Critical thermal tolerance polygons of tropical marine fishes from Sulawesi, Indonesia

1. Replicate thermal tolerance polygons were created using critical thermal methodology (CTM) and statistically compared. 2. Reef-associated damselfish and cardinalfish displayed the smallest total and intrinsic polygon zones and equal upper and lower acquired tolerance zones within species. 3. Two gobiids and a mullet species (resident and transient to tidepools, respectively) showed greater total and intrinsic tolerance zones than reef-associated species. 4. These CTM-polygons assess the thermal biology of fishes in habitats sensitive to global climate change and suggest that tropical Indo-Pacific fishes are likely to be affected by indirect consequences of global climate change, rather than by direct temperature mortality. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.