Recruitment in the marine environment is a key ecological process which is highly variable in space and time. Fish are known to recruit to different habitat types, sometimes only for a short ‘nursery’ phase before shifting to adult grounds. In the Kimberley region of north-western Australia, very little is known about fish recruitment and juvenile processes, or how they are affected by a macro-tidal system. More than 600 remote underwater video recordings were made with the aim of answering fundamental questions on spatial and temporal variation in recruitment and juvenile habitat use in the Kimberley. For most species, recruitment primarily occurred during the wet season (October-April) across a diverse range of Kimberley habitats. Coral reef, macroalgae, seagrass and mangrove habitats all supported different species assemblages with some species recruiting into a single habitat type. Surprisingly, we found that fish diversity was below expectations considering the Kimberley’s close proximity to the equator and global centre of fish diversity. These results prompt questions about the influence of the Kimberley’s unique challenging environment and its effects on the supply and survival of juvenile fishes and argue strongly for targeted and representative protection of all Kimberley habitat types as fish nursery grounds.