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The success of marine spatial management and, in particular, the zonation of marine protected areas (MPAs), largely depends on the good understanding of species’ distribution and habitat preferences. Yet, detailed knowledge of fish abundance is often reduced to a few sampled locations and a reliable prediction of this information across broader geographical areas is of major relevance. Generalised additive models (GAMs) were used to describe species− environment relationships and identify environmental parameters that determine the abundance or presence− absence of 11 reef fishes with contrasting life histories in shallow habitats of the Azores islands, Northeast Atlantic. Predictive models were mapped and visualised in a geographic information system (GIS) and areas with potential single or multi-species habitat hotspots were identified. Schooling, pelagic species typically required presence− absence …