In April 1998 and May 1999, two survey cruises were carried out in seven coral reef waters of the Nansha Islands-Zhubi, Nanxun, Dongmen, Meiji, Chigua, Yongshu and Huayang reef by handlining, longlining and gillnetting. For total f ishing efforts input in the survey, handlining was 357 hook#h, longlining 4 220 hooks, and gillnetting 1 9750m. For f ishing efforts per operation, handlining was 6- 18 hook#h, longlining 40- 480 hooks, and gillnetting 40- 2 400m. A total of 180 species were caught and their catch was 1 860 ind 1 540. 4kg, among which, handlining caught 102 species 1 225 ind 196. 8kg, longlining 36 species 82 ind 1234. 7 kg, and gillnetting 70 species 553 ind 108. 9kg. For mean catch rates and CPUEs per reef , handlining was 351. 0 ind# (100 hook# h) - 1 and 51. 9kg#( 100 hook #h) - 1, longlining 2. 6 ind# ( 100 hooks) - 1 and 39. 0kg# ( 100 hooks) - 1, and gillnetting 51. 4 ind #( 1000m) - 1 and 7. 5kg #( 1000m) - 1. Both catch rate and CPUE of gillnetting in reef f lat were higher than shallows and depths of reef margin, with 170. 3 ind#( 1000m) - 1 and 23. 1kg# (1000m) - 1. Major commercial species caught included sharks, morays, groupers, snappers, pigface breams, parrotind and wrasseses et al. Huayang and Yongshu reef are abundant in reef fish resources and have higher exploitation potential. Dongmen, Meiji and Nanxun reef are lower than Huayang and Yongshu reef in usable abundance of reef ind, but also have production value. Chigua and Zhubi reef basically have no fishing value.