Zoogeography and habitat overlapping of the Persian Gulf fishes in Indo-Pacific region

Document Type : Ecology

Authors

1 Agriculture Research, Extension and Education Organization, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute – Tehran

2 Islamic Azad University, Research and Science Branch, Marine Biology Department – Tehran

3 Ichthyology Division, Canadian Nature Museum – Ottawa

Abstract

Present study were executed during 2014 - 2015 with the aim of the revised new information of the Persian Gulf (and the Strait of Hormuz) ichthyo fauna zoogeography and biogeoghraphy and to obtain new information about the habitat overlapping and fish species similarity of Iranian waters of the Persian Gulf (and Hormuz Strait) and Indo-Pacific region seas.Based on the results, the final list of approved fish of the Persian Gulf (including the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman border region) are 907 species in 157 families, of which 93 species of fish with 28 cartilaginous families (including 18 families with 59 species and 10 families with 34 species of shark and batoids); and 129 families with 814 species of bony fishes are. In this study, it was found that out of 907 species have been reported from the study area, 294 species (32.4 %) to benthic habitats (Benthic habitats) and 613 species (67.6 %) in pelagic habitats (Pelagic habitats) belong. Coral reefs and rocky habitats in the range of benthic fish (129 species - 14.3 %) and reef associated fishes in the range of pelagic fishes (432 species – 47.8 %), the highest number and percentage of habitat diversity (Species habitats) have been allocated. As well as fish habitats with seagrass and algae beds in benthic habitata (17 species- 1.9 %) and pelagic - Oceanic (Open sea) in the whole pelagic fish (30 species – 3.3 %), the lowest number and percentage of habitat diversity into account. Also, 13 species as well as endemic species introduced the Persian Gulf and have been approved in terms of geographical expansion of the Persian Gulf are unique to the area. From the perspective of animal geography (Zoogeography) and habitat overlaps and similarities (Habitat overlaping) fish fauna of the Persian Gulf compared with other similar seas (tropical and subtropical, and warm temperate) in the Indian Ocean area - calm on the surface, based on the presence of certain species that the fish fauna of the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea and the Bay of Bengal (East Arabian Sea) compared to other regions in the Indian Ocean (Pacific) is closer (about 50%), and the Mediterranean (East area) and The Hawaiian Islands have the lowest overlap and similarity (about 10%) of habitat and species.

Keywords

Journal of Animal Environment
Volume 8, Issue 4
January 2017
Pages 125-132

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