scholarly journals Temporal changes in fish abundance in response to hydrological variability in a dryland floodplain river

2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen R. Balcombe ◽  
Angela H. Arthington

Riverine fish living in unpredictable flow environments tend to be ecological generalists with traits that allow them to persist under highly variable and often harsh conditions associated with hydrological variation. Cooper Creek, an Australian dryland river, is characterised by extreme flow variability, especially in the magnitude, timing and duration of channel flows and floods, which, if they occur, do so mainly in summer. The present study examined the influence of hydrological variability on fish assemblages and abundance in four waterholes in the Windorah reach of Cooper Creek over eight occasions between 2001 and 2004. Antecedent flows had marked influences on fish species richness and assemblage structure. Following high summer flows, all waterholes supported a rich and abundant fish fauna, whereas fewer species and lower numbers were recorded following periods of zero channel flow. Recruitment of three of the four most common and abundant species was enhanced when intermittent flows inundated backwater and floodplain habitats that provide a food-rich environment. Opportunistic responses to rising channel flows and occasional large floods in Cooper Creek help to explain the prominent ‘boom’ patterns of fish production in this arid-zone river, whereas low-level recruitment during periods of low or no flow maintains populations of some species through the ‘bust’.

2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 251-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Carolina dos Passos ◽  
Riguel Feltrin Contente ◽  
Felippe Veneziani Abbatepaulo ◽  
Henry Louis Spach ◽  
Ciro Colodetti Vilar ◽  
...  

Here we test the effects of the east-west salinity gradient in the subtropical Paranaguá Bay Estuarine Complex (PEC) on the structure of shallow water fish fauna, determined according to taxonomic (families and species) and functional composition metrics. A total of 152 species were observed. The families with the largest number of species were the Sciaenidae, Carangidae, Haemulidae and Gobiidae. The most abundant species were Atherinella brasiliensis, Harengula clupeola, Anchoa januaria and Anchoa tricolor. Marine stragglers dominated in number of species, followed by marine migrants and estuarine species. Most species were zoobenthivores, followed by piscivores and zooplanktivores. Families and species more frequently associated with estuarine conditions dominated in the mesohaline sector, and those more frequently associated with marine conditions dominated in the euhaline sector. The fish assemblages along the estuarine salinity gradient were found to be better characterized by taxonomic metrics than by functional ones. This is most likely because individuals of all functional groups inhabit all salinity sectors, and thus these metrics are not useful for differentiating assemblages along salinity gradients. Our results differ from those of other studies in tropical and subtropical estuaries, which have emphasized the importance of functional groups in determining fish assemblages along salinity gradients.


2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Pereira Cattani ◽  
Fábio Gonçalves Daura Jorge ◽  
Gisela Costa Ribeiro ◽  
Leonardo Liberali Wedekin ◽  
Paulo César de Azevedo Simões Lopes ◽  
...  

Abstract Baía Norte (North Bay) in Santa Catarina State is considered a typical coastal bay and is surrounded by a network of Marine Protected Areas. The objectives of this study were to describe the composition of the demersal fish assemblage, identify seasonal and spatial structures on a fine scale and evaluate the role of habitat descriptors and abiotic variables affecting the fish assemblage structure. Seasonal samplings were conducted in 2005, using bottom trawls in six pre-established areas in Baía Norte in summer, fall, winter and spring. Simultaneously with each trawl, environmental data were collected with a multiparameter probe. Temporal and spatial differences in fish abundance were tested by a PERMANOVA. To illustratethe differences detected graphically we ran a canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP). The influence of environmental variables on the fish fauna was evaluated using a Distant Based Linear Model (DistLM) with Akaike's information criterion (AIC). A total of 9,888 specimens, distributed in 27 families and 62 species, were collected. Citharichthys spilopterus was the most abundant species. PERMANOVA detected differences for abundance between seasons, areas and interaction among all the factors. The DISTLM selected temperature and pH. The results highlight seasonality as an important factor in the structuring of fish fauna of the study place.


2014 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudenice Dei Tos ◽  
Luiz C. Gomes ◽  
Maria A. Rodrigues

The construction of reservoirs is considered an important source of impacts on the fish fauna, severely altering the structure of the assemblage. This paper aimed to describe the structure of the fish assemblage of the Goioerê River, determining its longitudinal distribution and patterns of species dominance. The evaluation of its longitudinal variation in the diversity and abundance of the fish assemblage was conducted in July and October 2004 and January and May 2005. The collections were carried out near the headwaters (Gurucaia), middle stretch (Olaria), just above the falls (Paiquerê) and downstream (Foz). Forty-four species were captured. The Gurucaia fish assemblages differed significantly from Olaria, Paiquerê and Foz. The Olaria assemblages differed significantly from the Foz. Gurucaia showed the lowest diversity and abundance of species. Astyanax aff paranae Eigenmann,1914 (78% of the total) was found to be dominant at this site. Almost the same species richness was found at Olaria and Paiquerê, although Olaria had the greatest abundance of individuals. Astyanax aff paranae, Cyphocharax modestus (Fernández-Yépez, 1948) and Astyanax altiparanae Garutti & Britski, 2000 were the top three dominants and comprised over 71% of the total number of fish caught. At Paiquerê, Astyanax altiparanae, Hypostomus aff ancistroides (Ihering, 1911) and Loricariichthys platymetopon Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1979 composed 58% of the catches. Thirty-one species were recorded at Foz, which presented the greatest richness. The most abundant species were Apareiodon affinis (Steindachner, 1879), Galeocharax knerii (Steindachner, 1879) and A.altiparanae, which contributed to 50% of the total catches in this environment.These results record the fish biodiversity and how the community is longitudinally structured in the Goioerê River, and also demonstrate how this type of evaluation is important to understanding the fish community patterns and finding solutions to problems related to the conservation and management of the basin.


2008 ◽  
Vol 53 (No. 12) ◽  
pp. 537-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Hladík ◽  
J. Kubečka ◽  
T. Mrkvička ◽  
M. Čech ◽  
V. Draštík ◽  
...  

The construction of the Římov Reservoir on the Malše River in 1978 significantly influenced the fish assemblage within the river, above the reservoir. Fish species that had successfully colonised the reservoir after impoundment expanded to the inflowing river. The changes in the riverine fish assemblage up to the first impassable weir (4 km upstream) reflected the development of the reservoir assemblage after an impoundment boom of pike (<i>Esox lucius</i>), then the perch (<i>Perca fluviatilis</i>) dominated phase and later the final cyprinid-dominated phase. The changes in the fish fauna over the period 1978–2002 were significant (&chi;<sup>2</sup>, <i>P</i> < 0.001). During the cyprinid-dominated phase, roach (<i>Rutilus rutilus</i>) became the most abundant species both in the reservoir and in the river, outnumbering the pristine river species. We conclude that the cyprinid-dominated assemblage in the reservoir can be more aggressive in interfering with the river assemblage than the percid-dominated one.


2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (1-1) ◽  
pp. 132
Author(s):  
Jorge Picado Barboza ◽  
Gerardo Umaña Villalobos

Between May 2004 and May 2005, we sampled fish in 19 sites, grouped in four elevations, ranging from the river mouth to 650 m.a.s.l. in the Río Pacuare, Caribbean versant of Costa Rica. Changes in the distribution and composition of the fish fauna, as well as patterns of alpha and beta diversity along an elevational gradient were assessed. Additional analyses of habitat preferences, trophic guilds, functional groups and general ecology for the most abundant species are included. All fish captured were classified into 22 families, 43 genera and 53 species. The most abundant family was Characidae, followed by Gobiidae, Mugilidae, Poeciliidae and Heptateridae, which together comprise 87.9 % of all sampled individuals. Elevation shows an inverse effect on species diversity, we observed a monotonic decrease in species richness with increasing elevation (p < 0.05), as reported in other tropical rivers. According to our results, in the Río Pacuare the total fish fauna diversity is found within the first 500 m.a.s.l. Species turnover increases with elevation, while nestedness decreases. Turnover was dominated by the loss of species rather than gain; the higher species loss was registered between the river mouth and the lower river reach (< 100 m.a.s.l.). Seven species can be classified as typical or core species (Astyanax aeneus, Sicydium altum, Agonostomus monticola, Poecilia gillii, Brycon costaricensis, Rhamdia laticauda and Joturus pichardi) along the elevation gradient. The habitat availability and the integration of ecomorphological, feeding and reproductive traits help to explain better the elevation distribution of the complete set of species observed. Although it is possible to identify groups of species characteristic of each reach of river, this does not mean that they are isolated from each other. Natural drift and movement along the river of some species during their life cycle, especially S. altum, A. monticola and J. pichardi, are key processes linking the whole watershed. The present study constitutes a first step in documenting and understanding the distribution and composition of fish assemblages in a watershed that is relatively intact and well-conserved in the Caribbean versant of Costa Rica.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (01) ◽  
pp. 142-153
Author(s):  
Dyego Leonardo Ferraz Caetano ◽  
◽  
Edson Fontes de Oliveira ◽  
Cláudio Henrique Zawadzki ◽  
◽  
...  

Streams are environments that are very affected by human activities such as pollution, deforestation of riparian forests and introduction of exotic species. In this context, it is important to know its biodiversity for monitoring and conservation. The present study inventoried the fish fauna of three tributary streams of the Jacarezinho River (Cinzas River basin, Paranapanema River) with different environmental characteristics: Água dos Anjos, Monjolinho and Ubá streams. Quarterly collections were performed in the period between October 2012 and July 2013 at the headwaters, in the middle and at the mouth of each stream, using electrofishing. We analyzed the parameters of species richness, total abundance, relative abundance, capture constancy, rarefaction curves of Coleman, and richness estimators ACE and ICE. We captured a total of 7102 individuals, distributed in six orders, 12 families and 33 species. The most abundant order was Characiformes (76.15 %), while the most abundant species were: Bryconamericus iheringii (39.5 %), Astyanax bockmanni (19.36 %), and Geophagus brasiliensis (7.52 %). The highest species richness was found in Água dos Anjos stream (26), followed by Monjolinho stream (25), and the Ubá stream (15). We recorded the occurrence of four non-native species (Bryconamericus exodon, Gymnotus inaequilabiatus, Poecilia reticulata and Oreochromis niloticus), which represent a risk to the biodiversity of the studied streams. The Ubá stream was considered the most conserved, but the presence of P. reticulata shows that it has also suffered from anthropic impacts. This non-native species is constantly associated to degraded environments, mainly when it occurs in high abundance. Our results suggest that the fish assemblages studied present different structures, probably due to the interaction among historical, abiotic, biotic, and anthropic factors. This study has been carried out for the first time in the Cinzas River basin and can help provide theoretical input for the elaboration of monitoring and conservation plans.


2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 136-148
Author(s):  
I. V. Gryb

The concept of an explosion in freshwater ecosystems as a result of the release of accumulated energy, accompanied by the destruction of the steady climax successions of hydrocenoses is presented. The typification of local explosions as well as methods for assessing their risk during the development of river basins are shown. The change in atmospheric circulation, impaired phases of the hydrological regime of rivers, increasing the average temperature of the planet, including in Polesie to 0,6 ºC, deforestation leads to concentration and release of huge amounts of unmanaged terrestrial energy, which manifests itself in the form of disasters and emergencies. Hydroecological explosion is formed as a result of multifactorial external influence (natural and anthropogenic) on the water body in a certain period of time. Moreover, its level at wastewater discharge depends on the mass of recycled impurities and behaved processing capacity of the reservoir, and the mass of dumped on biocides and the possibility of the water flow to their dilution and to the utilization of non-toxic concentrations. In all these cases the preservation of "centers of life" in the tributaries of the first order – local fish reproduction areas contributed to ecosystem recovery, and the entire ecosystem has evolved from equilibrium to non-equilibrium with further restructuring after the explosion and environmental transition to a new trophic level. It means that hydroecological explosion can be researched as the logical course of development of living matter in abiotic environmental conditions, ending abruptly with the formation of new species composition cenoses and new bio-productivity. The buffer capacity of the water environment is reduced due to re-development and anthropic transformation of geobiocenoses of river basins, which leads to a weakening of life resistance. This applies particularly to the southern industrial regions of Ukraine, located in the arid zone that is even more relevant in the context of increased average temperature due to the greenhouse effect, as well as to Polesie (Western, Central and Chernihiv), had been exposed to large-scale drainage of 60-80th years, which contributed to the degradation of peatlands and fitostroma. Imposing the western trace of emissions from the Chernobyl accident to these areas had created the conditions of prolonged hydroecological explosion in an intense process of aging water bodies, especially lakes, change in species composition of fish fauna and the occurrence of neoplasms at the organismal level. Under these conditions, for the existence of man and the environment the vitaukta should be strengthened, i.e. buffer resistance and capacitance the aquatic environment, bioefficiency on the one hand and balanced using the energy deposited - on the other. This will restore the functioning of ecosystems "channel-floodplain", "riverbed-lake", reducing the energy load on the aquatic environment. Hydroecological explosions of natural origin can not be considered a pathology – it is a jump process of natural selection of species of biota. Another thing, if they are of anthropogenic origin and if the magnitude of such an impact is on the power of geological factors. Hydroecological explosions can be regarded as a manifestation of environmental wars that consciously or unconsciously, human society is waging against themselves and their kind in the river basins, so prevention of entropy increase in the aquatic environment and the prevention of hydroecological explosions is a matter of human survival. While the man - is not the final link in the development of living matter, it can develop without him, as matter is eternal, and the forms of its existence are different.


2000 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter C. Gehrke ◽  
John H. Harris

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.


Author(s):  
Richard K.F. Unsworth ◽  
James J. Bell ◽  
David J. Smith

The present study considered the influence of the tide on shallow water fish assemblages within the Wakatobi Marine National Park, Indonesia. Timed underwater visual observations were made across a gradient of intertidal to subtidal habitats from near-shore to reef crest at different tidal heights. Transient fish were found to dominate shallow water fish assemblages and the assemblage composition varied with tidal state. Fish assemblages were more diverse and abundant at higher tides in both coral and sea grass habitats, however, this was more pronounced within sea grass habitats. A tidal reduction from ≈2.0m to ≈0.8m (above chart datum) corresponded to a 30% reduction in fish abundance, while species richness also significantly decreased from 13.5 to 10.8 species per standardized timed observation. Fifty fish groups were reported from sea grass habitats with the most abundant being from the Engraulidae family and Lethrinus harak, which form important local subsistence fisheries. This research confirms the importance of tidal changes in structuring the fish fauna of Indonesian sea grass habitats and underlines the connectivity that exists between these habitats and nearby coral reefs.


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