Similar levels of trophic and functional diversity within damselfish assemblages across Indo–Pacific coral reefs

1. Understanding the forces that influence the dynamics of communities is a key challenge to undertake in changing environments. Despite recent advances in coral reef community ecology, a more comprehensive knowledge about processes (niche related–traits and phylogenies) driving the composition of reef fish community is needed.
2. Here, we conducted a quantitative comparison of these processes in damselfish assemblages that belong to three distinct Indo–Pacific coral reefs differing in taxonomic composition, morphology and degree of human disturbance.
3. We compiled a dataset of eight categorical variables to estimate functional diversity of damselfish assemblages and a second one of stable isotope ratios to evaluate isotopic diversity, a proxy of trophic diversity. Both datasets represent the eco–functional diversity and provide insight into niche–related traits. Indices were then computed to grasp complementary facets of this diversity: the size of multidimensional space (richness)...