Preliminary study on changes of fish and macroinvertebrate community structure in Zhujiajian artificial reef area

Based on the data from the background investigation in 2002 and from the four follow-up voyages carried out in the artificial reef (AR) waters of Zhujiajian during 2005 and 2006, we studied the changes in the composition, dominant species and community structure of fish and macroinvertebrates before and after deploying AR. The results show that the species number after deploying AR is 2.8 times more than before; 53 species of fish and macorinvertebrates are identified in AR waters, including fish, crustaceans and molluscs, among which fish and arthropods account for 49% and 45% respectively. Moreover, there are great changes in the dominant species composition of crustaceans after deploying AR, that is, from low-value shrimp to economic shrimps and crabs (Charybdis japonica, Alpheus japonicus). Crustaceans are the main component of trawl catches. The community diversity value of species composition before and after deploying AR is similar, but neither reaches the medium similarity level, and the dominant species number varies with different months. The deployment of AR leads to an obvious increase in sciaenidae fish and rocky fish, and AR environment can not only maintain the inherent species, but also offer more bio-available habitat.