Long‐term streamflow trends in Hawai'i and implications for native stream fauna

Climate change has fundamentally altered the water cycle in tropical islands, which is a critical driver of freshwater ecosystems. To examine how changes in streamflow regime have impacted habitat quality for native migratory aquatic species, we present a 50‐year (1967–2016) analysis of hydrologic records in 23 unregulated streams across the five largest Hawaiian Islands. For each stream, flow was separated into direct run‐off and baseflow and high‐ and low‐flow statistics (i.e., Q10 and Q90) with ecologically important hydrologic indices (e.g., frequency of flooding and low flow duration) derived. Using Mann–Kendall tests with a running trend analysis, we determined the persistence of streamflow trends through time. We analysed native stream fauna from ~400 sites, sampled from 1992 to 2007, to assess species richness among islands and streams. Declines in streamflow metrics indicated a general drying across the islands. In particular, significant declines in low flow conditions (baseflows), were experienced in 57% of streams, compared with a significant decline in storm flow conditions for 22% of streams. The running trend analysis indicated that many of the significant downward trends were not persistent through time but were only significant if recent decades (1987–2016) were included, with an average decline in baseflow and run‐off of 10.90% and 8.28% per decade, respectively. Streams that supported higher native species diversity were associated with moderate discharge and baseflow index, short duration of low flows, and negligible downward trends in flow. A significant decline in dry season flows (May–October) has led to an increase in the number of no‐flow days in drier areas, indicating that more streams may become intermittent, which has important implications for mauka to makai (mountain to ocean) hydrological connectivity and management of Hawai'i's native migratory freshwater fauna.     

Diel feeding of the transparent goby Aphia minuta (Pisces,Gobiidae) in the Northwestern Adriatic Sea in spring time

The present study provides the first estimate of the daily ration for a goby species in the Mediterranean Sea, using a new approach to determine the mass of fish stomach contents through the sum of individual prey dry mass derived indirectly from prey size. Diel feeding activity and daily ration of the pelagic goby Aphia minuta were studied under natural conditions in the coastal waters off Comacchio (Northwestern Adriatic Sea) during the spring season. A total of 318 individuals of A. minuta, collected by 14 trawls carried out on 4 consecutive days, was examined for gut contents. The diel pattern of the vacuity index and the stomach fullness index indicated that A. minuta has nocturnal feeding behaviour. The daily ration, computed over a period of 16 h, was equivalent to 2.23% wet body mass.     

The Diel Behaviour of Small Demersal Fish on Soft Sediments on the West Coast of Scotland using a Variety of Techniques: with Special Reference to Lesueurigobius friesii (Pisces; Gobiidae)

Abstract. The diel behaviour of communities of small demersal fishes was studied in situ on the west coast of Scotland using trawling, diving, underwater television and underwater time-lapse photography techniques. Lumpenus lampretaeformis and Pomatoschistus norvegicus were shown to have crepuscular behaviour patterns. Lesueurigobius friesii was a day active fish, spending the night close to or within its burrow and feeding through the day. Disruptions to this behaviour pattern occurred at high abundances of gadoids and during the spawning season. The fish community as a whole showed a crepuscular periodicity. The various observational methods are discussed. There did not appear to be any close association between Lesueurigobius friesii and the decapod Nephrops norvegicus.     

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.     

A review of the origins of endemic species in Lake Biwa with special reference to the goby fish,Chaenogobius isaza

The 1400 m deep drilling of Lake Biwa has revealed that the lake probably originated ca. 5 · 10⁶ yr ago. After a geographic shift to its present position, and by more than 3.10⁵ yr ago, it had become a large and deep lake. The considerable longevity, large size and high diversity of habitats of this lake are considered to have contributed to its high abundance of endemic taxa. These taxa fall into two categories: (1) relict species of the Asiatic continent, higher latitude or marine origin; (2) species differentiated in the lake from littoral-lacustrine species, and having adapted to habitats peculiar to Lake Biwa. I discuss some of these endemic organisms, briefly review recent in vestigations on fossil organisms of the lake, and more fully discuss the origin of a representative endemic species, the pelagic gobiid fish Chaenogobius isaza Tanaka. This species is regarded as having differentiated from some littoral Chaenogobius species, creating a novel niche in the open water area after Lake Biwa was established as a deep lake.This is the seventh of a series of papers to be published by this journal that was presented in the paleolimnology sessions organized by R. B. Davis and H. Löffler for the XIIth Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA), which took place in Ottawa, Canada in August 1987. Drs. Davis and Löffler are serving as guest editors of this series.     

Surviving off junk: low-energy prey dominates the diet of African penguins Spheniscus demersus at Mercury Island,Namibia, between 1996 and 2009

The diet of African penguins Spheniscus demersus in Namibia consisted mainly of sardine Sardinops sagax in the 1950s. Since the collapse of pelagic fish stocks in the 1970s, birds fed mainly on bearded (pelagic) goby Sufflogobius bibarbatus, a low-energy prey species. We present diet data for African penguins breeding at Mercury Island, the largest colony for this species in Namibia, between 1996 and 2009. Bearded goby was the main prey item throughout the study period, both in terms of frequency of occurrence (67.8%; SD 31.2) and in terms of mass (59.2%; SD 31.5). Diet composition varied throughout the year as well as between years; birds occasionally fed on a variety of fish species other than bearded goby. In Namibia, poor prey abundance is considered as a major factor contributing to the decline of penguin numbers after the collapse of the sardine stocks. However, bearded goby appears to be relatively abundant along Namibia's southern coast and low prey quality rather than low abundance appears to be a key factor influencing population dynamics of African penguins and other marine top predators in southern Namibia.     

Energy budgets and predation impact of dominant epibenthic carnivores on a shallow soft bottom community at the Swedish west coast

The energy flow through the epibenthic community on a shallow soft bottom in Gullmar Fjord, Sweden, is evaluated. The interaction between the dominant epibenthic predators: brown shrimp Crangon crangon L., juvenile plaice Pleuronectes platessa L. and sand goby Pomatoschistus minutus (Pallas), and their food supply is examined, and the fate of the biomass produced within the shallow water ecosystem is described. A steady state model is presented which describes the amounts, pathways and annual rates of energy flowing through the shallow water community. Field and laboratory studies are performed in order to validate the consumption rates of the fish and shrimp species. The brown shrimp occupies a key position in this ecosystem. It represents food, consisting of newly settled juveniles, both to its conspecifics and to other epibenthic species in shallow water. Sixty to eighty per cent of the annual production of shrimps in shallow water is consumed by the epibenthic predators. The brown shrimp constitutes a main predator on other epibenthic species and, by providing such feedback loops, the shrimp constitutes a highly significant regulator of epibenthic carnivores in shallow water. A loss from the benthic community will occur due to predation, maximally amounting to 24–34% of the annual production, which is a high value compared to similar areas. A dynamic simulation is also performed in order to calculate the seasonal change of energy in the epibenthic community in shallow water. Based on mortality calculations, the total output from the shallow nursery should amount to 0·6 g m⁻² year⁻¹ (dry wt).     

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.     

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.