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INTRODUCTION
Coral reefs are extremely complex systems, with high intra and inter-habitat heterogeneity generating multiple ecological niches for a great number of species (Jackson et al. 2001). The high structural complexity of coral reefs provides shelter and food to a variety of species of different taxonomic groups (Anderson et al. 1981, Sale 1991, Ohman and Rajasuriya 1998, Chittaro 2004). Fish assemblages are one of the most important biological components within the coral reef ecosystem, since they constitute its most conspicuous motile component and tend to demonstrate specific associations with reef structures (Arias-González et al. 2006, Méndez et al. 2006). Fishes, as main consumers, exert a top-down control over the food webs within coral reefs and also play a key role in maintaining ecosystem resilience (Arias-González et al. 2006, Aguilar-Medrano and Calderón-Aguilera 2015, Cáceres et al. 2015).
Coral reef fish assemblage structure patterns have been studied widely in relation to numerous biological and physical parameters of the reef environment (e.g. Galzin 1987, Ault and Johnson 1998, Dominici-Arosemena and Wolff 2006, Arias-González et al. 2008). There are many studies linking patterns of the reef fish assemblage structure (i.e. species richness, abundance, diversity and composition) with particular attributes of the coral reef habitat such as coral species richness, composition and morphological diversity (i.e. reef geomorphology, number of holes or availability of shelter, rugosity-flattening and depth)(e.g. Rodríguez-Zaragoza et al. 2011, Alvarez-Filip et al. 2011, Rodríguez-Zaragoza and Arias-González 2015). In particular, some authors consider that a strong relationship exists between fish fauna and corals in terms of live coral cover (LCC), such that increased variation in coral species can support high abundance and richness in fish assemblages (Adjeroud et al. 1998, Arias-González et al. 2008, 2011, Acosta-González et al. 2013). However, this relationship has not been found in other studies (Roberts and Ormond 1987, Dominici-Arosemena and Wolff 2006). This discrepancy can be attributed to the different geomorphological features (i.e. high topographic complexity) and landscape patterns (e.g. presence of other habitats) in each study area, as well as the particular study methodologies and scales (Chabanet et al. 1997, Mellin et al. 2008). On the other hand, depth is an important factor determining coral species distribution. This zonation has been attributed to a combination of physical and biological factors affecting coral, including...