Multiscale Habitat Associations of Deepwater Demersal Fishes off Central California

Abstract

"Fish-habitat associations were examined at three spatial scales in Monterey Bay, California, to determine how benthic habitats and land- scape configuration have structured deepwater demersal fish assemblages. Fish counts and habitat variables were quantified by using observer and video data collected from a submersible. Fish responded to benthic habitats at scales ranging from cm’s to km’s. At broad-scales (km’s), habitat strata classified from acoustic maps were a strong predictor of fish assemblage composition. At intermediate-scales (m’s−100 m’s), fish species were associated with specific substratum patch types. At fine-scales (<1 m), micro-habitat associations revealed differing degrees of microhabitat specificity, and for some species revealed niche separation within patches. The use of habitat characteristics in ecosystem-based management, particularly as a surrogate for species distributions, will depend on resolving fish-habitat associations and habitat complexity over multiple scales."