Trophic mercury biomagnification patterns in two European rivers following introduction of invasive round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus)

In this study, we examine multiple trophic levels in two Central European rivers (the Dyje and Elbe) to assess whether round goby invasion has changed the pattern of total mercury (Hg) transfer through trophic levels. In the absence of comparable historical data, we also examined levels for European gudgeon, a native benthic species occupying a similar trophic niche to round goby.Our data clearly indicated bioaccumulation of total Hg with increasing trophic position in both rivers. Patterns were very similar in both rivers, with no significant difference in total Hg accumulation between round goby and gudgeon. Biomagnification factors were high for gobies (highest in the Elbe) and relatively low for perch (higher in the Dyje), with levels for burbot (Dyje only) similar to those for gobies. Goby dietary analysis revealed a clear preference for benthic macroinvertebrates in both rivers, with zebra mussels taken only occasionally. Both perch and burbot had an omnivorous diet, effectively “diluting” total Hg accumulation from benthivorous fish. Our results indicate that goby invasion has not altered the pattern of trophic contaminant transfer and, consequently, has not increased threat levels to top predators and humans. Our results corroborate findings from around Europe suggesting a preference for macroinvertebrates over zebra mussels and provide further evidence for case-specificity regarding potential round goby impacts on recipient systems.     

Interspecific competition for a shelter between non-native racer goby and native European bullhead under experimental conditions – Effects of season,fish size and light conditions

Under laboratory conditions, we assessed by video-recorder whether or not the interference competition of invading racer goby Babka gymnotrachelus affects the habitat (refuge) use and behaviour of European bullhead Cottus gobio, a native nest-guarding species, during and after the spawning season, spring and autumn respectively, when available refuge (nesting) habitat is limited. A bullhead was placed in a tank for 24 h and then an intruder, either a goby or another bullhead was added for the next 24 h. We assessed: (1) the time spent by the two fish in the shelter; and (2) acts of aggression and attempts to enter the shelter. In spring, the amount of time spent in the shelter by the bullhead was considerably lower in the presence of a racer goby of larger or equal size than when the bullhead was alone. In autumn, bullheads occupied shelters at a similar frequency with and without a goby present. Smaller gobies were not able to replace bullhead residents in the shelter. Racer gobies were much more aggressive than bullheads of equal or smaller size, particularly in spring. Bullheads kept outside of the shelter by a resident goby made more attempts to enter the refuge during spring. In summary, under experimental conditions, racer gobies modified the typical behaviour of bullheads by reducing the use of shelter and potential nesting places.     

Fish predation on sympatric and allopatric prey—A case study of Ponto-Caspian gobies,European bullhead and amphipods

Due to the increasing number of biological invasions, more and more non-native species become components of already existing food chains and new interactions develop within communities. In our study, we checked whether (1) the predation preferences depended on sympatric or allopatric occurrence of predator and prey (a predator may choose the well-known prey or rather benefit from the naïvety of the novel one) and (2) fish preferences depended on prey susceptibility to fish predation (ability to hide, active predator avoidance) and/or on its palatability. We studied foraging efficiency of two species of Ponto-Caspian gobies (the round goby Neogobius melanostomus and tubenose goby Proterorhinus semilunaris) and the European bullhead Cottus gobio on two species of amphipods—Ponto-Caspian Dikerogammarus villosus and non-invasive Gammarus fossarum, occurring in Central and Western Europe. The gammarids were offered to fish with or without shelters and as mobile individuals or immobilized to test the effect of their hiding ability, mobility and palatability on fish predation. Fish selectivity was exhibited only in trials with motile prey, where all tested predators preferred G. fossarum over D. villosus, showing that their selectivity was independent of prey origin. No selectivity was observed for immobilized amphipods. When shelters were present, the predation was lowest. Thus, predator preferences depended on prey behavioural traits (effective shelter utilization and/or activity reduction) rather than on their palatability. Effective predator preference of G. fossarum over D. villosus may be one of the reasons of the successful invasion of the latter to the European inland waters.     

Trophic scaling of Percichthys trucha (Percichthyidae) in monospecific and multispecific lakes in western Patagonia

Percichthys trucha is a freshwater fish, endemic to southern South America and widely distributed in both, eastern and western sides of the Andes. P. trucha has been described as top native predator in lacustrine ecosystems, experimenting diet shifting during their life history development. Salmonid invasions have impacted their natural ecology through trophic niche interference and predation over alternative high quality prey. This study focuses on populations of P. trucha in western Patagonia, where its trophic ecology have been less understood. We hypothesised a diet shift between juveniles and adults from lower-trophic position prey towards higher-trophic position prey. Fish were collected from 7 lakes belonging to Puelo and Baker river basins, covering a high diversity of environmental conditions. Stomach content and δ¹⁵N stable isotope ratio of muscle tissues of 313 individuals were analysed. Results indicate significant differences in diet between juveniles and adults, shifting from planktonic/benthic preys towards benthic/piscivory, and concomitantly enrichment in heavier nitrogen isotope suggest trophic scaling. No trophic scaling was observed in populations inhabiting lakes with any other fish species present, essentially due to lack of Galaxias sp. as available prey and absence of cannibalism. Despite the fact that P. trucha and Galaxias sp. co-occur in studied river basins, no salmonid-free lakes harbouring this two native species were found, making it difficult to elucidate exact effects of salmonids on trophic scaling of P. trucha. Consumption of aquatic Odonata nymphs, however, arises as one of potential key mechanism for resilience of native food webs to salmonid invasion.     

Reproductive strategies of three invasive Gobiidae co-occurring in the Lower Rhine (Germany)

At the Lower Rhine, three congeneric, invasive Gobiidae constitute the major part of local fish assemblages. Reproduction strategies play an important role in biological invasion processes and help to predict future population development. Up to now, studies on the reproductive traits of the three species have led to contradictory findings in invaded areas, and studies on native populations are scarce, especially when regarding a co-occurrence of the three species. This study provides an overview over already existing knowledge of reproductive traits in native as well as invaded regions and describes the reproduction modes of all three species at the Lower Rhine. Based on intensive beach seine sampling in nursery habitats for three consecutive years, detailed information about the spawning habits of the bighead goby Ponticola kessleri, the round goby Neogobius melanostomus, and the monkey goby N. fluviatilis is provided. Spawning onset as well as length and intensity of the spawning season were determined by estimating growth rates and subsequent back-calculations of hatching and spawning events. Gonadosomatic index (GSI) analyses of adult gobies were used to cross-validate results and to assess validity of the used method. Growth rates for the first three months of all three species were highly variable and ranged between 0.3 mm and 0.95 mm total length per day. All three Gobiidae displayed different reproductive modes with bighead gobies spawning first in March/April, but probably only once a season. In contrast, round and monkey gobies started reproducing slightly later, but then continued spawning throughout the season until September, exhibiting temporal separation with varying intensities. High variation in spawning onset, length and reproductive output for all three species was observed over the years and no relationship between spawning onset and temperature could be detected. For the first time, highly resolvent information on spawning onset and spawning season length is obtained and the fine-tuned differences between the three species are highlighted.     

Expansion of round gobies in a non-navigable river system

A number of Ponto-Caspian Gobiid species have greatly increased their geographical ranges over recent decades. Most expansion studies to date, however, have focused on navigable waterways. In this study, we present a summary of six-years (2008–2013) monitoring of round goby Neogobius melanostomus expansion along two connected non-navigable rivers. Contiguous range expansion was observed in both rivers, with dispersal rate ranging from 1.2 to 3.2 km/year. Gobies at newly invaded sites ranged from 20 to 117 mm, with both juveniles and adult fish observed. Though the data did not allow us to see any consistent pattern in the first years after detection, there was some evidence for a shift to a female-biased, juvenile-dominated population over time. While the abundance of non-native tubenose goby Proterorhinus semilunaris appeared to be negatively influenced by round goby establishment, diversity of nearshore native fish showed no evidence of dramatic decline attributable to round goby.     

Diel feeding activity and resource partitioning of two sympatric gobiids in the Dniprodzerzhynsk Reservoir

The diets of monkey goby, Neogobius fluviatilis, and racer goby, Babka gymnotrachelus, which are the most abundant gobiids in the Dniprodzerzhynsk Reservoir (Dnieper River, Ukraine), have been studied on a diel basis across three summer months at one sampling site of the reservoir littoral zone. In total, 37 prey items were identified in the monkey goby diet and 39 prey items were identified in the racer goby diet during the sampling period. The most important prey were chironomid larvae and pupae, copepods, cladocerans, mysids, and juvenile fish and their importance varied depending on goby size, diel period, and month. Both gobiids showed clear patterns in their diel feeding activities. Both species fed over a 24-h period, but the monkey goby fed more actively during the daytime, while the racer goby fed more at night. Peak chironomid larvae consumption by the monkey goby were from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 22:00 to 02:00,, while those by the racer goby were in the night-time from 18:00 to 6:00. The consumption of chironomid pupae peaked at dusk and night for both gobiids. Total diet overlap index between the two gobiids, during all months and diel periods combined was 78.6 and it varied between different length groups. The lowest diet overlap indices were observed between the smallest and largest length groups of the two species, while the highest overlap indices were observed between the same length classes of different species and between the neighbouring length groups of the same species. A negative relationship was observed between the difference in the mean lengths of two gobiid species and the diet overlap index. The monkey goby and racer goby can reduce their competition and be successive due to several factors: (i) different spawning periods allowing them to utilise food resources available for their juveniles at different periods; (ii) different habitat preferences resulting in (iii) somewhat different prey choices; (iv) different feeding activity periods.     

Chironomid diversity in the diets of Ponto-Caspian gobiids in a freshwater habitat: Implications for resource partitioning

Chironomid taxa in the diets of six co-occurring gobiids (Caucasian dwarf goby Knipowitschia caucasica; monkey goby, Neogobius fluviatilis; racer goby, Babka gymnotrachelus; round goby, Neogobius melanostomus; bighead goby, Ponticola kessleri; and western tubenose goby, Proterorhinus semilunaris) were investigated in a freshwater habitat in Ukraine. Overall, 32 chironomid morphotypes were identified, among which the most abundant were Polypedilum convictum, Cricotopus sylvestris, Glyptotendipes spp., and Endochironomus albipennis. The racer and monkey gobies were characterized by the highest diversity of chironomid morphotypes in their diets, while the bighead goby by the lowest diversity. Highest similarities of chironomid assemblages in gut contents were observed among the monkey, racer, and round gobies as well as between the bighead and tubenose gobies, while the lowest similarity was observed between the monkey goby and Caucasian dwarf, tubenose, and bighead gobies. Mean sizes of chironomids in the gut contents of different gobiids varied; Caucasian dwarf and tubenose gobies consumed significantly smaller chironomids. Diversity of chironomid taxa in the diets of gobies depended on the type of each fishes’ habitat. Tubenose and bighead gobies preyed mainly on phytophilous chironomids; the monkey and round gobies preferred bottom-dwelling, burrowing chironomids; while Caucasian dwarf and racer gobies consumed both phytophilous and bottom-dwelling, burrowing taxa.     

Influence of cage farming and environmental parameters on spatio-temporal variability of fish assemblage structure in a tropical reservoir of Peninsular India

Fish assemblage structure in Palair reservoir, a medium tropical reservoir along the river Paleru, a tributary of river Krishna in Southern India, was studied along the spatial gradient of the impoundment. The abundance and assemblage structure of wild fish aggregated around the fish cage units installed in the reservoir were assessed and compared with other sites. Seasonal sampling was carried out and fish community structure in terms of species composition and abundance, trophic guild, niche, tolerance, resilience and conservation status were analyzed. A total of 38 fish species were recorded wherein the family Cyprinidae dominated in the number of species (15) followed by Cichlidae and Channidae (3 each). Margalef richness index (d), Pielou’s evenness index (J’), Simpson’s index (1-λ) and Shannon index (H’) revealed significant variation across different zones. Species richness was maximum in the Site1 (d = 4.44–5.12), whereas the abundance of individuals was maximum at Site4 (H’ = 2.65–2.86) i.e. near cage in the lacustrine zone. The important species contributing to the dissimilarities among the zones were identified and percentage of their contribution was estimated using SIMPER analysis. Trophic guild of fishes indicated the dominance of omnivorous species followed by carnivores, indicating the heterotrophic phase of the reservoir. The spatial and seasonal variations in the fish assemblage structure were tested applying statistical analyses such as PERMANOVA and nMDS. The results indicated a positive impact of cage farming in supporting the wild fish fauna, influencing the large aggregations of fishes around the cages. The temporal variability in the cage-associated fish assemblage was related to recruitment periods of juveniles (e.g. E. maculates and E. suratensis in summer, and S. seenghala in monsoon seasons). The links between fish assemblages and environmental parameters were explored through DISTILM and the deterministic factors for fish abundance in the reservoir were phosphate, pH, dissolved Oxygen, total hardness and depth. The study also indicated the impacts of cage culture with record of accidental escapes of farmed fish to the reservoir system. The baseline information generated and recommendations formulated in the study are crucial for the conservation of fish diversity, fisheries enhancement and management planning of tropical peninsular reservoirs.     

Population traits of invasive bleak Alburnus alburnus between different habitats in Iberian fresh waters

The bleak Alburnus alburnus (L.) is a cyprinid native to most of Europe, mainly inhabiting lentic environments. This fish species is a successful invader in the Iberian Peninsula, where it was first introduced to reservoirs as forage fish during the 1990s. Bleaks threaten the highly endemic Iberian fish fauna by means of trophic competition and hybridization. Yet, little is known about the environmental biology of bleaks in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly far from impounded waters. Thus, the aim of this work was to compare seasonal and gender variation of size structure, body condition and reproductive investment of bleaks between different habitats. Only sexually mature bleaks were seasonally collected and examined from the River Gévora and the Sierra Brava Reservoir (southwestern Spain) to assess more in-depth the adaptive capacity at the population level and the subsequent invasiveness. Bleak was an abundant species in the fish assemblages of both habitat types (i.e. river and reservoir). The proportion of smaller mature bleaks was lower in the river than the reservoir during spring and the opposite pattern was observed during winter. Both male and females were larger in the river during the breeding season in the study areas (i.e. spring), as well as with higher body condition and reproductive investment. These findings suggest that bleaks enhance their reproduction rate in the river to compensate for higher mortality in this habitat, where environmental conditions may be harsher due to the winter floods and summer droughts typical of Mediterranean water courses. Overall results highlight the high degree of plasticity in population traits of the bleak in the Iberian Peninsula, which will surely aid its ability to adapt to a wide variety of Mediterranean ecosystems, including lentic and lotic environments. Consequently, this invasive fish may pose a serious risk for the highly valuable fauna of Mediterranean Europe.     

Variability of a cyprinid lake ecosystem with special emphasis on the native fish fauna under intensive fisheries management including common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)

The lake investigated (Lake Heiliger See near the town of Angermünde, North-East Germany) is small (10.2 ha) but deep (z_max = 12 m, ? = 6.5 m). During summer the thermocline is at a depth of 4-5 m, and the hypolimnion is filled with H₂S already by mid-June, making 60-75% of the bottom area inaccessible to fish. The native fish fauna is dominated by planktivorous roach (Rutilus rutilus). A test stocking of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) together with an unplanned and erroneous stocking of common carp (Cyprinus carpio), coupled with an incorrectly calculated strong stocking of eel (Anguilla anguilla), which assumed that the total lake area yielded fish food organisms, brought about a strong depression of the food biomass available to native fish. Both silver carp and common carp showed a pattern of behaviour which only partly agreed with results obtained in experimental ponds prior to lake stocking. At least for 10 years there was a very low zooplankton biomass (mostly below 1 mg/l fresh weight) caused by silver carp and a strongly reduced benthos biomass (frequently below 1 g/m² fresh weight) caused by common carp and eel on H₂S-free bottom areas. Despite this extreme situation, which lasted for 20 years and is rarely found in lakes elsewhere, it was not possible to demonstrate negative effects on the native fish fauna comprising 16 species. Also the dominance pattern seems uninfluenced in the long run. A strong decline of the catchable roach stock was observed for some years, but the stock reappeared soon in comparable quantity. During the time of roach stock depression the individual growth of roach (and common carp) was particularly low. Nevertheless, roach succeeded in reproduction during this time in spite of the reduced zooplankton and detritus concentrations. Fry numbers per year ranged from 500-15 000 individuals/ha. The pike perch (Stizostedion lucioperca) was perhaps the most endangered species of all those living at small population numbers in the lake, since its fry is confined to the limnion where competition from silver carp and adult roach and perhaps predation by roach is highest. However the pike perch stock remained unchanged at the low level of 1950, the time prior of carp and eel stocking. All other rare species of Lake Heiliger See spawn in the littoral zone where fry survival conditions were less impacted. In summary, we present more evidence that the fish fauna of cyprinid lakes is more robust than in salmonid lakes. The regulation capacity of fish communities of eutrophic lakes seems to be able to offset even severe direct and indirect influences of fisheries management.     

三峡库区涪陵江段产漂流性卵鱼类的早期资源及其对水文和水温特征的响应

三峡水库调度运行改变了库区江段的水文情势,影响漂流性卵苗在库区江段内的时空分布特征。在水库低水位运行时,具有流水生境特征的库中和库尾江段是产漂流性卵鱼类在整个三峡库区内重要的产卵江段。了解三峡库中和库尾江段产漂流性卵鱼类的早期资源状况及其对水文和水温特征的响应关系,对于采取适宜的保护措施促进鱼类早期资源的恢复具有重要的意义。本文通过2017—2020年5—7月在库中涪陵断面进行的逐日早期资源监测,了解三峡库中和库尾江段产漂流性卵鱼类早期资源的种类组成、产卵规模、产卵场分布及其年际变动特征,并采用随机森林(RF)模型,分析鱼类逐日产卵规模变动与水文、水温格局及其过程的关系,辨识影响不同种类产卵规模变动的关键水文及水温要素。结果表明:2017—2020年共采集到漂流性鱼卵21种,包括长江上游特有鱼类鱼卵3种;以圆筒吻鮈Rhinagobio cylindricus、蒙古鲌Chanodichthys mongolicus、贝氏(?)Hemiculter bleekeri等6种鱼类的鱼卵为主,占总采集鱼卵数的88.76%;各年的鱼卵规模分别为83.04×10⁸、14.29×...     

Ichthyofauna in the upper Rhine River close to the city of Karlsruhe as determined by the analysis of fish impingement by cooling-water intakes of a power plant

The fish fauna in the northern part of the upper river Rhine close to the city of Karlsruhe (Germany) was analyzed by collecting fish from the cooling-water intake of a power plant (impingement method) between 1989 and 2001. With this method a total of 36 fish species were recorded. The results were compared between the years as well as with other studies on the fish fauna in this area. Particularly with regard to the physical structure of the river bed and banks, the pre-technical situation of the river Rhine has not been restored. However, the number of fish species has been augmented since the 1970s mainly due to improvements in the water quality and almost all autochthonous fish species are present again. Altogether only three introduced fish species (Sander lucioperca L., Lepomis gibbosus L., and Carassius auratus gibelio were found in this study. Among the long-distance migrating species three freshwater spawners (Lampetra fluviatilis, Petromyzon marinus and Salmo trutta trutta) were detected in addition to the catadromous eel. The eudominant fish species varied between years, i.e. the European eel, Anguilla anguilla, was the eudominant species 1989, whereas this species occurred in much lower numbers during the subsequent sampling campaigns. This clearly indicates that the high dominance of eels is mainly caused by stocking activities in the upper Rhine. In the following years roach, Rutilus rutilus was the eudominant fish species. Overall a positive development of the fish fauna in the upper Rhine over the last 15 years could be observed in terms of fish populations as well as in terms of species richness.     

Predation effects of benthivorous fish on grazing and shredding macroinvertebrates in a detritus-based stream food web

We investigated lethal and sublethal predation effects of the benthivorous gudgeon (Gobio gobio) on the grazing mayfly Rhithrogena semicolorata and the shredding amphipod Gammarus pulex over 21 months in a largely detritus-based small stream. We hypothesised that shredders are generally less vulnerable to fish predation and therefore less likely to be predation-controlled than grazers, because the latter are visible to the predators during their feeding on stone surfaces, while shredders may hide between leaves during foraging.The hypothesis was tested in two 400 m experimental reaches of a natural stream, which were manipulated in order to contain and to lack fish, respectively. Biomass of G. pulex was significantly reduced in the fish section while that of R. semicolorata was not. Since approximately 91% of the annual production of G. pulex but only 12% of R. semicolorata production was consumed by gudgeon, the observed biomass difference of G. pulex is likely due to a lethal predation effect. However, no sublethal predation effects such as reduced concentration of storage components (triglycerides, glycogen) or reduced reproductive success were observed for both species. Lower mean body length of the R. semicolorata larvae in the fish section did not result in a lower number of eggs in the abdomen of the last instar larvae. Hence, in contrast to our initial hypothesis, in the studied stream the shredder was top-down-controlled, while the grazer was not. It is concluded that top-down control depends on the ecological characteristics of a specific predator-prey pair rather than on trophic guild of the prey.     

Selective zooplanktivory of an invasive Ponto-Caspian mysid and possible consequences for the zooplankton community structure of invaded habitats

The impact of invasive alien species on native species is of increasing global concern. Invasive species can cause food-web shifts that have severe consequences for native species and ecosystems. However, the mechanisms by which the invaders influence the native communities are poorly understood. Here we investigated the interactions of the invasive Ponto-Caspian mysid Limnomysis benedeni with native freshwater zooplankton in laboratory and mesocosm experiments. This mysid migrates between benthic and pelagic zones and thereby forms a potential trophic link between these habitats. In laboratory predation experiments, L. benedeni fed both on Daphnia galeata and D. magna, and predation rates depended on the sizes of predator and prey but not on the availability of light. However, no predation was observed at prey sizes greater than 2 mm, which appears to be the upper size limit for a successful prey capture by L. benedeni. In outdoor mesocosm experiments, L. benedeni strongly decreased the densities of cladocerans, rotifers and copepod nauplii within a few days, while the densities of copepods were unaffected. Prey selection indices provide further evidence for strongly selective predation of L. benedeni on different zooplankton taxa. The presence of phytoplankton as an additional resource for the omnivorous mysid led to a lower predation pressure of L. benedeni on Cladocera and rotifers, indicating that the presence of alternative prey modulates the strength of the top-down effect of invasive mysids on the zooplankton community. These results suggest that the invasion of L. benedeni can have profound and complex impacts on the community structure of the native zooplankton fauna and that mysid invasions potentially have whole-ecosystem consequences.     

Diet and feeding strategies of round goby,Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814) from the invasion front in the Danube River tributaries (Bulgaria): ontogenetic shift and seasonal variation

The round goby Neogobius melanostomus is one of the most successful Ponto-Caspian fish invaders, established in a variety of aquatic ecosystems throughout Europe and North America. Diet and feeding strategies of N. melanostomus from three recently invaded tributaries of the Lower Danube River (Bulgaria) were investigated. Research design is based on monthly examination of the round goby diet and macroinvertebrate density. The results show that the round goby consume a wide range of different organisms – 76 taxa in total (identified to family, genus or species level). The most common prey taxa in all three rivers were Chironomidae (Orthocladius/Cricotopus spp., Tanytarsini g. sp.), Trichoptera larvae (Psychomyiidae g. sp., Hydropsyche spp.) and Ephemeroptera nymphs (Baetis spp.). Only in one of the rivers, a predominant feeding on crustaceans (Gammarus spp.) was observed. The taxonomical composition of consumed invertebrates suggests that the round goby prefers the ecological group of “sprawling/walking” insect larvae associated to coarse substratum. Feeding activity was observed throughout the whole year, even during low-temperature months. Three seasonal and four size-depended shifts in the species’ diet were determined. Generalization feeding tactics predominated in all three rivers. Specialization was rare and specific for each tributary, where a few individuals consumed invertebrates from fine substratum and/or submerged vegetation. Possible relationships between the spread of N. melanostomus and the recent invasion of the Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) in the Bulgarian Danube tributaries were discussed. Generalisation and feeding plasticity contribute to the round goby’s establishment success in the Danube tributaries and might facilitate its further upstream spread.     

Flow field-induced drag forces and swimming behavior of three benthic fish species

Modern ethohydraulics is the study of the behavioral responses of swimming fish to flow fields. However, the exact drag forces experienced by fish remain poorly studied; this information is required to obtain a better understanding of the behavioral responses of fish and their current resistance strategies. We measured near-ground frontal drag forces on preserved individuals of three benthic fish species, round goby (Neogobius melanstomus), gudgeon (Gobio gobio) and bullhead (Cottus gobio), in a flow channel. The forces were compared to acoustic Doppler velocity (ADV) measurements and fish tracking data based on video observations of live fish in the flow channel. Overall, we observed drag coefficients (C_D) of ∼10⁻³ at Reynolds numbers ∼10⁵. The frontal drag forces acting on preserved fish with non-spread fins ranged from -1.96 mN*g^-1 (force per fish wet weight, velocity 0.55 m*s^-1) to 11.01 mN*g^-1 (velocity 0.85 m*s^-1). Spreading the fins strongly increased the drag forces for bullhead and round goby. In contrast, the drag forces were similar for gudgeon with spread fins and all fish with non-spread fins. Video tracking revealed no clear relationship between the position of the fish in the flow field and the forces experienced by the preserved fish at these positions. Collectively, these results suggest that i) the differences in frontal drag forces between species are small in homogenous flow, ii) individuals chose their position in the flow field based on factors other than the drag forces experienced, and iii) whether fins are spread or non-spread is an essential quality that modulates species-specific differences. The methodology and results of this study will enable integration of flow measurements, fish behavior and force measurements and inform ethohydraulics research. More advanced force measurements will lead to a detailed understanding of the current resistance strategies of benthic fish and improve the design of fish passes.     

2017—2021年长江天鹅洲故道鱼类群落结构变化、成因分析及对长江江豚迁地保护的启示

长江天鹅洲故道是长江江豚首个迁地保护区,其中充足而适口的饵料鱼类资源是长江江豚种群健康发展的保障。为此,根据2017年10月—2021年4月对长江天鹅洲故道进行的7次鱼类调查数据,结合禁捕前的历史数据,对其鱼类群落结构演变进行了分析,并针对长江江豚饵料鱼的供应状况对天鹅洲故道内鱼类资源管理提出了建议。调查期间,共采集到鱼类57种,其中,蒙古鲌(Culter mongolicus)、鲢(Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)和鳙(Aristichthys nobilis)等大中型鱼类生物量明显增加,而?(Hemiculter leucisculus)和似鳊(Pseudobrama simoni)等小型鱼类生物量呈现下降趋势。鱼类群落优势种逐渐由太湖新银鱼(Neosalanx taihuensis)、短颌鲚(Coilia brachygnathus)和?等小型鱼类转变为鳙、蒙古鲌和拟尖头鲌(Culter oxycephaloides)等大中型鱼类,尤其是新近出现的拟尖头鲌种群发展迅速。同时,短颌鲚和?等小型鱼类的体重在减小,而鲢、鳙等大中型鱼类规格在持续提高。长江江豚以小...