Evaluating the influence of environmental variables on fish assemblages along Tropical Andes: considerations from ecology to conservation

AbstractThe lack of knowledge about freshwater biodiversity in remote areas like montane Andean rivers is noticeable and hinder the development of efficient conservation plans for aquatic ecosystems. Habitat requirements of tropical Andean fishes have been poorly analysed, despite the relevance of these ecological features on the fish conservation strategies. The present study aimed to examine fish assemblages along the altitudinal gradient in tropical Andean rivers and their relationship to habitat features to detect the most relevant abiotic factors and their implication on conservation. This study was conducted on a regional scale, along six basins located in tropical Andes (500 to 2,692 m a.s.l.). We studied fish diversity and distribution and their habitats along these elevation gradients. We found 6,320 specimens from 53 genera. Our analysis for the six most common and widely distributed genera (Astroblepus, Brycon, Bryconamericus, Chaetostoma, Pimelodella and Trichomycterus) underlines the relevance of hydromorphological variables on fish community structure in the Andean montane rivers, whereas human alterations seem to be less significant. These findings could be useful for current management and conservation strategies considering present threats over tropical montane rivers.

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Fish assemblages in floodplain lakes in a Neotropical river during the wet season (Magdalena River, Colombia)

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s0266467412000181 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 271-279 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Carlos Granado-Lorencio ◽

Alejandra Gulfo ◽

Frank Alvarez ◽

Luz Fernanda Jiménez-Segura ◽

Juan David Carvajal-Quintero ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Floodplain Lakes ◽

Fish Diversity ◽

Wet Season ◽

River Floodplain ◽

Lake Morphology ◽

Magdalena River

Abstract:A number of studies have pointed out that abiotic factors and recolonization dynamics appear to be more important than biotic interactions in structuring river–fish assemblages. In this paper, we studied the fish assemblages in 27 floodplain lakes, with perennial connection to the river, in the middle section of the Magdalena River (Colombia), to examine spatial pattern in freshwater fish diversity in relation to some environmental parameters. Our objective was to examine relationships between floodplain-lake fish communities and environmental variables associated with lake morphology, water chemistry and river–floodplain connectivity in a large river–floodplain ecosystem. During the study, a total of 18 237 fish were caught from 50 species (regional richness; 17 were migrants and 33 residents). In the present study, the most diverse order was Characiformes with 20 species, followed by Siluriformes, with 19 species. Characidae and Loricaridae were the richest families. The range of species richness (local richness) varied between five and 39 species. Similarity of local assemblages (using the presence–absence data) depends on the distance between lakes. A positive relationship was observed between the Ln of the total abundance of each species and the number of lakes where they were found. Out of all the environmental parameters taken in the lakes, only the size (Log Area) and relative perimeter length are significantly related to local assemblage species richness. It has not been possible to demonstrate that the connectivity (distance) from lakes to the main river can be considered a predictor of the local richness.

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Late Pleistocene fishes of the Tennessee River Basin: an analysis of a late Pleistocene freshwater fish fauna from Bell Cave (site ACb-2) in Colbert County, Alabama, USA

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.1648 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. e1648 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Stephen J. Jacquemin ◽

Jun A. Ebersole ◽

William C. Dickinson ◽

Charles N. Ciampaglio

Keyword(s):

Freshwater Fish ◽

River Basin ◽

Late Pleistocene ◽

Mississippi River ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Fish Fauna ◽

Fish Diversity ◽

Freshwater Biodiversity ◽

Diversity Patterns ◽

Tennessee River

The Tennessee River Basin is considered one of the most important regions for freshwater biodiversity anywhere on the globe. The Tennessee River Basin currently includes populations of at least half of the described contemporary diversity of extant North American freshwater fishes, crayfish, mussel, and gastropod species. However, comparatively little is known about the biodiversity of this basin from the Pleistocene Epoch, particularly the late Pleistocene (∼10,000 to 30,000 years B.P.) leading to modern Holocene fish diversity patterns. The objective of this study was to describe the fish assemblages of the Tennessee River Basin from the late Pleistocene using a series of faunas from locales throughout the basin documented from published literature, unpublished reports, and an undocumented fauna from Bell Cave (site ACb-2, Colbert County, AL). Herein we discuss 41 unequivocal taxa from 10 late Pleistocene localities within the basin and include a systematic discussion of 11 families, 19 genera, and 24 identifiable species (28 unequivocal taxa) specific to the Bell Cave locality. Among the described fauna are several extirpated (e.g., Northern PikeEsox lucius, Northern MadtomNoturus stigmosus) and a single extinct (Harelip SuckerMoxostoma lacerum) taxa that suggest a combination of late Pleistocene displacement events coupled with more recent changes in habitat that have resulted in modern basin diversity patterns. The Bell Cave locality represents one of the most intact Pleistocene freshwater fish deposits anywhere in North America. Significant preservational, taphonomic, sampling, and identification biases preclude the identification of additional taxa. Overall, this study provides a detailed look into paleo-river ecology, as well as freshwater fish diversity and distribution leading up to the contemporary biodiversity patterns of the Tennessee River Basin and Mississippi River Basin as a whole.

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Relationships between environmental conditions and fish assemblages in the Lohore River of Dailekh, Western Nepal

Our Nature ◽

10.3126/on.v19i1.41217 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 18-26

Author(s):

Sushil Shrestha ◽

Dipak Rajbanshi ◽

Dil Kumar Limbu ◽

Jash Hang Limbu

Keyword(s):

Fish Species ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Mesh Size ◽

Influential Factors ◽

Fish Diversity ◽

Fish Community Structure ◽

Aquatic Communities ◽

Riverine Ecosystems ◽

Fish Samples

The Lohore River is one of the important riverine ecosystems of Dailekh which support diverse aquatic communities. The present study was carried out to assess the fish diversity status with relation to environmental conditions in both to space and time. The survey was conducted at three different sampling stations in three different seasons. For the fish sampling, two cast nets of different mesh sizes were used, one having large mesh size of 2 cm, 6 m diameter and 6 kg weight and another having mesh size of 0.5 cm, 3 m diameter and 2 kg weight. Moreover, drag net and gill net were also used to collect the fish samples. A total of 11 fish species belonging to 2 orders, 3 families and 7 genera. Results from the similarity percentage analysis (SIMPER) suggested that fish species of Puntius gelius, Schizothorax plagiostomus, Tor chelynoides and Schistura sovana were major contributing species each contribute more than 9%. An analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) pointed that fish community structure in the Lohore River differ in spatial scale (p<0.01) but not in temporal scale (P>0.01). Water temperature, dissolved oxygen and water velocity was found as influential factors for fish species distribution.

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Cyprinid distributions in Northeast U.S.A. lakes: evidence of regional-scale minnow biodiversity losses

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f97-066 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 54 (7) ◽

pp. 1593-1607 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

T R Whittier ◽

D B Halliwell ◽

S G Paulsen

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

Species Richness ◽

New England ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Median Number ◽

Southern New England ◽

Sample Data ◽

Golden Shiner ◽

Northern New England

Fish assemblages were sampled in 195 randomly selected lakes in the northeastern United States during the summers of 1991-1994. Most lakes in northern Maine had three to seven minnow species, constituting 40-80% of species in each lake. Lakes in New Jersey, southern New York, and southern New England rarely had minnows, other than golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas). Lakes in the Adirondacks and the remainder of northern New England had intermediate numbers. We examined minnow native ranges and autecology and evaluated species richness related to littoral predators and human disturbance. Sample data suggested alteration in the minnow assemblages over much of the region. The most consistent factor related to minnow species richness was the presence of littoral predators. Median number of minnow species was two in lakes lacking predators and zero in lakes with predators. Non-native predators, especially Micropterus spp., have been introduced throughout the Northeast; 69% of the sampled lakes had non-native predators. In the absence of predators, minnow species declined with increased human activity in the watershed and along lake shorelines. Only in northern Maine did lake minnow assemblages seem relatively intact.

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FISH DIVERSITY IN THE DOWNSTREAM REGION OF CIPANAS RIVER INDRAMAYU, WEST JAVA INDONESIA

Zoo Indonesia ◽

10.52508/zi.v29i1.3978 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Titin Herawati ◽

Gema Wahyudewantoro ◽

Yuli Andriani ◽

Heti Herawati ◽

Naomi Masnida Yunisia Siregar

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Census Data ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Survey Methods ◽

Upstream Region ◽

Fish Diversity ◽

West Java ◽

Fish Collection ◽

Java Sea ◽

Downstream Area

Cipanas River is one river in West Java where its upstream region in Tampomas Mountain, Sumedang and it is emptied into the Java Sea, Indramayu. The study was aimed to investigate fish diversity in the downstream area of Cipanas River. The study was conducted by survey methods with census data collection techniques, taken place at 3 stations of Santing, Tempalong, and Cemara of Indramayu Regency. The parameters measured consisted water quality and fish assemblages. Water quality was measured referring to standard laboratory protocol, and fish collection was made by case net with different mesh sizes. The results showed that water quality conditions of the Cipanas River downstream was suitable for inhabiting fishes. There were as many as 548 individual fishes caught belonging to 21 species, 16 genera, and 14 families. Fish diversity was categorized as medium with 1.6 ≤ H ’≤ 2.2 indicating fairly good community structure, and the Evenness index was 0.81 ≤ E ≤ 0.86 to show highly evenly distributed.

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KEANEKARAGAMAN DAN KEKERABATAN IKAN FAMILI CYPRINIDAE PADA EKOSISTEM BENDUNGAN COLO SUKOHARJO JAWA TENGAH

EnviroScienteae ◽

10.20527/es.v14i2.5478 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 137

Author(s):

Ragil Nur Cahyono ◽

Agung Budiharjo ◽

Sugiyarto Sugiyarto

Keyword(s):

Fish Species ◽

Diversity Index ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Cluster Method ◽

Fish Diversity ◽

Abiotic Factor ◽

Fish Family ◽

Water Ecosystem ◽

Before And After

The Cyprinidae fish family is a family of freshwater fish with the largest number of species and its presence is widespread almost all of the world. The main habitat of this family is the river's ecosystem, river damming changing the environmental conditions between the ecosystems before and after the dam's watergate. Such as Colo Dam that dammed Bengawan Solo River that allegedly affects the diversity of species of Cyprinidae fish. So this study was conducted in order to determine the diversity and kinship of the Cyprinidae fish family in the ecosystem before and after the Colo Dam watergate. Sampling was conducted September-October 2017 at Sukoharjo Colo Dam by Purposive sampling method. Identify fish species used Kottelat identification books. The diversity of fish species was calculated by Shannon Wiener's diversity index. The correlation between abiotic factor and fish diversity was analyzed by a regression test. The kinship of the fish was analyzed by the Ntsys cluster method (2.02i). The results showed that the Cyprinidae fish species that live in the Colo Dam ecosystem contain 10 species, the diversity of Cyprinidae fish in the fast-water ecosystem of station I is higher (0,96) then the slow-water ecosystem of station II, III, and IV (0,47; 0,73, and 0,58). Abiotic factors of current velocity affect the level of fish diversity reaches 91%. The Cyprinidae fish kinship rate has a coefficient of resemblance between 60% - 85%, fish with the same genus and many similarities in morphological characters and their behavior is categorized as having a close kinship.

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Dredging fundamentally reshapes the ecological significance of 3D terrain features for fish in estuarine seascapes

Landscape Ecology ◽

10.1007/s10980-021-01394-5 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Hayden P. Borland ◽

Ben L. Gilby ◽

Christopher J. Henderson ◽

Rod M. Connolly ◽

Bob Gorissen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fish Assemblages ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Ecological Impacts ◽

Fish Diversity ◽

Urban Landscapes ◽

Ecological Significance ◽

Landscape Modification ◽

Eastern Australia ◽

Coastal Landscapes ◽

Terrain Features

Abstract Context Landscape modification alters the condition of ecosystems and the structure of terrain, with widespread impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Seafloor dredging impacts a diversity of flora and fauna in many coastal landscapes, and these processes also transform three-dimensional terrain features. The potential ecological significance of these terrain changes in urban seascapes has, however, not been investigated. Objectives We examined the effects of terrain variation on fish assemblages in 29 estuaries in eastern Australia, and tested whether dredging changes how fish associate with terrain features. Methods We surveyed fish assemblages with baited remote underwater video stations and quantified terrain variation with nine complementary metrics (e.g. depth, aspect, curvature, slope, roughness), extracted from bathymetry maps created with multi-beam sonar. Results Fish diversity and abundance were strongly linked to seafloor terrain in both natural and dredged estuaries, and were highest in shallow waters and near features with high curvature. Dredging, however, significantly altered the terrain of dredged estuaries and transformed the significance of terrain features for fish assemblages. Abundance and diversity switched from being correlated with lower roughness and steeper slopes in natural estuaries to being linked to features with higher roughness and gentler slopes in dredged estuaries. Conclusions Contrasting fish-terrain relationships highlight previously unrecognised ecological impacts of dredging, but indicate that plasticity in terrain use might be characteristic of assemblages in urban landscapes. Incorporating terrain features into spatial conservation planning might help to improve management outcomes, but we suggest that different approaches would be needed in natural and modified landscapes.

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Fish Community Assemblages of Mining-Impacted Freshwaters at Prestea, Ghana

Asian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Research ◽

10.9734/ajfar/2018/v1i1249 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Osei O. Antobre ◽

Nat Owusu-Prempeh ◽

Michael J. Twumasi-Ankrah

Keyword(s):

Fish Community ◽

Average Length ◽

Mesh Size ◽

Fish Diversity ◽

Freshwater Ecosystem ◽

Fish Community Structure ◽

Average Width ◽

H Index ◽

Community Assemblage ◽

Fish Samples

The study evaluated the fish community assemblage in the sections of the Subri river, the Ankobra river, and the “galamsey” pond within the Prestea community as impacted by alluvial mining activities. Gill nets of length 10 m and mesh size 1.27 cm were used to trap fish of average length 25.25 cm whilst cane baskets were used to trap fish of average width 10.40 cm using the catch and recapture method. All the 46 fish samples identified belong to 10 genera and 5 families. The Chichlidae was the dominant family, accounting for 60% of the total families observed. With an H’ index of 1.57 the Subri river had the most fish diversity in comparison with the Ankobra river and the “galamsey” pond, which had 1.21 and 0.71, respectively. Similarly, the Subri river had a more complex fish community structure than the Ankobra and “galamsey” pond. The dominant species, Oreochromis niloticus, has not yet been evaluated by the IUCN, but the least dominated Brienomyrus brachyistus could be regarded as “least concern”. Notwithstanding, these fish are essential for food by the local communities. There is a possibility that the alluvial mining might have influenced the complexities of fish species communities. Thus conservation efforts must be promoted to sustain fish communities and overall freshwater ecosystem health.

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Patterns of fish utilisation in a tropical Indo-Pacific mangrove-coral seascape, New Caledonia

10.1101/455931 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

A Dubuc ◽

N. Waltham ◽

R. Baker ◽

C. Marchand ◽

M. Sheaves

Keyword(s):

Fish Assemblages ◽

New Caledonia ◽

Lunar Cycle ◽

Forest Edge ◽

Temporal Variations ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Small Scale ◽

Mangrove Forests ◽

Species Specific ◽

Main Component

AbstractMangrove forests are important habitats for fish. However, their utilisation by fish, and the specific values they confer, are still not fully understood. This study describes how fish use mangrove forests in an Indo-Pacific mangrove-coral reef seascape. Sampling was conducted using underwater video cameras (UVCs) to describe spatial and temporal variations in fish assemblages across a small-scale (~ 2.5 km2) system, and over the tidal and lunar cycle. UVCs were deployed in the two main component habitats of mangrove forests: at the mangrove forest edge, and inside the forest (5 m from the forest edge), to establish patterns of utilisation of fish across the tidal and lunar cycle. Proximity to coral reefs had a strong influence on the mangrove fish community, as most fish recorded were reef-associated. Juveniles of 12 reef species were observed, including two species classified as vulnerable on the IUCN list, and one endemic species. Fish assemblages on the mangrove edge differed significantly from those inside the forest. Most fish utilised the forest edge, with few species making regular use of in-forest habitats, supporting the contention that most fish species remain on the edge and potentially retreat into the forest for opportunistic feeding, or when threatened by larger predators. Species-specific patterns of utilisation varied across the tidal and lunar cycle. Small differences in depth profiles and substrate across the small-scale system had a significant effect on fish assemblages, highlighting the importance of accounting for spatial heterogeneity in these factors. These data provide important information for managers to implement adequate conservation strategies that include broader interconnected habitat mosaics.

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Diversity of Gall-Inducing Insects Associated With a Widely Distributed Tropical Tree Species: Testing the Environmental Stress Hypothesis

Environmental Entomology ◽

10.1093/ee/nvaa072 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 49 (4) ◽

pp. 838-847

Author(s):

Marcílio Fagundes ◽

Pablo Cuevas-Reyes ◽

Letícia F Ramos Leite ◽

Magno Augusto Zazá Borges ◽

Walter Santos De Araújo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Stress ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Soil Nutrient ◽

Plant Performance ◽

Insect Diversity ◽

Ecological Scale ◽

Copaifera Langsdorffii ◽

Study Sites ◽

Plant Herbivore

Abstract Abiotic factors can affect plant performance and cause stress, which in turn affects plant–herbivore interactions. The Environmental Stress Hypothesis (ESH) predicts that gall-inducing insect diversity will be greater on host plants that grow in stressful habitats. We tested this hypothesis, considering both historical and ecological scales, using the plant Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. (Fabaceae) as a model because it has a wide geographic distribution and is a super-host of gall-inducing insects. According to the ESH, we predicted that 1) on a historical scale, the diversity of gall-inducing insects will be higher in habitats with greater environmental stress and 2) on an ecological scale, gall-inducing insect diversity will be greater on plants that possess greater levels of foliar sclerophylly. We sampled gall-inducing insects on plants of C. langsdorffii in five sites with different levels of water and soil nutrient availability and separated from each other by a distance of up to 470 km. The composition, richness, and abundance of gall-inducing insects varied among study sites. Plants located in more stressful habitats had higher levels of foliar sclerophylly; but richness and abundance of gall-inducing insects were not affected by host plant sclerophylly. Habitat stress was a good predictor of gall-inducing insect diversity on a regional scale, thus corroborating the first prediction of the ESH. No relationship was found between plant sclerophylly and gall-inducing insect diversity within habitats. Therefore, on a local scale, we did not find support for our second prediction related to the ESH.

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