Estructura poblacional y otros aspectos biológicos de peces cirujanos (Acanthuridae) en un ambiente insular del caribe colombiano

Estructura poblacional y otros aspectos biológicos de peces cirujanos (Acanthuridae) en un ambiente insular del caribe colombiano Population structure and other biological aspects of surgeon fishes (Acanthuridae) in an island environment of the Colombian caribeña

Coral reefs are one of the most productive and biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. In coral communities, herbivorous fishes play the most important role in the maintenance and control of algae, which are the basis of the food chain in coral reefs and participate in the construction of those ecosystems. Among different groups of herbivorous fishes present in coral reefs, Acanthuridae family are the most abundant with highest biomass. The effects of the Acanthuridae family on reef habitats can vary depending on their densities, the stability of the ecosystem and their ecological interactions, for this reason determining the current status of their populations is significant. There is an information gap how the abundances and densities of this group are found in the archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina (ASAP). Using visual censuses of fishes of the genus Acanthurus, this work aimed to estimate the current state of the densities and biomass of these species in the coral communities in ASAP, as well as the differences in the population number in San Andrés, Bolívar, Serrana and Providencia. 6075 individuals were found for all the areas evaluated in the archipelago, also a positive relationship of abundances in the islands of San Andrés and Providencia in comparison to the Bolívar and Serrana. Regarding the habitat preference of juveniles, a high degree of specialization and habitat preference was found for A. coeruleus in reef areas, while A. tractus showed a preference for mangroves.