Journal of Environmental Biology

Performance of a shipwreck as an artificial fish habitat along Goa, west coast of India

Paper received: 08.01.2018??????????????????? Revised received: 28.04.2018??????????????????????????? Re-revised received: 22.05.2018????????????????? Accepted: 02.06.2018

Authors Info

G.B. Sreekanth¹*,N.M. Lekshmi² and A. Patil³???

??

¹ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, Old Goa-403 402, India

²ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin-682 029, India

³DIVE GOA, Goa-403 515, India

*Corresponding Author Email :

gbsree@gmail.com

Abstract

Aim: The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that submerged shipwrecks along the western coast of India can function as artificial fish habitats with trophic structure of fish assemblages similar to natural rocky reef habitats. ??? 

Methodology: The fish assemblages on shipwreck and natural reefs were analysed from September 2013 to December 2016 using diver assisted underwater visual census (UVC). Data collected on fish assemblages were used to compare the fish trophic structure between shipwreck and natural reefs using diversity indices, permutational multivariate analysis of variance and similarity percentage analysis. ?

Results: Fish abundance was two times greater on shipwreck than on natural reefs and the major trophic guilds on shipwreck were omnivores and carnivores. Multivariate analyses showed a distinct fish trophic structure on shipwreck from that of natural reefs and certain fish species differentiated the trophic structure of shipwreck from natural reefs. The high densities of Pomadasys furcatus, P. guoraca, Pempheris multiradiata, Lutjanus indicus, L. fulvus, Ostorhinchus compressus, Epinephelus coioides, E. erythrurus, Monodactylus argenteus and Heniochus singularis contributed significantly to the average dissimilarity for fish assemblages in shipwreck from natural reefs. This has helped to differentiate the fish communities on shipwreck from natural reefs. ??

Interpretation: This study showed that shipwreck and natural reefs differ significantly in fish trophic structure. Fish species richness and abundance were significantly higher on shipwreck than natural reefs. Therefore, the Greater species richness, abundance and diversity of fish communities on shipwreck could be a result of unique, complex and heterogeneous habitat features existing within the wreck.

Key words: Fish diversity, Grande Island, Habitat complexity, Natural reef, Shipwreck

Copyright ? 2019 Triveni Enterprises. All rights reserved. No part of the Journal can be reproduced in any form without prior permission. Responsibility regarding the authenticity of the data, and the acceptability of the conclusions enforced or derived, rest completely with the author(s).