ICHTHYOFAUNA OF SEAGRASS MEADOWS ALONG THE CARIBBEAN COAST OF PANAMA AND IN THE GULF OF MEXICO - COMPOSITION, STRUCTURE AND COMMUNITY ECOLOGY

Collections of fishes from seagrass meadows along the coast of the Republic of Panamá and the Canal Zone during 1974-1975 revealed that juveniles of reefassociated predators are common in this habitat. There are also important diurnal changes in species composition: members of the families Pomadasyidae, Lutjanidae, Sciaenidae, Apogonidae and Muraenidae were noticeably more abundant in the seagrass meadows at night. Although there were significant differences in species composition and abundance among sampling sites, seasonal differences within sites appeared to be insignificant. The ichthyofauna of the Panamanian seagrass beds is significantly richer than that of similar habitats which have been studied in the Gulf of Mexico. This difference in species richness appears to be due in part to the influence of nearby coral reefs, which add an additional structural dimension to the habitat. © 1979 Springer-Verlag.