Herbivorous fish biomass and benthic composition around Rodrigues Island, Western Indian Ocean

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Abstract. Ricot M, Jeetun S, Jogee SY, Anasamy M, Kaullysing D, Taleb-Hossenkhan N, Bhagooli R. 2025. Herbivorous fish biomass and benthic composition around Rodrigues Island, Western Indian Ocean. Indo Pac J Ocean Life 9: 79-89. Herbivorous reef fish play a critical role in maintaining coral reef resilience by controlling algal growth and facilitating coral recovery. This study assessed the biomass of herbivorous fish and benthic composition across coral-dominated (high live hard coral cover >20%) and non-coral-dominated (low live hard coral cover <20%) habitats at five sites, namely, Aquarium, Plateau Bénitier, Ti Trou, Antonio's Finger, and Couzoupa around Rodrigues Island, Western Indian Ocean. Fish biomass was estimated using triplicate belt transects, focusing on key herbivorous families (Acanthuridae and Scaridae), while benthic composition was quantified to identify habitat-specific patterns. Results revealed higher herbivorous fish biomass in coral-dominated habitats (1028.54±847.78 kg/ha) compared to non-coral-dominated habitats (728.34±229.36 kg/ha). No significant differences (p>0.05) were observed in the biomass of the Acanthuridae (p=0.56) nor Scaridae (p=0.36) fish families between coral-dominated and non-coral-dominated habitats. Coral-dominated habitats exhibited higher live hard coral cover (64.03±9.55%) compared to non-coral-dominated habitats (7.3±1.32%). Additionally, a significant interaction between protection status and live coral cover was observed, indicating that both protection measures and coral cover levels jointly influence herbivorous fish biomass. These findings underscore the importance of benthic habitat structure, particularly coral cover, in shaping herbivorous fish communities and supporting higher fish biomass in coral-dominated habitats.

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