松嫩湖群鱼类群落相似性

根据2008年5月至2011年1月对松嫩湖群20个主要渔业湖泊的鱼类资源调查,分析了该湖群鱼类区系特征和群落相似性状况。松嫩湖群的鱼类区系由4目9科34属46种和亚种构成,其中土著鱼类3目8科27属39种和亚种,包括中国特有种3种,中国易危种1种,冷水种5种;由5个区系复合体构成,以东部江河平原区系复合体为主体;鲤形目31种,鲤科26种,分别占优势;鱼类区系具有南北方物种相互渗透、古北界与东洋界交汇过渡的混色类群特征。目前松嫩湖群鱼类群落种类组成的相似度总体较低,群落数量结构的相似度总体较高,鱼类群落相似性面临的主要问题是自然与人为因素导致湖泊生态环境的变化和放养、移殖与过度捕捞导致鱼类资源的减少与小型化,二者的叠加效应使鱼类群落长期处于受损状态,群落结构及其相似性处在动态变化中,群落内种间关系的协调性、种群结构的合理性和群落结构的稳定性均在下降。针对这些情况和群落相似性现状,提出未来松嫩湖群湖泊渔业的发展方向是优化调整群落结构,发展多种群湖泊渔业,合理利用土著鱼类资源。     

云南剑湖鱼类多样性变化与区系演变

云南剑湖鱼类是许多候鸟的重要食物来源,其群落物种的变化对湿地生态系统结构与功能产生重要影响。为了解当前剑湖鱼类群落物种组成现状及揭示剑湖与相关区域鱼类区系同质化趋势,本研究对剑湖鱼类进行了调查。结果表明:剑湖迄今共记录鱼类物种24种,其中土著物种9种,外来物种15种,而现存物种共计20种,功能性灭绝土著物种4种;首次正式记录的外来物种共计8种,确认濒危种云南裂腹鱼(Schizothorax yunnanensis)仍有分布;外来种中来自长江中下游的物种共计11种,占73.3%;起源于国内的共计13种,占86.7%;在原土著群落中,属科多样性指数(G-F)为0.45,现今则仅为0.26,表明随外来鱼类的入侵,该湖鱼类群落从种级分化强烈的特点转变为种级物种分化单调的特点;剑湖与邻近多个高原湖泊鱼类区系从历史时期较低的相似性到现今明显上升,且与长江中下游主要湖泊鱼类群落物种组成的相似性上升达临界显著水平(P=0.05),其鱼类区系已演变为以江河平原区系成分为主体;鱼类个体生态学矩阵分析表明,外来入侵鱼类生境需求与土著鱼类生境需求类似,两者竞争激烈。     

基于划分强度的巢湖流域河流鱼类群落的空间格局

确定河流鱼类群落的空间分布特点是保护和管理鱼类多样性的科学基础。基于2013年10月对巢湖流域66个河道样点的调查数据,本文研究了水系、河流级别、生态亚区3个空间体系和鱼类分类聚类支系对鱼类群落空间分布的划分强度,解析了巢湖流域河流鱼类群落的空间分布特征。结果表明:河流鱼类群落与水系和河流级别无显著相关,但随生态亚区间显著变化;水系和河流级别对鱼类群落的划分强度较低,其组内相似性与组间相似性无显著差异;生态亚区的划分强度较高,组内相似性显著高于组间相似性;但同鱼类的分类聚类支系相比,生态亚区的划分强度却相对较低;巢湖流域河流鱼类群落的空间分布在一定程度上取决于陆地景观条件,也受景观因子以外的局域环境因素的影响。在未来的相关研究中,有必要进一步理清影响巢湖流域河流鱼类群落空间分布的关键环境因子,并探明这些关键因子的空间分布特征,从而为巢湖流域河流鱼类多样性的保护和管理提供科学基础。     

东北地区火山堰塞湖鱼类区系与群落多样性

根据2008-2011年镜泊湖和五大连池鱼类学调查结果和历史资料,分析了东北地区火山堰塞湖鱼类区系特征和群落物种多样性状况.东北地区火山堰塞湖鱼类区系由9目16科47属64种土著种构成,其中国家Ⅱ级野生保护物种1种,中国特有种4种,中国易危种5种;64种鱼类中,鲤形目44种,鲤科37种,分别占优势.东北地区火山堰塞湖鱼类区系由7个区系复合体构成,以东部平原区系复合体为主体;南北方重叠种、北方特有种分别占53.1％和46.9％.东北地区火山堰塞湖鱼类群落Shannon、Fisher-α、Pielou、Margalef和Simpson指数值分别为2.078、4.536、0.575、3.723和0.269,土著种多度分布格局可以用对数正态分布描述;与镜泊湖亚群落间Bray-Curtis、Morisita-Horn、Ochiai、S(o)rensen和Whittaker指数值分别为0.820、0.992、0.870、0.862和0.138,与五大连池亚群落间各指数值分别为0.210、0.516、0.838、0.825和0.175.东北地区火山堰塞湖鱼类区系具有南北方物种相互渗透、古北界与东洋界交汇过渡的特点;群落物种多样性程度较高,物种结构较稳定,但物种丰富度呈下降趋势.     

基于稳定同位素方法的闽江口常见鱼类群落营养结构的季节性变化

为了解闽江口常见鱼类群落的营养结构特征,于2015年冬季(1月)、春季(5月)、夏季(8月)、秋季(11月)采集闽江口底拖网渔业资源样品,利用稳定同位素分析闽江口常见鱼类群落营养结构特征及其季节性变化,并计算了基于δ¹³C-δ¹⁵N量化的7个营养结构的群落范围指标.结果表明: 闽江口常见鱼类群落除夏季和秋季的δ¹³C值之间不存在显著性差异,其余各季节之间δ¹³C值均差异显著;δ¹⁵N值春季与其余3个季节都表现出显著性差异,而其余3个季节δ¹⁵N值互相之间均无显著性差异.稳定同位素的量化指标表明: 闽江口常见鱼类群落的营养结构存在季节差异,春季的生态位总空间(TA)、核心生态位空间(SEAc)、鱼类基础食物来源(CR)、营养长度(NR)、鱼类营养多样性(CD)均为四季的最大值;从夏季至秋季再到冬季,生态位总空间(TA)、核心生态位空间(SEAc)、鱼类基础食物来源(CR)、营养长度(NR)、鱼类营养多样性(CD)和营养位置差异(MNND)均逐步上升.闽江口常见鱼类群落营养结构的季节差异可能与鱼类生殖洄游和群落内食源多样性的变化密切相关.     

塔里木盆地鱼类入侵及区系演变趋势

鱼类入侵是塔里木盆地土著鱼类濒危的关键性影响因素之一,结合历史文献数据及近年调查数据,系统综述了塔里木盆地鱼类入侵现状,并就鱼类入侵引起的鱼类区系均一化问题进行了分析。结果显示,该地区记录鱼类63种,其中土著种19种,入侵种44种。尽管入侵鱼类提升了塔里木盆地鱼类群落属级及科级的多样性水平,但相应的G-F多样性指数却明显下降,表明该区鱼类群落从物种组成简单、分化明显的特点演变为物种成分复杂、分化贫乏的特点。入侵种中源于长江和额尔齐斯河分别有30种(68.2%)和7种(15.9%),源于美欧和亚洲其他区域的有7种(15.9%)。入侵鱼类的进入引起塔里木盆地与其相关区域鱼类区系相似性显著上升(P0.01),并导致该区鱼类区系从单一的中亚高原山区复合体演变为多区系混合体。进一步利用鱼类个体生态矩阵分析方法研究显示,外来种在塔里木盆地适应性广泛,能够占据水域各种栖息生境,显著压缩了土著种的栖息空间,进而通过捕食、食物竞争及其他作用途径严重危及土著鱼类种群的续存,提示须采取有力措施限制入侵种的进一步扩散及对濒危土著物种迅速开展人工保育工作。     

东海大陆架鱼类群落的空间结构

根据1997～2000年东海大陆架水深30～200米海域4个航次的底拖网调查资料,运用多元分析(聚类分析和非度量多维标度(NMDS))、SIMPER以及BIO-ENV方法分析了东海鱼类群落的空间格局以及与非生物环境因子之间的关系。结果表明,东海大陆架海域鱼类群落在空间上可分为3个群落类型,分别为东海近海群落、东海大陆架外缘群落以及这两个群落之间的东海大陆架混合群落。东海大陆架鱼类群落的种类组成沿着水深梯度的变化明显,每种鱼类均有一定的水深范围。不同的流系具有不同的温盐特征,影响了鱼类的分布及其洄游,从而控制了不同鱼类群落类型的种类组成。东海大陆架鱼类群落类型中,大陆架外缘群落类型各调查季节在空间分布和种类组成上相对稳定,而东海近海群落类型和东海大陆架混合群落类型在夏季融合在一起,其它季节保持各自的空间结构。同时东海陆架区只在一种群落类型中出现的鱼类相对较少,多数鱼类同时出现在两个群落类型中或3个群落类型中,但是它们相对较集中的区域明显不同,在不同群落类型中的生物量和出现频率有很大的差异,这些鱼类在其不同的生长发育阶段由于对海洋环境的不同需求,它们根据繁殖或摄食需求而在东海陆架区范围内洄游以寻找最适的海洋环境,因此对3个群落类型定义是相对的,很难严格确定一个永久的鱼类群落地理区域,以形成相互隔离的鱼类群落,而且鱼类群落之间的边界随着季节不同发生变化。     

溪流鱼类群落对低水头坝的大小及功能的响应——以皖南山区河源溪流为例

以皖南山区的河源溪流为研究区域, 根据2016年7月和11月两次的调查数据, 在区分土著物种和本地入侵物种的基础上, 初步比较研究了低水头坝的坝上蓄水区和冲刷区鱼类群落的季节动态及所受水坝大小和功能的影响。共采集鱼类24种, 隶属4目10科, 其中土著鱼类13种, 本地入侵鱼类11种。尽管坝下冲刷区的鱼类群落无显著季节变化, 但坝上蓄水区的鱼类群落季节动态显著, 其中11月的鱼类个体数显著高于7月。水坝大小对鱼类群落的影响相对较小, 仅冲刷区入侵鱼类群落结构随水坝大小显著变化; 水坝功能对鱼类群落的影响较大, 蓄水区土著鱼类群落及冲刷区入侵鱼类群落等都随水坝功能显著变化——同蓄水坝相比, 引渠坝的蓄水区中宽鳍鱲较少但中华花鳅和吻虾虎鱼较多, 且引渠坝的冲刷区中高体鳑鲏和泥鳅具有更高多度。研究表明, 在研究区域内, 低水头坝对鱼类群落分布的影响视水坝蓄水功能而不同, 而水坝大小的相对重要性较低。研究也进一步证实, 因亲流性土著鱼类与广布性入侵鱼类对低水头坝干扰的响应不同, 在开展有关人类活动对溪流鱼类多样性的影响评价时, 有必要区分土著物种和入侵物种来进行, 以确保研究结论的科学性。     

三峡水库不同区域对鱼类群落结构和鱼类组成动态的影响(英文)

研究选取三峡水库三个不同的区域来研究离坝距离对鱼类群落结构和鱼类组成动态的影响。2010年11月到2011年10月期间共采集了8680尾鱼类样本,隶属于11科58种,其中鲤科鱼类占据了三峡水库鱼类的主体。夏季时的鱼类丰度显著高于其他季节的(P0.05)。鱼类物种多样性与丰度在靠近大坝的江段(秭归)最低,中游江段(万州)相对较高,远离大坝的江段(涪陵)居中。随着三峡大坝的建成,鱼类区系也由适应流水生存的种类转变为适应静水生存的种类。因此,三峡水库蓄水已经明显地改变了其原有的鱼类群落结构,鱼类组成的相对丰度也随着时间发生了改变。     

基于稳定同位素技术的洈水水库鱼类群落营养结构

为调查山谷型水库的鱼类群落营养结构及其食物资源利用情况,基于碳(δ³C)、氮(δ¹⁵N)稳定同位素技术研究了湖北省洈水水库2020年夏季与秋季鱼类群落结构特征,并运用贝叶斯混合模型评价4种潜在碳源(颗粒有机物、陆生植物、周丛藻类和有机碎屑)对不同食性鱼类的贡献。结果表明:洈水水库鱼类群落的营养结构存在季节差异,鱼类群落的营养层次(NR)、基础食物来源(CR)、生态位总空间(TA)、群落的整体密度(NND)、聚集均匀程度(SDNND)和核心生态位空间(SEAc)等参数为夏季高于秋季,表明夏季食物源多样性高、营养冗余程度低、食物网结构更加复杂而稳定。洈水水库夏季和秋季鱼类均依赖外源性碳源,但两个季节的利用方式存在显著差异(P<0.05)。整体上,陆生植物在两个季节对洈水水库鱼类的碳源贡献最大,但夏季周丛藻类为次重要碳源,秋季有机碎屑为次重要碳源,颗粒有机物(POM)在两个季节均不重要。夏季和秋季对外源碳的依赖程度最高的鱼类均为黄尾鲴(碎屑食性鱼类),对外源碳的依赖程度最低的鱼类为鳙(滤食性鱼类)和团头鲂(植食性鱼类)。在夏季和秋季共有的9种...     

台湾海峡鱼类组成及其生态区系

本文依据台湾海峡鱼类物种的相关历史调查资料和文献, 分析了台湾海峡鱼类物种组成及其生态类型和区系特征, 探讨全球变化背景下台湾海峡鱼类物种组成变化。结果显示, 台湾海峡共有鱼类1,697种, 分隶40目206科740属, 其中, 目级分类阶元种类数最多的为鲈形目, 科级分类阶元种类数最多的为鰕虎科; 从适温性上看, 暖水性鱼类最多, 有1,560种, 其次为暖温性鱼类(128种)和冷温性鱼类(9种); 栖息地生态类型则以大陆架砂泥质底层鱼类和岩礁性鱼类种类数最多, 各有596种, 其后依次是大陆架近底层鱼类(249种)、大陆架中上层鱼类(158种)和大洋性鱼类(98种), 洄游性鱼类181种, 经济性鱼类735种; 海区间鱼类种类数对比显示, 台湾海峡鱼类与南海鱼类共有种最多, 共有种比例高达91.9%, 其次为东海(69.3%)和黄海(19.4%), 多为印度—西太平洋海区分布种, 仅288种广泛分布于中国各海区。由此, 台湾海峡鱼类区系特征兼有热带和亚热带海区鱼类区系特点, 属于印度—西太平洋暖水区系中—日亚区和印度—马来亚区的过渡海区, 其分界区域在台湾浅滩东部外缘至澎湖列岛偏北海域。     

Fish zonations and guilds as the basis for assessment of ecological integrity of large rivers

Longitudinal zonation concepts describe the downstream changes in chemico-physical and biological properties of rivers. Including information on ecological fish guilds can enhance the usefulness of fish zonation concepts, in a way that they can be used as tools for assessment and management of the ecological integrity of large rivers. We present an ecological characterization of fish zones and fish communities in near-natural and in regulated large rivers in Europe (the River Doubs in France and the Rivers Rhine and Meuse in the Netherlands), using guild classifications of several life-history traits of fish and national Red Lists of threatened species. The Doubs data set was also analyzed using indices of the sensitivity of fish species to environmental degradation and indices for eurytopy. In these rivers, the number of ecological guilds per zone increases downstream, and there are clear shifts in the structure of the guilds. Flow preference and reproduction ecology of river fish are closely linked. The proportion of rheophilic species in the fish community decreases downstream, and the proportions of limnophilic and eurytopic species increase. Lithophilic and psammophilic spawners are dominant in the upper zones, whereas the lower zones are dominated by phytophilic and phytolithophilic spawners. The proportion of zoobenthivorous and periphytivorous species decreases downstream, and the proportion of zooplanktivorous and phytivorous species increases. However, because the European fish fauna mainly consists of feeding generalists, the discriminative abilities of simplistic feeding guild classifications are not very high. Guilds of sensitive, stenoecious species that share life history strategies that are highly adapted to specific riverine conditions (rheophils and limnophils) have declined far more than generalist species that can survive in a wide range of habitats that are not characteristic of natural river ecosystems. Because of the subsequent over-abundance of the eurytopic species the original longitudinal fish zonations are hardly recognizable anymore in heavily impacted large rivers such as the River Rhine. Hence these rivers do not meet the criteria for ecological integrity. Within a specific fish region, a suitable way of analyzing and monitoring the impact of human disturbance on the structure of the fish community is by comparing the guild structure of the present state of a fish zone with that of the reference situation.     

Do coral-reef fish faunas have a distinctive taxonomic structure?

Do the highly diverse fish faunas that associate with coral reefs have distinguishing taxonomic and ecological characteristics, as proposed by Choat and Bellwood (1991) and Bellwood (1996)? Does a 50?my old (Eocene) fossil fish fauna from Italy represent a coral-reef fish assemblage that provides unique information about the evolution of such assemblages, as claimed by Bellwood (1996)? I compared the structure of the reef fish faunas of adjacent tropical regions rich and poor in coral reefs, in both America and Polynesia, and found that they exhibit no substantive differences in relative species richness among families of typical “coral-reef” fishes. While coral-rich regions have larger reef fish faunas, a variety of factors probably contribute to such differences. Thus coral-reef fish faunas may lack a distinctive taxonomic structure. A similar comparative approach would be useful for assessing whether assemblages of fishes on coral reefs have distinctive ecological characteristics. Based on patterns of habitat use by modern tropical shorefishes, the Italian Eocene fauna includes few definite reef fishes, and may well consist primarily of non-reef fishes preserved in a non-reef habitat. Until we know more about the environment in which those fossils were preserved, that fauna can contribute little to understanding how coral reef fish assemblages have evolved.     

Fish fauna as an indicator of environmental quality in an urbanised region of the Amazon estuary

This study describes the biological importance of Guajará Bay (Belém, Pará, Brazil) for fish fauna and presents a diagnosis of water quality in the main channel and creeks, using the icthyofauna as an ecological indicator. A total of 567 individuals from 40 species were identified. About 58% of these use Guajará Bay as a nursery ground, 49 and 81% use the bay as a breeding and feeding ground, respectively. There were no significant differences between environments as measured by the diversity index; however, fish relative abundance (catch per unit of effort) was greater in the creeks than in the main channel. A significant difference was detected in the fish fauna inhabiting the main channel compared with the creeks. In the main channel, icthyofauna significantly differed during December relative to other months.     

The use of fish in ecological assessments

Abstract Fish provide powerful tools for assessing aquatic environments. Three attributes are especially significant: the sensitivity of fish to most forms of human disturbance, their usefulness at all levels of biological organization and the favourable benefit-to-cost ratio offish assessment programmes. Fish can be used as indicators over wide temporal and spatial ranges. Because they cover all trophic levels of consumer ecology, fish can effectively integrate the whole range of ecological processes in waterways. Fish have been used in many different roles for assessing river health and monitoring responses to remedial management. Three of these applications appear to have particular value for management of Australian rivers: (i) automated systems monitoring fish ventilation can provide sensitive, broad-spectrum and continuous sensing of water quality to protect receiving waters or water-supply intakes; (ii) programmes collecting routine data on commercial or recreational fisheries can be designed and analysed so as to isolate confounding effects due to fishery-specific factors and, hence, used to detect and monitor environmental change on large scales; (iii) the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) can be modified to suit Australian conditions and fish communities to meet the important need for a predictive model of aquatic environmental quality. The IBI is a quantitative biological tool with a strong ecological foundation that integrates attributes from several levels of ecosystem organization. Examples of the use of IBI elsewhere suggest its robustness, flexibility and sensitivity can cope effectively with the low diversity of the Australian fish fauna and the dominance of ecological generalists. A provisional structure is suggested for a test of the IBI in four riverine regions of New South Wales.     

Isotopic evidence of functional overlap amongst the resilient pelagic fishes

The Lake Victoria ecosystem once hosted a diverse fish community dominated by a large species flock of haplochromine cichlids. Today this fish assemblage is highly altered by anthropogenic activities, with at least half of the indigenous species either extinct or very rare. The fauna and flora of the tropic’s largest lake are still in flux, and little is known about even the most basic ecological questions, such as the source of carbon and nitrogen for its spectacular productivity. The actual food-web structure is difficult to determine with results based on traditional gut analysis. At the moment both scientists and conservationists are at odds as to whether there is any evidence of functional replacement or functional overlap amongst the resilient pelagic fishes of Lake Victoria. This study used a static stable isotope model to investigate the source of carbon and the extent of the trophic overlap amongst three pelagic fishes, Rastrineobola argentea, ssichromis laparogramma and Y. fusiformis in the Kenyan waters of Lake Victoria. The δ ¹³C of plants ranged from ?8.8 to ?24.6 $\permil$, while fishes ranged from ?18.6 to ?24.5 $\permil$, suggesting assimilation of mostly C₃ sources for the fish species. On the basis of the isotope model, it is evident that Yssichromis laparogramma, Yssichromis fusiformis , and Rastrineobola argentea obtained from 90 to 97.5$%$, with an average of 94.2$%$, of their food from the same trophic level. The very high degree of overlap in the effective trophic level of these three zooplanktivores has important ecological and conservation implications.     

Restoration goals: Why are fauna still overlooked in the process of recovering functioning ecosystems and what can be done about it?

Despite the evidence that fauna play complex and critical roles in ecosystems (e.g. pollination and nutrient cycling) and the knowledge that they need to be considered in restoration, fauna often remain poorly represented in restoration goal setting, monitoring and assessments of restoration success. Fauna clearly are integral to the aspirations of achieving full ecosystem recovery. However, over‐reaching assumptions about the unassisted return of fauna to restored sites, low investment in fauna monitoring, and minimal consideration of the requirements for fauna monitoring in regulatory guidance and standards appear to have led to the historically vegetation‐centric approaches to rehabilitation and ecological restoration. We argue that ecological complexities render assumptions of unassisted fauna return inappropriate in many situations and may represent a missed opportunity to enhance ecological outcomes and improve restoration trajectories. We advocate for greater consideration of fauna as facilitators of ecological restoration and, particularly for well‐funded projects, for monitoring to place greater emphasis on examining the behaviour and resilience of restored fauna communities. There is a clear need for both industry and regulators to recognise that fauna can be crucial facilitators of restoration and appreciate that the return and monitoring of functional faunal communities can be costly, challenging and may require detailed study across a wide range of taxonomic groups. Failure to advance from business as usual models may risk leaving a legacy of ostensibly functional, but biodiversity‐depauperate, restored ecosystems.     

Stream habitat fragmentation — a threat to biodiversity

Biodiversity is undisturbed rhithral streams in central Europe is high, with about 1000 resident metazoan species; over 600 insect species occur in the Fulda river (Germany). Longitudinal downstream shift of dominance from rheobiontic to rheophilous and finally to ubiquituos rheoxenic taxa in the potamal is described. Present downstream importance of ubiquituous species probably results from replacement of original potamal communities, present faunas being surrogates. Species losses through human impact are well documented for fish. The case of Plecoptera (10 potamal species either altogether extinct, extinct in Central Europe or extremely endangered) suggests that potamal invertebrates suffered as severe losses as did fish.Human impact on major rivers was so severe also because they occur at distances beyond average dispersal capacity of the fauna, i.e. are widely separate ecological islands, with known risk of species losses. In contrast, faunal exchange between adjacent headwater streams in mountains with intact stream nets is easy, certainly for amphibious insects. However, damage to rhithral streams is becoming increasingly frequent. This fragments stream nets, turning also upper parts of drainage systems into ecological islands, with danger of extinctions. Rhithral biodiversity is thought to be much more endangered by human impact than is presently recognized.     

The fish fauna of three North African lagoons: specific inventories,ecological status and production

This paper examines the ecological and biological status of fisheries in three coastal lagoons in the southern Mediterranean region: Merja Zerga in Morocco, Ghar El Melh in Tunisia and Lake Manzala in Egypt. Despite similarities in some ecological characteristics, the three lagoons’ respective fisheries show differences in specific composition, in population structure and in their production both in qualitative and quantitative aspects. Thus, in Merja Zerga and Ghar El Melh the fish fauna shows a marine affinity where grey mullet and eels dominate the fish production. In Lake Manzala the ichthyofauna displays a more freshwater affinity with tilapia the dominant group of species. Otherwise, overall fish production at the three sites is regulated by variations in fishing activities, local environments and seasonal conditions. A decrease in fish production was noted over recent years and this is attributed to deteriorating ecological conditions. A variety of factors are implicated including sea communication problems, reduction of the continental (fresh) water supply and increase of pollution causing eutrophication. In addition, over fishing with a continuing increase of fishing effort units, contributes to fisheries decline. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Guest editors: J. R. Thompson & R. J. Flower Hydro-ecological Monitoring and Modelling of North African Coastal Lagoons     

Ecology and role of zooplankton in the fishery of Lake Naivasha

Taxonomic composition, distribution, community structure and seasonality of Lake Naivasha zooplankton between 1978 and 1980 are described. The ecological status of the zooplankton in relation to prevailing ecological factors and the lakes fishery are discussed. Species composition of the zooplankton community in Lake Naivasha has been remarkably constant since first observations between 1929 and 1931. The community structure and distribution of the zooplankton in the lake varied little from July 1978 to July 1980, however, there was evidence of species succession among the larger zooplankters, especially the cladocerans. In the littoral area zooplankton contribute significantly to the food and production of juvenile fish. There is an absence of fish zooplanktivores in the limnetic area of the lake. Consequently the limnetic zooplankton is not utilised by higher trophic levels.