Abstract

A visual census of fishes inhabiting three habitats (backreef, reef crest/cut. and forereef) on the barrier reef and two offshore atolls of Belize indicated differences in relative abundance of dominant and economically valuable fishes among habitats and between marine reserve and unprotected areas. The forereef had the greatest number of species, but diversity (H’) was highest in the cuts. Fish abundance was also greatest on the forereef. In atoll forereef and barrier reef cut habitats, individuals and species per observation were greater in protected areas. Larger groupers (Nassau, black) and graysby were more abundant in protected habitats, while small coney were more abundant in unprotected sites. The dominant snappers (yellowtail. schoolmaster. gray. mahogany) were more abundant in reserve areas. Abundance of grunts varied. depending on habitat and site (atoll vs barrier reef). Herbivorous acanthurids and scarids were more abundant at unprotected sites. The visual census method is useful for evaluating the effects of marine sanctuary designation on the fish community: however. extensive pre-and postdesignation surveys are needed

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