Second floor, please: the fish fauna of floating litter banks in Amazonian streams and rivers

Floating litter banks are an ephemeral habitat consisting of branches, twigs, flowers, seeds, and fruits that are trapped on the stream water surface by a variety of retention mechanisms. These heterogeneous materials form a deep layer of dead plant matter that is colonized by a variety of organisms, including fish that forage on the aquatic macroinvertebrates found in this unique habitat. In this study, we aimed to characterize which fish species occupy the floating litter banks and their trophic characteristics, as well as determine if fish assemblage composition and species richness can be predicted by the size of the floating litter banks. Fish sampling was conducted in five rivers located in the Amazon basin. Of the 31 floating litter banks sampled that contained fish, 455 individuals were recorded and were distributed within 40 species, 15 families and five orders. Siluriformes were the most representative order among the samples and contained the largest number of families and species. The fish fauna sampled was mainly composed of carnivorous species that are typically found in submerged litter banks of Amazonian streams. The fish assemblage composition in the kinon can be predicted by the volume of the floating litter banks using both presence/absence and abundance data, but not its species richness. In conclusion, kinon banks harbor a rich fish assemblage that utilizes this habitat for shelter and feeding, and may function as a refuge for the fishes during the peak of the flooding season.

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Coral reef fish assemblages at Clipperton Atoll (Eastern Tropical Pacific) and their relationship with coral cover

Scientia Marina ◽

10.3989/scimar.04301.12b ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 80 (4) ◽

pp. 479 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Aurora M. Ricart ◽

Fabián A. Rodríguez-Zaragoza ◽

Carlos González-Salas ◽

Marco Ortiz ◽

Amílcar L. Cupul-Magaña ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Coral Reef ◽

Reef Fish ◽

Coral Reef Fish ◽

Fish Assemblage ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Coral Cover ◽

Live Coral ◽

Assemblage Composition ◽

Live Coral Cover

Clipperton Atoll, one of the most isolated coral reefs worldwide, is of great scientific interest due to its geomorphology and high levels of endemism. This study explored the reef fish assemblage structure of Clipperton Atoll and its relationship with live coral cover. Nine stations were sampled at three sites and three depths (6, 12 and 20 m) around the reef, measuring fish species richness and biomass and hermatypic coral cover (at genus level). We evaluated variation in species richness, biomass and diversity of fish assemblages among sites and depths, as well as the relationship between the entire fish assemblage composition and live coral cover. The results showed that species richness and biomass were similar among sites, but differed across depths, increasing with depth. In contrast, diversity differed among sites but not among depths. Multivariate analyses indicated that fish assemblage composition differed among sites and depths in relation to changes in cover of coral of the genera Pocillopora, Porites, Pavona and Leptoseris, which dominate at different depths. The results showed that fish species richness and diversity were low at Clipperton Atoll and that, in isolated coral reefs with a low habitat heterogeneity and low human disturbance, live coral cover has a significant influence on the spatial variation of the reef fish assemblages. This study highlights the importance of coral habitat structure in shaping coral reef fish assemblages.

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The stream fish fauna from the rio Machado basin, Rondônia State, Brazil

Check List ◽

10.15560/9.6.1496 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 1496 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Lilian Casatti ◽

María Angélica Pérez-Mayorga ◽

Fernando Rogério Carvalho ◽

Gabriel Lourenço Brejão ◽

Igor David Da Costa

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Fish Species ◽

Amazon Basin ◽

Fish Fauna ◽

Great Majority ◽

Stream Fish ◽

Native Vegetation ◽

The World ◽

Richness Estimators ◽

Rio Madeira

The rio Machado (also known as Ji-Paraná) is a tributary of the rio Madeira in the Amazon basin. Currently, the rio Madeira contains the greatest fish species richness of the world, with approximately 1,000 species. The present study presents the fish inventory from streams of the rio Machado basin. In total, 75 stream reaches, 80 meter-length, randomly selected, were sampled in 2011 (August to October) and 2012 (June to July). Overall, 22,875 fish in eight orders, 32 families, 89 genera, and 140 species were collected. Richness estimators indicate that almost 90% of the expected richness was registered. The great majority of specimens (52.2%) was represented by small sized piabas such as Serrapinnus aff. notomelas, Moenkhausia collettii, Serrapinnus microdon, and Hemigrammus melanochrous. Of the total richness, 25 species were restricted to 9°00’ S and 10°00’ S; among them, 14 were exclusive to the lower portion of the basin, which exhibits the larger proportion of native vegetation covering.

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Large-scale patterns in species richness and composition of temperate riverine fish communities, south-eastern Australia

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf99061 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 51 (2) ◽

pp. 165 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Peter C. Gehrke ◽

John H. Harris

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Large Scale ◽

Fish Communities ◽

Fish Fauna ◽

South Coast ◽

North Coast ◽

Large Spatial Scale ◽

River Types ◽

Eastern Australia ◽

Riverine Fish

Riverine fish in New South Wales were studied to examine longitudinal trends in species richness and to identify fish communities on a large spatial scale. Five replicate rivers of four types (montane, slopes, regulated lowland and unregulated lowland) were selected from North Coast, South Coast, Murray and Darling regions. Fishwere sampled during summer and winter in two consecutive years with standardized gear that maximized the range of species caught. The composition of fish communities varied among regions and river types, with little temporal variation. Distinct regional communities converged in montane reaches and diverged downstream. The fish fauna can be classified into North Coast, South Coast, Murray and Darling communities, with a distinct montane community at high elevations irrespective of the drainage division. Species richness increased downstream in both North Coast and South Coast regions by both replacement and the addition of new species. In contrast, species richness in the Darling and Murray regions reached a maximum in the slopes reaches and then declined, reflecting a loss of species in lowland reaches. The small number of species is typical of the freshwater fish faunas of similar climatic regions world-wide. Fish communities identified in this study form logical entities for fisheries management consistent with the ecosystem-focused, catchment-based approach to river management and water reform being adopted in Australia.

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Diet seasonality and food overlap of the fish assemblage in a pantanal pond

Neotropical Ichthyology ◽

10.1590/s1679-62252008000400004 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 567-576 ◽

Cited By ~ 61

Author(s):

Gisele Caroline Novakowski ◽

Norma Segatti Hahn ◽

Rosemara Fugi

Keyword(s):

Fish Assemblage ◽

Food Resource ◽

Fish Fauna ◽

Diet Breadth ◽

Food Resources ◽

Dry Season ◽

Trophic Guilds ◽

Trophic Specialization ◽

Mato Grosso ◽

Mean Values

We assessed the trophic structure of the fish fauna in Sinhá Mariana pond, Mato Grosso State, from March 2000 to February 2001. The aim was to determine the feeding patterns of the fish species during the rainy and dry seasons. The diets of 26 species (1,294 stomach contents) were determined by the volumetric method. Insects and fish were the most important food resources: insects were the dominant food of 23% and 27% of the species, respectively, in the rainy and dry season, and fish was the dominant item for 31% of the species in both seasons. Cluster analysis (Euclidean Distance) identified seven trophic guilds in the rainy season (detritivores, herbivores, insectivores, lepidophages, omnivores, piscivores and planktivores), and five trophic guilds in the dry season (detritivores, insectivores, lepidophages, omnivores and piscivores). The smallest mean values of diet breadth were observed for the specialist guilds (detritivores, lepidophages and piscivores), in both seasons. The widest means for diet breadth were observed for the omnivores, regardless of the season. In general, there was no seasonal variation in feeding overlap among the species studied. At the community level, diet overlap values between species were low (< 0.4) for 80% of the pairs in each season, suggesting wide partitioning of the food resource. The fish assemblage showed a tendency toward trophic specialization, regardless of the season, although several species changed their diets. We might consider two non-excludent hypothesis: that there is no pattern on the use of seasonal food resources and/or probably there are several patterns, because each one is based on characteristics of the studied site and the taxonomic composition of the resident species.

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Temporal variation in fish assemblage composition on a tidal flat

Brazilian Journal of Oceanography ◽

10.1590/s1679-87592004000100005 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 52 (1) ◽

pp. 47-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Henry L. Spach ◽

Rodrigo S. Godefroid ◽

César Santos ◽

Roberto Schwarz Jr. ◽

Guilherme M. L. de Queiroz

Keyword(s):

Tidal Flat ◽

Fish Assemblage ◽

Annual Variation ◽

Full Moon ◽

Temporal Change ◽

High Tide ◽

Great Influence ◽

Assemblage Composition ◽

Combined Action ◽

Wind Intensity

Annual variation in the fish assemblage characteristics on a tidal flat was studied in coastal Paraná, in southern Brazil. Fish were collected between August 1998 and July 1999, during the diurnal high tide and diurnal and nocturnal low tide of the syzygial (full moon) and quadrature (waning moon) tides, to characterize temporal change in assemblage composition. A total of 64,265 fish in 133 species were collected. The average number of species and individuals, biomass, species richness, diversity (mass) and equitability varied significantly over time . The dissimilarity of the assemblage was greatest in August, September and October in contrast with the period from November to January, with the lowest dissimilarity. The combined action of water temperature, salinity and wind intensity had a great influence over the structure of the fish assemblage.

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

Check List ◽

10.15560/5.2.154 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 154 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

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.

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The fish fauna of streams in the Madeira-Purus interfluvial region, Brazilian Amazon

Check List ◽

10.15560/11022 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 7 (6) ◽

pp. 768 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Daniela de França Barros ◽

Jansen Zuanon ◽

Fernando Pereira De Mendonça ◽

Helder Mateus Viana Espírito Santo ◽

André Vieira Galuch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Composition ◽

Fish Fauna ◽

Brazilian Amazon ◽

Neotropical Region ◽

Environmental Conservation ◽

Taxonomic Group ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Species Richness And Diversity ◽

High Species Richness

Small headwaters streams of the Neotropical region usually have high species richness and diversity. This study aimed to investigate the species composition and abundance of fish fauna in the headwaters streams of the Madeira-Purus interfluvial plain in the Brazilian Amazon. A total of 22 streams of 1st to 3rd order were sampled during two expeditions at two separate locations in April-May and July of 2007. A total of 5508 fishes were captured using hand and small seine nets, belonging to 78 species, 22 families and six orders. Characiformes was the most diverse taxonomic group in the samples, followed by Gymnotiformes and Siluriformes. Our findings indicate that the fish fauna of streams in the Madeira- Purus interfluvial plain is both rich and diverse and should be considered during the implementation of strengthened environmental conservation strategies in this region.

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Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystems

Effects of Urbanization on Stream Ecosystems ◽

10.47886/9781888569735.ch21 ◽

2005 ◽

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Fish Species ◽

Endemic Species ◽

Largemouth Bass ◽

Fish Assemblage ◽

Life Histories ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Habitat Alterations ◽

Intensity Index ◽

Specialist Species

Abstract.—We examined fish assemblage responses to urban intensity gradients in two contrasting metropolitan areas: Birmingham, Alabama (BIR) and Boston, Massachusetts (BOS). Urbanization was quantified by using an urban intensity index (UII) that included multiple stream buffers and basin land uses, human population density, and road density variables. We evaluated fish assemblage responses by using species richness metrics and detrended correspondence analyses (DCA). Fish species richness metrics included total fish species richness, and percentages of endemic species richness, alien species, and fluvial specialist species. Fish species richness decreased significantly with increasing urbanization in BIR (r = –0.82, P = 0.001) and BOS (r = –0.48, P = 0.008). Percentages of endemic species richness decreased significantly with increasing urbanization only in BIR (r = – 0.71, P = 0.001), whereas percentages of fluvial specialist species decreased significantly with increasing urbanization only in BOS (r = –0.56, P = 0.002). Our DCA results for BIR indicate that highly urbanized fish assemblages are composed primarily of largescale stoneroller Campostoma oligolepis, largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, and creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus, whereas the highly urbanized fish assemblages in BOS are dominated by yellow perch Perca flavescens, bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, yellow bullhead Ameiurus natalis, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed L. gibbosus, brown bullhead A. nebulosus, and redfin pickerel Esox americanus. Differences in fish assemblage responses to urbanization between the two areas appear to be related to differences in nutrient enrichment, habitat alterations, and invasive species. Because species richness can increase or decrease with increasing urbanization, a general response model is not applicable. Instead, response models based on species’ life histories, behavior, and autecologies offer greater potential for understanding fish assemblage responses to urbanization.

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Advances in Understanding Landscape Influences on Freshwater Habitats and Biological Assemblages

Advances in Understanding Landscape Influences on Freshwater Habitats and Biological Assemblages ◽

10.47886/9781934874561.ch9 ◽

2019 ◽

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Site Selection ◽

Catchment Area ◽

Sampling Design ◽

Environmental Gradients ◽

Large Sample Size ◽

Sample Sizes ◽

Assemblage Composition ◽

Landscape Gradients ◽

Freshwater Habitats

Abstract.—Linking landscape features, both natural and human-altered, to aquatic ecosystem structure and function is a fundamental objective in landscape ecology and freshwater science, but this process is data- and resource-intensive. Quantifying how landscape stressors influence aquatic communities requires balancing logistic and financial constraints with effectively sampling the landscape to capture gradients of interest. There are a variety of ways to balance these constraints, such as using existing data, handpicked site selection, or a statistical site-selection scheme. Poor sampling design reduces statistical power; however, we do not know how differences in site-selection designs influence our ability to measure ecological responses to landscape gradients. We quantified how the distribution of sample sites across landscape gradients affected the measured responses of stream fish assemblages to these gradients at different sample sizes. Specifically, we used randomization tests to compare the variability in the responses of fish assemblage structure (species richness and composition) to catchment area and land use (agricultural land) with manipulated distributions (random, highly skewed, and uniform) of sites across these landscape gradients. Assemblage composition was more sensitive than species richness to sampling design, and we observed less variability in the detected response of assemblage composition when samples were distributed uniformly across landscape gradients, especially when sample sizes were small. Although strong responses to environmental gradients, such as species richness to catchment area, are robust to sampling distributions, large sample size and a uniform distribution of samples might help elucidate more subtle responses to environmental gradients.

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Associations between fish assemblage and riparian vegetation in the Corumbataí River Basin (SP)

Brazilian Journal of Biology ◽

10.1590/s1519-69842007000200002 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 67 (2) ◽

pp. 191-195 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

M. Cetra ◽

M. Petrere JR.

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

River Basin ◽

Fish Species ◽

Sugar Cane ◽

Fish Assemblage ◽

Vegetation Cover ◽

Riparian Vegetation ◽

Riparian Forest ◽

The State ◽

Multivariate Techniques

This work intends to examine if there are associations between fish species and the state of conservation of the riparian forest in the Corumbataí River Basin. Four main rivers were chosen for this study with three sites on each. Collections were carried out from March to June and from September to December 2001. Multivariate techniques were applied to determine the correlation between species richness and the order of the rivers, preservation level of the riparian forest, shade level, presence or absence of Eucalyptus, sugar cane and pastures, and surrounding declivity stability of the sites. Species richness was highest at locations with greater vegetation cover and preserved riparian forest.

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