Fish assemblages of small estuaries of the Portuguese coast: A functional approach

The importance of estuaries for coastal environments is widely acknowledged but their role, structure and ecological status have been the focus of recent scientific efforts mainly concerning large estuarine areas. In this work we used fish assemblages to establish, for the first time, the functional and ecological role of five small estuarine systems along the Portuguese south and southwest coasts. Our results showed that, at a functional approach, fish communities did not differ between estuaries, and that all systems presented a seasonal pattern in diversity values, ecological and feeding guilds. These small estuaries contribute to the support of coastal fish populations by providing temporary habitats to the critical life stages of marine species, shelter and feeding grounds, and should be considered in an ecological and conservation perspective.     

Fish composition and assemblage structure in three Eastern English Channel macrotidal estuaries: A comparison with other French estuaries

This study has analysed for the first time fish composition and assemblage structures of three small macrotidal estuaries of the Eastern English Channel (EEC) and has explored the influences of 19 biotic and abiotic variables on the fish assemblages. Fish from Canche, Authie and Somme estuaries were collected during spring (June 2006 and May 2007) and autumn (September 2006) along the estuarine gradients using a 1.5 m beam trawl. Using identical sampling protocols, the study also analysed and compared for the first time taxonomic and functional aspects of the fish assemblages in 15 estuaries located along the Atlantic and English Channel coasts. SIMPER analysis showed high similarities in fish assemblages in the three EEC estuaries and during either spring or autumn periods. However, intra-estuary similarities were relatively low, indicating that fish assemblage structures (species richnesses or abundances) were more variable within the estuary (salinity gradient) than between estuaries and/or seasons (spring vs autumn). Although numerous environmental variables were included in the study, only 47% of the variability observed in the fish distribution was explained. Fish spatial variations in the EEC estuaries are mostly driven by abiotic variables as opposed to biological interactions. As indicated by CCA, salinity and muddy sediments were the two most important factors structuring the fish assemblages. The macrobenthos being very abundant in the EEC estuaries (580–1121 ind. m⁻²), the availability of potential prey is probably not a limiting factor in the utilization of estuaries by fish. Contrary to the majority of French estuaries dominated by estuarine species (ES), the fish assemblages of the EEC estuaries are clearly dominated by marine migrant (MM) species (65% on average) with high abundance of juveniles (mostly young-of-the-year). Cluster and SIMPROF's analyses distinguished the functional structure of the 15 estuarine fish assemblages into different clusters. The three EEC estuaries form a similar group with the largest French estuaries (Seine, Loire and Gironde). The latters were characterized by higher MM/ES ratio compared to the other French estuaries. Freshwater flow and tidal range were the main factors associated with this group of estuaries. The results of the present study do not indicate that anthropogenic impacts (chemical contamination) on estuaries affect their ecological functioning as described by the fish ecological guilds. It is suggested that the guild approach may not be useful to provide valuable information on the ecological status of estuaries.     

The impact of river flooding and high flow on the demersal fish assemblages of the freshwater-dominated Great Fish Estuary,South Africa

Freshwater inflow has a strong impact on the biological, chemical and physical characteristics of estuaries, which in turn affect the distribution and abundance of estuarine organisms. Increased climatic variability associated with climate change is predicated to modify precipitation patterns, which will likely intensify floods in estuaries. The demersal fish assemblage of the freshwater-dominated Great Fish Estuary, South Africa, was sampled using beam trawls, monthly, from December 2013 to November 2014. The first six months of the study were characterised by river flooding and high flow, with estuarine conditions found only in the mouth region; this was followed by six months of intermediate flow, with estuarine conditions recorded up to 10 km from the mouth. River flooding and subsequent reduced salinity resulted in a decrease in species richness and abundances of fishes in the estuary, with only two estuarine species (Glossogobius callidus and Psammogobius knysnaensis) and one marine migrant (Solea turbynei) recorded following river flooding (201 m³ s^?1), in January 2014. The greatest species richness and abundances among both marine and estuarine fishes were recorded during intermediate flow conditions. We conclude that although freshwater inflow into estuaries is important for the nursery function of these systems, flooding—especially in freshwater-dominated estuaries—may cause a temporary decline in the abundance of most marine and estuarine fish species, including important bentho-pelagic marine migrant fishery species, such as Argyrosomus japonicus and Pomadasys commersonnii.     

Fish assemblages in coastal lagoons in land-uplift succession: The relative importance of local and regional environmental gradients

The assemblages of young-of-the-year fish were studied in coastal lagoons in an archipelago with post-glacial land-uplift, which affects environmental gradients at local and regional scale, i.e. lagoon habitat isolation and archipelago position, respectively. The categorisation of 40 undisturbed lagoons into nine habitat types based on habitat isolation and archipelago position was supported by clear relationships with spring temperature and total fish abundance. Rutilus rutilus, breams (Abramis/Blicca sp.) and Perca fluviatilis were the most abundant and frequently occurring species. The fish assemblage differed among the nine habitat types. Rutilus rutilus, P. fluviatilis and breams were discriminating species in the majority of habitat types with low physical harshness, whereas Alburnus alburnus and Gasterosteus aculeatus increased their contributions in habitat types with high physical harshness. Rutilus rutilus and breams were thus common in lagoons with high habitat isolation situated in the inner archipelago. These lagoons were characterised by warm water and high vegetation coverage. Gasterosteus aculeatus was restricted to lagoons with low habitat isolation and exposure and low vegetation coverage, situated in the outer archipelago. Perca fluviatilis had the widest distribution of all species. The coverage of two macrophytes, Potamogeton perfoliatus and Zannichellia palustris, and salinity matched best the distance among habitat types. These habitat characteristics, as well as the fish abundances and assemblages differed most across the habitat types in the outer and mid archipelago zones and in the lowest habitat isolation. These patterns suggest that the structuring effect of habitat isolation increases along the archipelago gradient as differences between local and regional conditions increase. In the inner archipelago, overall low physical harshness induces homogeneous conditions and the habitat isolation is less important here than in the other zones. We suggest that this difference in the relative importance of the two gradients depending on the level of respective gradient ultimately forms these heterogeneous coastal habitats in a successional landscape. Rutilus rutilus and P. fluviatilis were responsible for large parts of the assemblage patterns. Although sympatric due to similar habitat requirements, differences in dispersal capability, competitive ability and predation vulnerability may add explanation to detected differences in distribution and abundance in these two species in an open system. Our results also stress the structuring role of vegetation in terms of total coverage and species composition, as these two aspects of macrophyte diversity may act as complementary habitat modifiers across gradients of physical harshness.     

Explaining island‐wide geographical patterns of Caribbean fish diversity: A multi‐scale seascape ecology approach

Geographical patterning of fish diversity across coral reef seascapes is driven by many interacting environmental variables operating at multiple spatial scales. Identifying suites of variables that explain spatial patterns of fish diversity is central to ecology and informs prioritization in marine conservation, particularly where protection of the highest biodiversity coral reefs is a primary goal. However, the relative importance of conventional within‐patch variables versus the spatial patterning of the surrounding seascape is still unclear in the ecology of fishes on coral reefs. A multi‐scale seascape approach derived from landscape ecology was applied to quantify and examine the explanatory roles of a wide range of variables at different spatial scales including: (i) within‐patch structural attributes from field data (5 × 1 m² sample unit area); (ii) geometry of the seascape from sea‐floor maps (10–50 m radius seascape units); and wave exposure from a hydrodynamic model (240 m resolution) for 251 coral reef survey sites in the US Virgin Islands. Non‐parametric statistical learning techniques using single classification and regression trees (CART) and ensembles of boosted regression trees (TreeNet) were used to: (i) model interactions; and (ii) identify the most influential environmental predictors from multiple data types (diver surveys, terrain models, habitat maps) across multiple spatial scales (1–196,350 m²). Classifying the continuous response variables into a binary category and instead predicting the presence and absence of fish species richness hotspots (top 10% richness) increased the predictive performance of the models. The best CART model predicted fish richness hotspots with 80% accuracy. The statistical interaction between abundance of living scleractinian corals measured by SCUBA divers within 1 m² quadrats and the topographical complexity of the surrounding sea‐floor terrain (150 m radius seascape unit) measured from a high‐resolution terrain model best explained geographical patterns in fish richness hotspots. The comparatively poor performance of models predicting continuous variability in fish diversity across the seascape could be a result of a decoupling of the diversity‐environment relationship owing to structural degradation leading to a widespread homogenization of coral reef structure.     

厦门东海域鱼类的群落结构及种类多样性研究

2003年7月至2006年6月对厦门东部海域用定置网和流刺网渔获鱼类进行周年逐月采样分析.结果表明,该海域鱼类至少有287种,录属于21目87科164属,以鲈形目最多,有151种,占总种数的52.6%.渔获物组成以近岸小型鱼类为主,底层鱼类和中下层鱼类合计有235种,占81.88%;中上层鱼类仅52种,占18.12%.鱼类的亚热带动物区系特征明显,暖水性种类达221种,占77%,暖温性种类66种,占23%,未出现冷温性种类及冷水性种类.鱼类种类存在明显的季节更替现象,月更替率大多在30%以上,最高达72.1%.定置网渔获鱼类年平均数量为277尾·网-1,年平均产量为1.93kg·网-1,平均数量和平均产量均以夏季大于秋季大于春季大于冬季;月平均数量和月平均产量均以8月最高,分别为700尾·网-1和5.0kg·网-1,2月最低,分别仅为55尾·网-1和0.38kg·网-1.种类丰度及数量变化与海域水温变化总体呈正相关关系.Shannon-Wiener种类多样性指数的月变化在1.555-4.337之间,多数月份的指数值在3以上,多样性水平较高.渔获鱼类中经济种类占比例较大,但绝大多数个体都比较小,年平均尾重仅6.97g.根据营养动态法估算潜在资源量为1 133.30t年-1,目前厦门东海域鱼类总渔获量已超过最大可捕量一倍以上,应加强资源的管理和保护.     

春季珠江口水域鱼卵和仔稚鱼的分布及其与环境因子的关系

根据2004~2007年春季珠江口水域10个站位的鱼卵和仔稚鱼调查资料,着重就鱼卵和仔稚鱼的数量分布和年际变化及其与环境因子的相关关系进行研究.结果表明：其鱼卵和仔稚鱼隶属于9目33科58种（类）,以鲈形目种类数所占比例最高（为53.4%）,其次为鲱形目（为20.7%）.鱼卵和仔稚鱼大致分成半咸水性、近岸性和近海性3个生态类群.鱼卵和仔稚鱼优势种类共9种,其中鱼卵优势种为6种,仔稚鱼的也为6种.青洲附近水域是春季鱼卵和仔稚鱼的最主要分布区域之一.鱼卵和仔稚鱼数量的年际变化明显,鱼卵和仔稚鱼个体数量的最大值均出现在2006年.水温、pH值和溶解氧含量是影响鱼卵个体数量的较显著因子,盐度和溶解氧含量为影响仔稚鱼个体数量的较显著因子.盐度、pH值及溶解氧、悬浮物、叶绿素a含量对鱼卵和仔稚鱼种类数均有不同程度的影响.