During the early part of this research, it was observed that many of the fish species that compose the catch of major gears such as fish corral, spears and fish pots were more seagrass-associated rather than reef-associated. In particular, such species comprise much of the diverse species composition of fish corral catches. Results of the visual census on seagrass beds show a fairly diverse fish community with a total of 59 species belonging to 27 families. Although diversity is comparable to some reefs in the bay, the population levels are low. Most of the fish are small in size (<10 cm), while larger fishes (>20cm) are quite rare. Some juvenile fishes of herring and anchovy were intercepted along the transect. While some fish such as Siganus fuscescens, S. guttatus (siganids), Leptoscarus vaigiensis (seagrass parrotfish) and Cheilio inermis (cigar wrasse) are generally considered seagrass-dependent, about 40% are also found in coral reefs within the bay. This is hardly surprising, as Danao Bay is a complex structure of contiguous habitats, and with seagrass flats diffusing into the reef crest at many points within the bay. These results would explain why a mixture of reef and seagrass-associated fish dominate the catch of many gears operating in near-shore areas.
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