Distribution and feeding ecology of the angelfishes (Pomacanthidae) in Shalateen region, Red Sea, Egypt | ||
| Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries | ||
| Article 6, Volume 13, Issue 1, January 2009, Pages 79-91 PDF (209.29 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2009.2024 | ||
| Author | ||
| Magdy Alwany | ||
| Department of Marine Sci., Faculty of Sci., Suez Canal Univ., Ismailia, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| This study aimed to estimate the distribution and feeding ecology of the angelfishes (Family Pomacanthidae) in Shalateen region, Red Sea, Egypt. The total number of recovered species was six species, where Centropyge multispinis and Pygoplites diacanthus were the most abundant at most sites, while Pomacanthus imperator and P. maculosus were the lowest. The royal angelfish, Pygoplites diacanthus, was represented in all sites and all reef zones in Shalateen region. Most angelfish species were not found on the reef flat (except Pygoplites diacanthus), since they prefer the reef slope and increase with depth. Based on the number of individuals, the reef flat comprised only 2.7 % of the total Pomacanthids population, while the slope comprised 97.3 % of population (34.1 % at 1-10 m depth and 63.2 % at 10-20 m depth). The highest feeding rate was recorded for C. multispinis, with 84.3±26.4 bites⋅(5min)-1, while the lowest was recorded for P. maculosus, with 58.9±21.6 bites⋅(5min)-1. Most species of angelfishes use biting mode for feeding and diurnal feeders, except Genicanthus caudovittatus that use ram mode for feeding on zooplankton and nocturnal feeder. Feeding guilds are divided into three categories: a) invertebrate-feeders, represented by three species, namely P. asfur, P. imperator and P. maculosus, b) omnivores, represented by two species, C. multispinis and Pygoplites diacanthus, c) zooplankton feeder, represented by only G. caudovittatus. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Distribution; Abundance; diversity; angelfishes; Red Sea; Egypt | ||
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