Littoral Fish Communities in Southern Quebec Lakes: Relationships with Limnological and Prey Resource Variables

1994 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 1128-1138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clay L. Pierce ◽  
Joseph B. Rasmussen ◽  
William C. Leggett
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Lepomis Gibbosus ◽  
Fish Biomass ◽  
Littoral Fish ◽  
Total Fish ◽  
Invertebrate Biomass

We assessed species richness, biomass, and community type of littoral fish in 10 southern Quebec lakes in relation to several limnological and prey resource variables. Lake, yearly, and seasonal variation in biomass was evaluated by quantitative, replicated seining. Species richness averaged 12.8 in our lakes, and 24 species were collected overall. Total littoral fish biomass averaged 13.5 g∙m−2 overall and varied significantly among lakes (range 6.1–26.9 g∙m−2) and between early and late summer. Yellow perch (Perca flavescens), golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas), and pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) occurred in all lakes and were the most abundant species overall, averaging 57% of the total fish biomass. Principal component ordination of littoral fish communities showed little evidence for aggregation of community types. Species richness was positively correlated with lake surface area (r2 = 0.62), as has been shown in other studies. Total fish biomass was positively correlated with biomass of chironomids (r2 = 0.57), which constituted 24% of the littoral invertebrate biomass in our lakes and are important prey of many fish species. We found no significant correlation between total fish biomass and total invertebrate biomass or between biomass of any of the dominant fish species and limnological or prey variables.

Factors Related to the Biomass and Production of Fish Communities in Small, Oligotrophic Lakes Vulnerable to Acidification

1991 ◽  
Vol 48 (12) ◽  
pp. 2523-2532 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. M. Kelso ◽  
M. G. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Fish Species ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Acid Neutralizing Capacity ◽  
Lepomis Gibbosus ◽  
Fish Biomass ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Community Biomass ◽  
Neutralizing Capacity

We estimated biomass and production of the fish community in 19 small (<50 ha) lakes from four watersheds in central Ontario. Lake pH ranged from 4.8 to 7.1. We found 19 fish species in these lakes; yellow perch (Perca flavescens), pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus), white sucker (Catostomus commersoni), and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were the most common. On average, there were 4.5 species per lake. Neither fish community biomass nor production was significantly different among the communities identified by cluster analysis, and the number offish species was not lower at lower pH. More than 75% of each lake's total biomass was confined to less than three fish species. Whole-lake fish biomass was related to the total number of species in the lakes and their average age. Fish community production was related to fish biomass, averge fish size, and acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) with an almost equal influence provided by each factor. At lower ANC and pH, fish were usually smaller in weight and often had lower population growth rates. In these lakes where the influence of lake size and trophic status was minimized, fish community biomass and production were only secondarily related to lake pH or ANC.

scholarly journals The importance of sponges and mangroves in supporting fish communities on degraded coral reefs in Caribbean Panama

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janina Seemann ◽  
Alexandra Yingst ◽  
Rick D. Stuart-Smith ◽  
Graham J. Edgar ◽  
Andrew H. Altieri
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Trophic Structure ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Fish Biomass ◽  
Seagrass Meadows ◽  
Total Fish ◽  
The Caribbean

Fish communities associated with coral reefs worldwide are threatened by habitat degradation and overexploitation. We assessed coral reefs, mangrove fringes, and seagrass meadows on the Caribbean coast of Panama to explore the influences of their proximity to one another, habitat cover, and environmental characteristics in sustaining biomass, species richness and trophic structure of fish communities in a degraded tropical ecosystem. We found 94% of all fish across all habitat types were of small body size (≤10 cm), with communities dominated by fishes that usually live in habitats of low complexity, such as Pomacentridae (damselfishes) and Gobiidae (gobies). Total fish biomass was very low, with the trend of small fishes from low trophic levels over-represented, and top predators under-represented, relative to coral reefs elsewhere in the Caribbean. For example, herbivorous fishes comprised 27% of total fish biomass in Panama relative to 10% in the wider Caribbean, and the small parrotfishScarus isericomprised 72% of the parrotfish biomass. We found evidence that non-coral biogenic habitats support reef-associated fish communities. In particular, the abundance of sponges on a given reef and proximity of mangroves were found to be important positive correlates of reef fish species richness, biomass, abundance and trophic structure. Our study indicates that a diverse fish community can persist on degraded coral reefs, and that the availability and arrangement within the seascape of other habitat-forming organisms, including sponges and mangroves, is critical to the maintenance of functional processes in such ecosystems.

Effect of Competition Between Two Freshwater Fishes on Prey Consumption and Abundance

1986 ◽  
Vol 43 (7) ◽  
pp. 1363-1372 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Mark Hanson ◽  
William C. Leggett
Keyword(s):  
Interspecific Competition ◽  
Intraspecific Competition ◽  
Littoral Zone ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Perca Flavescens ◽  
Lepomis Gibbosus ◽  
Fish Biomass ◽  
Gut Fullness ◽  
Total Fish ◽  
Food Consumed

The effect of inter- and intraspecific competition on the type and quantity of food consumed by fish, and on the abundance of macroinvertebrate prey, was examined by manipulating densities of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) stocked into littoral zone enclosures at levels approximating 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 times the measured total fish biomass on the littoral zone. In intraspecific competition experiments, neither species showed a change in the type of prey eaten (principally macroinvertebrates). The amount of food eaten by yellow perch reared at high (26 g/m2) densities was significantly depressed relative to that of perch reared at low (6.5 g/m2) and natural (13 g/m2) densities. There were no significant differences in the amount of food eaten by pumpkinseed at the three fish densities. The gut fullness of pumpkinseed reared at high densities, however, was biased to a significant but unknown degree by the inclusion of a nonfood item, macrophyte fragments, in the estimates. No other fish consumed macrophytes. In interspecific competition experiments, the gut fullness of yellow perch and pumpkinseed reared together (combined density 13 g/m2) did not differ from that of fish reared alone at low or natural densities. The diet (principally macroinvertebrates) of the superior competitor, pumpkinseed, did not change relative to that of pumpkinseed reared alone. The inferior competitor, yellow perch, exhibited a significant change in diet. Microcrustaceans (an energetically inferior food) comprised 30–53% of the diet (by weight) of yellow perch reared with pumpkinseed compared with < 1% of the diet of perch reared alone. Total macroinvertebrate biomass and abundance were unaffected by differences in fish biomass in the enclosures.

scholarly journals Fish fauna of small streams of the Catua-Ipixuna Extractive Reserve, state of Amazonas, Brazil

Check List ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renildo Ribeiro de Oliveira ◽  
Marcelo Salles Rocha ◽  
Maeda Batista dos Anjos ◽  
Jansen Zuanon ◽  
Lúcia H. Rapp Py-Daniel
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
Conservation Unit ◽  
Extractive Reserve ◽  
Small Streams ◽  
Total Fish ◽  
Amazonas State ◽  
Solimões River ◽  
Hydrographic Network

This study was conducted in an Amazonas state conservation unit, the Catuá-Ipixuna Extractive Reserve (Catuá-Ipixuna RESEX). The main purpose was to provide an ichthyological survey of its small streams, all them tributaries of the Solimões River. Nine small streams (up to 4 m width and 1 m depth) were sampled in September 2006. A total of 1,525 specimens were captured, belonging to 78 species, 24 families and eight orders. Eight species had higher abundances and represented altogether 61.4 % of all collected specimens (Hemigrammus belotii, Microphilypnus amazonicus, Physopyxis ananas, Apistogramma agassizii, Elachocharax pulcher, Apistogramma cf. cruzi, Gladioglanis conquistador and Copella nigrofasciata). Based on the high number of singletons and doubletons present in our samples, as well as the estimated number of species for those streams (106 spp.), we believe that the total fish species richness present in the Catuá-Ipixuna Extractive Reserve may be considerably higher than indicated by our samples. This seems especially true when considering the dimensions of the Catuá-Ipixuna RESEX and the dense hydrographic network present in the area.

Structure and ecological production of the fish taxocene of a small floodplain system

1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (11) ◽  
pp. 2446-2464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence C. Halyk ◽  
Eugene K. Balon
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Local Extinction ◽  
Total Production ◽  
Fish Production ◽  
Resource Potential ◽  
Annulus Formation ◽  
Total Fish ◽  
Stream Pool ◽  
Pool Area

Fish species richness in floodplain pools results from species addition by spring invasion from the stream and species subtraction by local extinction throughout the summer. Local extinction is the more important of the two components. Nineteen floodplain pools (1 to 597 m2) and an adjacent section of Irvine Creek (43°44′ N, 80°25′ W), Ontario, Canada, were treated with a piscicide to test if the pools contribute significantly to the resource potential of the river basin. Altogether, 41 626 fishes of 20 species were collected. Number of days of stream connection in the spring was not significantly correlated with fish species richness in the pools (P < 0.10). A significant correlation (P < 0.05, r = 0.7413) was found between species richness and the logarithm of pool area. The total fish production for the Irvine Creek section, adjusted to account for dominant and nondominant species, was 298 kg∙ha−∙year−1. Production for this site was underestimated by 49% when weights and densities were backcalculated to time of annulus formation. Total production estimates of the floodplain pools ranged from 135 to 314 kg∙ha−1∙year−1. Stream connection duration affects pool fish production by regulating accessibility to the young of stream spawning species. Floodplain pools are beneficial to the Irvine Creek system. As nursery areas, floodplain pools produce fish biomass which can return to the stream during periods of stream–pool connection. These pools may also act as fish havens if catastrophic stream mortality occurs.

Surface water connectivity affects lake and stream fish species richness and composition

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katelyn B.S. King ◽  
Mary Tate Bremigan ◽  
Dana M Infante ◽  
Kendra Spence Cheruvelil
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Stream Fish ◽  
Recreational Resources ◽  
Fish Species Diversity

Stream and lake fishes are important economic and recreational resources that respond to alterations in their surrounding watersheds and serve as indicators of ecological stressors on aquatic ecosystems. Research suggests that fish species diversity is largely influenced by surface water connectivity, or the lack thereof; however, few studies consider freshwater connections and their effect on both lake and stream fish communities across broad spatial extents. We used fish data from 559 lakes and 854 streams from the midwestern/northeastern United States to examine the role of surface water connectivity on fish species richness and community composition. We found that although lakes and streams share many species, connectivity had a positive effect on species richness across lakes and streams and helped explain species composition. Taking an integrated approach that includes both lake and stream fish communities and connectivity among freshwaters helps inform scientific understanding of what drives variation in fish species diversity at broad spatial scales and can help managers who are faced with planning for state, regional, or national scale monitoring and restoration.

scholarly journals Biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships in fish communities: biomass is related to evenness and the environment, not to species richness

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1906) ◽  
pp. 20191189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurore Maureaud ◽  
Dorothee Hodapp ◽  
P. Daniël van Denderen ◽  
Helmut Hillebrand ◽  
Henrik Gislason ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Ecosystem Functioning ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Fish Biomass

The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) is a topic of considerable interest to scientists and managers because a better understanding of its underlying mechanisms may help us mitigate the consequences of biodiversity loss on ecosystems. Our current knowledge of BEF relies heavily on theoretical and experimental studies, typically conducted on a narrow range of spatio-temporal scales, environmental conditions, and trophic levels. Hence, whether a relationship holds in the natural environment is poorly understood, especially in exploited marine ecosystems. Using large-scale observations of marine fish communities, we applied a structural equation modelling framework to investigate the existence and significance of BEF relationships across northwestern European seas. We find that ecosystem functioning, here represented by spatial patterns in total fish biomass, is unrelated to species richness—the most commonly used diversity metric in BEF studies. Instead, community evenness, differences in species composition, and abiotic variables are significant drivers. In particular, we find that high fish biomass is associated with fish assemblages dominated by a few generalist species of a high trophic level, who are able to exploit both the benthic and pelagic energy pathway. Our study provides a better understanding of the mechanisms behind marine ecosystem functioning and allows for the integration of biodiversity into management considerations.

scholarly journals The importance of sponges and mangroves in supporting fish communities in degraded coral reefs in Caribbean Panama

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janina Seemann ◽  
Alexandra Yingst ◽  
Rick D Stuart-Smith ◽  
Graham J Edgar ◽  
Andrew H Altieri
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Trophic Structure ◽  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Fish Biomass ◽  
Total Fish

Fish communities associated with coral reefs worldwide are threatened by overexploitation and other human impacts such as bleaching events that cause habitat degradation. We assessed the fish community on coral reefs on the Caribbean coast of Panama, as well as those associated with mangrove and seagrass habitats, to explore the influences of habitat cover, connectivity and environmental characteristics in sustaining biomass, richness and trophic structure in a degraded tropical ecosystem. Overall, 94 % of all fishes across all habitat types were of small body size (≤11 cm), with communities dominated by fishes that usually live in habitats of low complexity, such as Pomacentridae (damselfishes) and Gobiidae (gobies). Moreover, total fish biomass was very low, small fishes from low trophic levels were over-represented, and top predators were under-represented relative to other Caribbean reefs. For example, herbivorous/omnivorous/detrivorous fishes (trophic level 2-2.7) comprised 37 % of total fish biomass, with the diminutive parrotfish Scarus iseri comprising 72 % of the parrotfish biomass. However, the abundance of sponges and proximity of mangroves were found to be important positive drivers of reef fish richness, biomass and trophic structure on a given reef, presumably by promoting functional processes of ecosystems. The masked goby (Coryphopterus personata) was a strong indicator of reef degradation, apparently benefiting from the reduced density of large predators on local reefs. The damselfish Abudefduf saxatilis was more common on reefs with high sponge cover, and also to proximity to mangroves. Our study suggests that a diverse fish community can persist on degraded coral reefs, and that the availability of habitat forming organisms other than corals, including sponges and mangroves, and their arrangement on the landscape, is critical to the maintenance of functional processes in these ecosystems.

scholarly journals Diversity and Structure of the Ichthyologic Communities in the Diving Sites in Holguin (Cuba)

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 57-82
Author(s):  
Enrique Reynaldo De La Cruz ◽  
María Eugenia Vega Cendejas ◽  
Sheila Rodríguez Machado ◽  
Franklin Garcia Fernández ◽  
Antonio Vega Torres
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Marine Fish ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Reef System ◽  
Poor State ◽  
Number Of Species

Abstract This study is aimed to determine the diversity and structure of the ichthyologic communities in the coral reefs of Holguín, Cuba. A total of 85 fish species were recorded, including in 32 families and 53 genera. Low species richness and equitability were estimated at different sampling sites throughout the reef system. Cadena de Vita and Canto Chiquito are the sites with the highest number of species 47 and 46 respectively. Cueva 1 and Punta Naranjo were the places with the highest equitability 0.76. Replacement of fish species among the reef sites studied is poor. Canto Azul with Canto Pionero and La Llanita, sharing 29 species. These results reflect a poor state of conservation of the marine fish communities in Holguín.

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.

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