Fish community of a small karstic Neotropical drainage and its relationship with the physical habitat

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 1312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Ratton ◽  
Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira ◽  
Paulo Santos Pompeu
Keyword(s):  
Fish Community ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Sampling Period ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Linear Matrix ◽  
Physical Habitat ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Fauna Composition

In the present study we examined surface and subterranean sites in order to compare the fish fauna composition and characteristics of the physical habitat in a stream located in a Neotropical karst landscape at the São Francisco River basin, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. We investigated the effects of physical habitat characteristics related to river morphology, substrate composition, wood and canopy cover on the fish community and investigated whether subterranean habitats have additional effects responsible for shaping the fish community structure. During the sampling period (dry season; July 2012), 28 species distributed in 3 orders and 9 families were collected (773 individuals in total). Characiformes was the most diverse group in the studied area, with 16 registered species (57% of the sampled fauna). We did not find cave-adapted fish species during the study, although four non-troglomorphic species (two Characiformes and two Siluriformes) were sampled exclusively in the cave. The species composition was possibly affected by environmental differences, showing distinct patterns between the five sites studied. Canopy cover and the percentage of organic matter on the streambed accounted for most of the variation observed in the fish fauna composition (distance-based linear matrix: adjusted R2=0.56; P=0.02). In the system studied, Siluriformes have a greater chance of occupying subterranean habitats, with higher relative abundance and richness inside the cave sites. We believe that number, size and position of subterranean spaces within a karst watershed have additional effects on fish community composition through their selective pressure on species traits.

scholarly journals Demersal fish community on the inner shelf of Ubatuba, southeastern Brazil

1998 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gecely R. A. Rocha ◽  
Carmen L. D. B. Rossi-Wongtschowski
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Coastal Water ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Sampling Period ◽  
Demersal Fish ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Otter Trawl ◽  
South Atlantic Central Water

Fluctuations in the distribution and abundance of demersal fishes collected by otter trawl on the continental shelf of Ubatuba were examined over a two-year sampling period, in an area up to 50 m depth. A total of 111 species were collected. Seasonal and annual fluctuations in species abundance were related to differences in the distribution of Coastal Water and South Atlantic Central Water masses. The demersal fish fauna in the area was divided into three ecologically distinct communities: Tropical Sciaenid, Subtropical Sciaenid, and Gerreid-Haemulid. The most important one is the Tropical Sciaenid Community, characterized by Ctenosciaena gracilicirrhus, Paralonchurus brasiliensis, and Cynoscion jamaicensis.

Nearshore fish community of the Port River-Barker Inlet Estuary, South Australia. I. Effect of thermal effluent on the fish community structure, and distribution and growth of economically important fish species

1996 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 785 ◽  
Author(s):  
GK Jones ◽  
JL Baker ◽  
K Edyvane ◽  
GJ Wright
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Point Source Pollution ◽  
Dimensional Scaling ◽  
Thermal Effluent ◽  
Population Structures ◽  
Polluted Sites

The nearshore fish community of the Port River-Barker Inlet Estuary was sampled between January 1986 and May 1987 using a beach seine to determine the effect of thermal effluent on the community structure and nursery function of the estuary. A total of 41 species was found in the estuary, with decreasing numbers of species with decreasing distance from the thermal outfall. Cluster analyses and multi-dimensional scaling ordination separated the thermally polluted sites from the non-affected sites. During the summer/auturnn period, thermal effluent only affected water temperature and the species compositions in the inner estuary, and the estuary-opportunistic species Aldrichetta forsteri, Arripis georgiana, A. truttacea and Hyporhamphus melanochir avoided the area at this time. During winter/spring months, thermal effluent acted in the opposite way, with A. forsteri attracted to the warmer waters of the inner estuary. The extended growth season for this species and significantly higher growth rates promoting premature movement out of the inner estuary for S. punctata were additional direct effects. These latter effects may alter the population structures of these species by increasing their vulnerability to heavy localized fishing intensity, aggregation of natural predators and point-source pollution. The species composition of the fish fauna of the estuary may also be indirectly affected by the thermal pollution-mediated seagrass loss in the inner estuary and a method is described to test this hypothesis.

scholarly journals Fish community structure of Juramento reservoir, São Francisco River basin, Minas Gerais, Brazil

2006 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 832-840 ◽  
Author(s):  
André R. M. Silva ◽  
Gilmar B. Santos ◽  
Thiago Ratton
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Fish Abundance ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Migratory Species ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Dry Period ◽  
The Relationship

Many rivers in Brazil as the São Francisco (SFR) have been impounded for reservoirs construction purposes. However, there is a lack of knowledge on their fish fauna in many areas, including headwaters. The present study aimed to describe the fish community structure from Juramento reservoir, located on Juramento River, a branch of SFR basin. Six bimonthly samplings were made in four different sites. Gill and cast nets, beach seines and sieves were used to collect fish. Ecological indexes as well as the relationship between fish abundance and some limnological variables were determined. 3288 fish belonging to 33 species (16.5% of the total described for SFR basin) were captured, being 75.7% Characiformes, 18.1% Siluriformes, 3% Cyprinodontiformes and 3% Gymnotiformes. Only two non-native species, 'tamboatá' - Hoplosternum littorale (Hancock, 1828) and 'trairão' - Hoplias lacerdae Ribeiro, 1908 were found. The highest catches in number occurred in the dry period (March-October) and the lowest one in the wet season (November-February). Diversity was higher at Barragem station and richness did not vary between reservoir zones. Five migratory species were found downstream of the dam (four exclusively there), whereas only the 'curimbatá-pioa' - Prochilodus costatus Valenciennes, 1850 occurred in the reservoir. The low observed correlations between fish abundance and the limnological variables utilized suggest that the local fish fauna is not strongly affected by their variation.

Mangroves as Fish Habitat

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Particle Size ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Simultaneous Assessment

<em>Abstract</em>.—Three adjacent tidal creek systems (Page, Kemps, and Broad creeks) on Cape Eleuthera, The Bahamas were studied to quantify the variation in fish community structure and habitat characteristics over small (<5 km) spatial scales. Snorkeling transects were used to census the fish community on a summer new moon during slack high tide and involved the simultaneous assessment of each creek and each zone within the creek (i.e., mouth, middle, and upper) replicated over three consecutive days. The simultaneous assessment (involving large teams) was done to enable direct comparison without spatial sampling being confounded by time. Habitat assessments included measurements of water quality parameters, sediment sampling, and vegetation surveys. Despite their close proximity, creeks differed in both fish community structure and habitat characteristics. Broad Creek had the greatest fish species richness (<em>n </em>= 15), followed by Kemps Creek (<em>n </em>= 14) and Page Creek (<em>n </em>= 10). Mangrove habitats had significantly greater fish species diversity in Broad Creek while sea grass habitats resulted in higher species richness in Page Creek, relative to other habitat types. Mangrove and algal plain habitats had the highest fish species diversity in Kemps Creek. Within creeks, fish abundance was dependent on zonation, with the largest number of fish being found in creek mouths compared to upper sections. Water quality parameters (i.e., temperature, dissolved oxygen, and salinity) differed among the creeks, presumably reflecting creek morphology. Out of the 10 different species of vegetation observed, 60% were found in all tidal creeks. Coarse sand was the predominant particle size for all creeks, with variation in the second most abundant particle size between Page Creek and the others. This study reveals the great heterogeneity of tidal creek fish community and habitat characteristics and illustrates that conservation and management strategies along with monitoring programs must recognize the variation that can occur among and within coastal creeks over relatively small spatial scales.

Influence of Tributary Spatial Position on the Structure of Warmwater Fish Communities

1992 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 671-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lewis L. Osborne ◽  
Michael J. Wiley
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Drainage Area ◽  
Physical Habitat ◽  
Drainage Network ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Stream Size

We found a significant and positive relationship between fish species richness and four measures of stream size (drainage area, stream order, link magnitude, and downstream link) in three Illinois drainage basins. Downstream link (incorporating both stream size and size of stream at the next downstream confluence) explained the greatest portion of the variance. This suggests that downstream processes significantly influence the structure of fish communities inhabiting warmwater streams. Significantly higher numbers of fish species were collected from tributary streams (< 259 km2 drainage area) located lower in a drainage network and connected to a main channel system than from similarly sized streams located in the headwaters of a drainage network. The difference in species richness among station treatments was not due to a difference in the number of individuals collected among treatments. We were unable to accept or reject the hypothesis that differences in fish species richness were due to differences in physical habitat. The immigration–extinction hypothesis appears to provide a plausible explanation for the observed pattern in fish community structure within a drainage. The location of a stream channel within a network may provide a general template for fish community structure in warmwater drainages by regulating potential species richness.

scholarly journals Abiotic features of a river from the Upper Tietê River Basin (SP, Brazil) along an environmental gradient

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 228-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Eichbaum Esteves ◽  
Ana Valéria Pinto Lôbo ◽  
Alexandre Wagner Silva Hilsdorf
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Riparian Vegetation ◽  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Physical Habitat ◽  
Potential Influence ◽  
Tietê River ◽  
Spatial And Seasonal Variation

Aim: This study aimed to assess the spatial and seasonal variation of the water quality and physical habitat characteristics along the upper-middle stretch of the Paraitinga River, a tributary of Tietê River, considering the potential influence of different riparian conditions along the stretch studied.MethodsSixteen sites with different riparian vegetation, including native forest, secondary forest, pasture, and eucalyptus were sampled during the dry and rainy seasons of 2004/2005, before the damming of the Paraitinga Reservoir. Several physicochemical and habitat parameters were determined and data analyzed in relation to spatial distribution and potential influence of riparian conditions.ResultsWater quality parameters were in general within the limits established by CONAMA for Class 2 waters, except for turbidity and total phosphorus. There were seasonal and spatial differences in the limnological parameters along the stretch studied and apparently they were related to point specific influences associated with land use and canopy cover. Habitat characteristics were markedly different between the upper and middle river stretches, especially in relation to depth, width, substrate and canopy cover.ConclusionsAlthough a direct influence on the observed variables could not be attributed solely to the riparian vegetation, vegetation cover seemed to affect particular stream characteristics. Open pasture and eucalyptus sites were subject to point specific effects that caused phosphorus inputs and higher turbidity and temperature, and showed different morphological features, suggesting that land use at the sub-watershed scale was an important factor affecting stream conditions.

scholarly journals Ichthyofauna of the Aiuruoca River basin, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Check List ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 1166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruanny Casarim ◽  
Marina Lopes Bueno ◽  
Paulo Santos Pompeu
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Rainbow Trout ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Main Channel ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus Mykiss ◽  
Main Factors

Although the Aiuruoca River is recognized as a very important area for fish fauna, the species composition of this river remains unknown or restricted to technical reports of licensing projects. The aim of this study was to describe the composition and distribution of the ichthyofauna in the Aiuruoca River basin. Fifty-eight collection points were sampled along the Aiuruoca River basin during 2010 and 2011, including 38 streams, 11 lagoons and 9 points along the Aiuruoca River main channel. A total of 8562 specimens were collected belonging to 6 orders, 15 families, 33 genera and 47 species. The pirapetinga fish (Brycon nattereri) is listed on Brazil’s endangered species, and the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) was the only exotic species captured. Altitude is one of the main factors that influence fish community structure in the Aiuruoca River basin, confirming its importance for fish conservation

scholarly journals The effects of press and pulse disturbance by long and short-term pollution on the fish community in the Sinos River, RS, Brazil

2015 ◽  
Vol 75 (2 suppl) ◽  
pp. 36-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
UH Schulz ◽  
PF Costa
Keyword(s):  
Fish Community ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Municipal Sewage ◽  
Physical Habitat ◽  
Fish Kill ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Fish Kills ◽  
Shannon Diversity ◽  
River Stretch

<p>The fish fauna of the Sinos River has been subjected to severe pollution since the 1970´s. Continuous discharges of industrial and municipal sewage cause hypoxia and often even fish kills. The objectives of the present study are to assess long-term effects of pollution on the fish community over a time scale of approximately ten years and to investigate recuperation of the fish fauna after a massive fish kill in 2006. To assess the long-term impacts, seasonal sampling was conducted from September 2007 to March 2009 in four sites which were investigated in 1998/99 with the same methodology. The effects of the fish kill were investigated by comparing the present fauna in the affected river stretch with the fauna of an unaffected adjacent river stretch. The collective community properties richness and Shannon diversity changed during the ten year interval in a consistent pattern. Richness and Shannon diversity increased significantly in all sites, abundance values, however, did not. Analysis of species constancy and cluster analysis showed that the differences between the 1998/99 and 2007/09 studies were relatively small. The comparison of the reaches affected by the 2006 fish kills showed a rapid recovery within one year. Probably the Sinos fish fauna suffered the most severe impacts in the 70s of the last century, which could not be documented by this study. After an initial decline, the community displays relatively stable patterns with a tendency of recovery. After a severe fish kill, faunal recovery was rapid, probably favoured by the proximity of unpolluted source areas and physical habitat integrity of the Sinos River.</p>

scholarly journals Use of functional traits to assess changes in stream fish assemblages across a habitat gradient

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariela Domiciano Ribeiro ◽  
Fabrício Barreto Teresa ◽  
Lilian Casatti
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Habitat Structure ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Physical Habitat ◽  
Habitat Gradient

Abstract Functional traits are important for understanding the links between species occurrence and environmental conditions. Identifying these links makes it possible to predict changes in species composition within communities under specific environmental conditions. We used functional traits related to habitat use and trophic ecology in order to assess the changes in fish community composition between streams with varying habitat structure. The relationship between the species traits and habitat characteristics was analyzed using an RLQ ordination analysis. Although species were widely distributed in habitats with different structures, physical conditions did favor some species based on their functional characteristics. Eight functional traits were found to be associated with stream habitat structure, allowing us to identify traits that may predict the susceptibility of fish species to physical habitat degradation.

Fish community structure, habitat complexity, and soundscape characteristics of patch reefs in a tropical, back-reef system

2019 ◽  
Vol 609 ◽  
pp. 33-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
RP Lyon ◽  
DB Eggleston ◽  
DR Bohnenstiehl ◽  
CA Layman ◽  
SW Ricci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Back Reef ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Patch Reefs ◽  
Reef System
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