Life-history strategies of fish assemblages from reefs, soft bottom and mangroves form New Caledonia.

Life-history strategies were used to describe and compare the fish assemblages of coral reefs, soft bottoms and mangroves. Each habitat was sampled monthly during one year. Each species was classified into one among 6 life- history strategies rangeing from r-type species -class 1- (early reproduction, short live...) to K-type species –class 6- (late reproduction, low mortality...). On a yearly basis, the structures of the three fish assemblages were different. On reefs, species composition is dominated by fishes of the classes 2,3,4. Class 1 species make a large contribution to the density on reefs despite a low diversity of this group, but most of the density is given by class 2 fishes which make also an important contribution to biomass. However, classes 3 and 5 form also an appreciable pan of the biomass on reefs. On soft bottom the species composition is dominated by the 3 first classes. Class 1