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Habitat classes are often used as surrogates to represent or capture species assemblages in the design of spatial conservation strategies, such as multi-use marine protected areas (MPAs). Little research, however, has critically evaluated how well habitat classes can reliably predict species distributions and abundances over scales relevant to spatial planning. In this study, we used hierarchical models to quantify spatial variability in demersal and mid-water fishes at multiple scales to determine whether habitat classes are appropriate surrogates for temperate fishes. Baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVS) and mid-water BRUVS were used to sample fish assemblages in Jervis Bay, NSW, Australia, over rocky reef, seagrass Posidonia australis and unvegetated sediment among locations (> 3 km), habitat classes (~ 400 m) and sites within habitats (~ 200 m). Each habitat class displayed a distinct …