Conditional use of mangrove habitats by fishes: Depth as a cue to avoid predators

The flooded intertidal zone in coastal estuarine systems (e.g., mangroves and salt marshes) is thought to provide nekton with both food and refuge from predators. The primary aim of this study was to identify the relative contribution of root structure, shading, and leaf litter, all characteristic features of mangrove forests, in shaping the intertidal distribution of tidally migrating fishes. We manipulated the structure and shade in 9-m2 sample plots in a shallow, mangrove-fringed, intertidal embayment in Tampa Bay, Florida. In a separate field experiment, we compared fish association with standing mangrove leaf litter and bare sand substrate. Shade and leaf litter had a water depthdependent effect on the distribution of the fish; no effect was associated with the presence of mangrove roots. In shallow water (