
Fishes, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 10(5), P. 209 - 209
Published: May 2, 2025
Global coral reef ecosystems face various levels of disturbance pressure. Understanding the depth-structured variation in fish communities can help us to better grasp and predict adaptive changes ecosystem under different stressors. This study applied eDNA metabarcoding technology analyze spatial distribution at depths (0 m, 5 10 15 20 30 40 50 60 m) within Xisha Islands China. The results indicated that detected a total 213 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), including 33 species were not identified using traditional methods. Herbivorous generally dominated relative abundance across depths. Moreover, similarity among depth groups was largely absent, significant differences existed assemblages gradients, consistent with unique preferences microhabitats. Importantly, our findings revealed distinct functional fish. Large carnivorous initially increased then decreased along gradient from 0 turning point around while large herbivorous displayed opposite trend. Small small consistently declined same gradient. Additionally, Margalef index (D) Function richness (FRic) both downward trend increasing depth, Shannon–Wiener (H′), Pielou (J′), Quadratic entropy (RaoQ), Functional dispersion (FDis), evenness (FEve) decreased, peaking m. is an effective tool for evaluating biodiversity, community composition, distribution. It enhances understanding dynamics offers valuable insights conservation restoration efforts.
Language: Английский