What makes underwater fish structure good and why is it so important?
Good underwater fish structure all share certain characteristics. First, good fish structure has a lot of surface area. This means that the structure is made of many different surfaces that create several spaces and surfaces that aquatic life can inhabit. A branch with one or two thin branches coming off of it has very little surface area. Whereas, a branch with many smaller twigs and branches coming off of the the branch as a lot of surface area. Closely related to surface area, is the production of shade. Structure that creates a lot of shade attract more fish than structure that does not.These factors are important because the surface area and shade produced by good structure help fish in many ways. One reason this is important is because large surface area provides many spaces for zooplankton and aquatic insects to inhabit which are then used for food by small fish. Large surface area also allows fish of all sizes to hide from predators. If fish can hide, they have a greater chance
