more abundant in PC, only six species (the common Pocillopora verrucosa and Porites rus, and four uncommon to rare species) were more abundant in WT than PC.
For the octocorals, 11 genera belonging to the major families Nephtheidae and Xeniidae, and four gorgonian genera were significantly more abundant in PC than in WT, whereas the two low encrusting or stolon-forming genera Clavularia and Briareum had higher representation in WT but were missing or rare in PC (Table 2).
Finally, 25 species of fish were likely to occur at higher abundance in PC than in WT. These included ten species susceptible to fishing pressure, three coral-dependent species (Chaetodon aureofasciatus, C. lineolatus, C. plebius), and two grazing herbivores. In contrast, 13 fish species had a high to moderate probability of occurring at higher abundance in WT than in PC. These included no coral-dependent species, only one species susceptible to fishing pressure and six grazing herbivores (Table 2).
The percentages of algal, coral and fish taxa that significantly differed in abundances between regions are summarized in Fig. 6. Among the macroalgae that strongly differed in abundance between the regions,