| Popis: |
The chapter discusses the biogeography of rocky intertidal fishes. Intertidal fishes can be classified as fully or partially resident or transient species. While it would be valuable to compare the biogeography of true and partial residents and transient species, information needed to classify most fish species found in the intertidal zone is unavailable. It is particularly difficult to distinguish between true and partial resident species, and although patterns of residency exist among genera and families, there are considerable differences in species richness at the family level in intertidal ichthyofaunas in various parts of the world. Distribution patterns are primarily delineated by the major ocean masses and refined by local currents. The close match of assemblage groupings to biogeographical regions indicates that intertidal fish assemblage composition strongly depends on local conditions. Intertidal ichthyofaunas are generally more regionally distinct than their subtidal counterparts; in particular, there are very few widely distributed intertidal fish species. |
