An Ecological Comparison of Artificial and Natural Rocky Reef Fish Communities in Botany Bay, New South Wales, Australia

The fish communities occupying a natural reef site and an artificial reef site near the mouth of Botany Bay, a marine-dominated estuary in southeastern Australia, were assessed by a diver transect method bimonthly over a two-year period. Temporal and spatial differences in community structure were analyzed. One hundred and two fish species from 50 families were observed, 93 at the natural reef site and 59 at the artificial reef site, with 49 being common to both. Twenty-five of these species were of some economic importance. The natural reef site, as well as having a higher number of species, had higher total abundance, species heterogeneity and species richness. The artificial reef site attracted slightly larger abundances of fishes of economic importance.