Coral reef species, like most tropical species, are sensitive to increasing environmental temperatures, with many species already living close to their thermal maxima. Ocean warming and the increasing frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves are challenging the persistence of reef-associated species through both direct physiological effects of elevated water temperatures and the degradation and loss of habitat structure following disturbance. Understanding the relative importance of habitat degradation and ocean warming in shaping species distributions is critical in predicting the likely biological effects of global warming. Using an automated shuttle box system, we investigated how habitat complexity influences the selection of thermal environments for a common coral reef damselfish, Chromis atripectoralis. In the absence of any habitat (i.e. control), C. atripectoralis avoided temperatures below 22.9 ± 0.8°C and above 31.9 ± 0.6°C, with a preferred temperature (T pref) of 28.1 ± 0.9°C. When complex habitat was available, individual C. atripectoralis occupied temperatures down to 4.3°C lower (mean ± SE; threshold: 18.6 ± 0.7°C; T pref: 18.9 ± 1.0°C) than control fish. Conversely, C. atripectoralis in complex habitats occupied similar upper temperatures as control fish (threshold: 31.7 ± 0.4°C; preference: 28.3 ± 0.7°C). Our results show that the availability of complex habitat can influence the selection of thermal environment by a coral reef fish, but only at temperatures below their thermal preference. The limited scope of C. atripectoralis to occupy warmer environments, even when associated with complex habitat, suggests that habitat restoration efforts in areas that continue to warm may not be effective in retaining populations of C. atripectoralis and similar species. This species may have to move to cooler (e.g. deeper or higher latitude) habitats under predicted future warming. The integration of habitat quality and thermal environment into conservation efforts will be essential to conserve of coral reef fish populations under future ocean warming scenarios.

中文翻译：

---

栖息地的复杂性影响着普通珊瑚鱼热环境的选择。

与大多数热带物种一样，珊瑚礁物种对不断升高的环境温度敏感，许多物种已经生活在接近其热最大值的位置。海洋升温和海洋热浪的频率和强度不断增加，通过升高的水温对生理的直接影响以及扰动后栖息地结构的退化和丧失，对与珊瑚礁有关的物种的持久性构成了挑战。了解栖息地退化和海洋变暖对塑造物种分布的相对重要性，对于预测全球变暖可能产生的生物学影响至关重要。使用自动穿梭箱系统，我们调查了栖息地的复杂性如何影响常见的珊瑚礁雀鲷Chromis atripectoralis的热环境的选择。在没有任何栖息地的情况下 对照），Atripectoralis避免温度低于22.9±0.8°C和高于31.9±0.6°C，优选温度（T pref）为28.1±0.9°C。当有复杂的栖息地时，单个裸藻梭菌的居住温度比对照鱼低4.3°C（平均±SE；阈值：18.6±0.7°C； T偏好：18.9±1.0°C）。相反，在复杂栖息地中的Atripectoralis则具有与对照鱼相似的较高温度（阈值：31.7±0.4°C；偏好度：28.3±0.7°C）。我们的结果表明，复杂栖息地的可用性会影响珊瑚鱼对热环境的选择，但仅会在低于其热偏好的温度下发生。即使在与复杂的栖息地相关联的情况下，Atripectoralis仍无法适应温暖的环境，这表明，在继续变暖的地区进行栖息地恢复工作可能无法有效地保留沙棘衣藻和类似物种的种群。在预测的未来变暖下，该物种可能不得不移至凉爽（例如纬度更高或更深）的栖息地。将栖息地质量和热环境纳入保护工作，对于在未来海洋变暖的情况下保护珊瑚礁鱼类种群至关重要。