3. Results
3.1. Species composition and sampling methodology
A total of 30 fish species was recorded at the reef balls using SCUBA
and gillnet surveys (Table 1). Data of visual censuses performed in
November 2006 (dry period) were excluded from the analyses, since
no fish were recorded because of the very low (b0.5 m) horizontal
water transparency. The tomtate (Haemulon aurolineatum) was by far
the dominant species in the reefs, followed by Genidens genidens,
Haemulon steindachneri, Serranus flaviventris and Conodon nobilis,
whereas scianids was the most diverse group (10 species). Except for
H. steindachneri, there was no other fish species recorded in all three
sampling treatments (Table 1). Most species occurred exclusively in
one sampling treatment, but a greater number of common species
was partitioned by gillnet surveys, independently of the sampling
period, than between visual censuses and gillnet samples performed
during the rainy period.