There is no doubt that oyster beds are beneficial to smaller fish species (e.g. gurnards and bull rout) and provide a substrate for elasmobranchs to attach their egg cases. Yet various modern sources suggest that oyster beds provide a safe nursery for various fish species, even commercial valuable ones. I never found any proof for this suggestion, is there?
Hi Floris
One example may be the juveniles of the Lumpsucker Cyclopterus lumpus
which preferably live on smooth brown algae like Wakame Undaria pinnatifida. In the Netherlands these algae often grow on oysterbeds. But these algae grow on other substrates as well, so this relation is not obligate.
While there are a number of references relevant to this topic, you may wish to read some recently published work by : Vozzo ML, Bishop MJ 2019. Co-occurring secondary foundations species have distinct effects on the recruitment and survival of associated organisms. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 608: 61-72. This paper looks specifically at species associations with oyster reefs and algal beds. Further, you may also wish to contact Paco Martinez (also at Macquarie University), who is currently monitoring fish species association and behavior around oyster reefs.
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