aiming the conservation of tropical coastal areas.

中文翻译：

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热带沙滩鱼类和底栖无脊椎动物的关系及其与环境变量的关联

鱼类和底栖无脊椎动物是栖息于浅海沿岸地区的重要群体。许多研究分别使用这两组来回答与环境关系相关的问题，但很少有人评估这两组之间的相关性。本研究旨在评估鱼类和底栖无脊椎动物组合的丰富度和组成之间的相关性，并评估它们对巴西东南部热带沿海地区沙滩环境变量的反应。我们测试了鱼类和底栖无脊椎动物之间的相关性，并评估了哪些环境变量影响了每组。鱼类和无脊椎动物分类丰富度在不同地点之间没有相关性。此外，即使在控制了环境变量的影响之后，两组也没有显着相关性。两组的分类丰富度受不同环境驱动因素的影响：鱼类主要受物理化学变量的影响，与盐度和溶解氧呈正相关，与温度呈负相关，而无脊椎动物的丰富度主要与粒度变量相关，减少在细和非常细的沉积物中。鱼类和无脊椎动物表现出相似的模式，环境变量的影响比生物变量的影响更大，而生物变量对无脊椎动物的影响比对鱼类组合的影响更大。发现沿海滩的物种分布存在空间隔离，Gerreid 鱼在半裸露的海滩中占主导地位，而 spid Diplodus argenteus，Haemulid Orthopristis ruber 和 clupeids Harengula clupeola 和 Sardinella brasiliensis 在裸露的海滩中占主导地位。半保护海滩以多毛科Sylidae、Dorvilleidae 和Cirolanidae 等足类动物为主，裸露海滩以Glyceridae 和Saccociridae 多毛类为主。在这项研究中，我们表明鱼类和底栖无脊椎动物受热带沙滩中不同环境变量的影响，并且在这两个分类群之间没有发现显着相关性。我们的发现是更好地了解鱼类与底栖无脊椎动物关系的一步，并有助于制定旨在保护热带沿海地区的管理政策。Cirolanidae 科和等足类动物在半保护海滩中占优势，而 Glyceridae 和 Saccociridae 科的多毛类在裸露海滩中占优势。在这项研究中，我们表明鱼类和底栖无脊椎动物受热带沙滩中不同环境变量的影响，并且在这两个分类群之间没有发现显着相关性。我们的发现是更好地了解鱼类与底栖无脊椎动物关系的一步，并有助于制定旨在保护热带沿海地区的管理政策。Cirolanidae 科和等足类动物在半保护海滩中占优势，而 Glyceridae 和 Saccociridae 科的多毛类在裸露海滩中占优势。在这项研究中，我们表明鱼类和底栖无脊椎动物受热带沙滩中不同环境变量的影响，并且在这两个分类群之间没有发现显着相关性。我们的发现是更好地了解鱼类与底栖无脊椎动物关系的一步，并有助于制定旨在保护热带沿海地区的管理政策。我们表明，热带沙滩中的鱼类和底栖无脊椎动物受不同环境变量的影响，并且在这两个分类群之间没有发现显着相关性。我们的发现是更好地了解鱼类与底栖无脊椎动物关系的一步，并有助于制定旨在保护热带沿海地区的管理政策。我们表明，热带沙滩中的鱼类和底栖无脊椎动物受不同环境变量的影响，并且在这两个分类群之间没有发现显着相关性。我们的发现是更好地了解鱼类与底栖无脊椎动物关系的一步，并有助于制定旨在保护热带沿海地区的管理政策。