AN INVESTIGATION ON AQUATICS DIVERSITY AND DENSITY IN MARINE ARTIFICIAL REEF, MOLOO AREA OF BANDAR-E-LENGEH, PERSIAN GULF

Over-fishing of marine resources has endangered many commercial fish species in the world. Setting up artificial reefs is now considered an important way for marine stocks and fishing enhancement. The present study was designed to monitor fish abundance and species changes around a small and newly established artificial reef system in Moloo area at Bandare-Lengeh during two years after installation in September 2005.
The artificial reef includes three types, of concrete structures arranged in a seven by three grid. Each cross point was considered as a sampling station and two other stations were also selected from two sides of the system as control points. The CPUE and frequency of fishes in transect7 with a mixed structure showed significant differences with other 6 transects (P0. 01). Although there were differences between C PUE averages of different seasons, the ANOVA test of difference significance was negative. The t-test showed no significant differences between the abundance and number of different species per trap per day and seasons. The dominant species were Epinephelus coioides, Plectorhinchus shotaf, Diagrama pictum, Siganusjavus.