How many demersal fish species in the deep sea? A test of a method to extrapolate from local to global diversity

Grassle and Maciolek (1992) estimated that there were of the order of 107 species of benthic macro-invertebrates in the world's deep sea soft sediments. Their estimate was extrapolated from the 798 species they sampled and the pattern of species diversity observed along a 176km transect on the continental slope of the northeast Atlantic Ocean. Relative to the deep sea invertebrate fauna, the deep sea fish fauna has been better sampled, at least in the upper 1500m. To test the validity of the Grassle and Maciolek method of extrapolation, we applied it to data from a survey of fishes along the continental slope off western Australia, a diverse and previously unsurveyed region. The resulting global estimate for the deep sea demersal fishes – 60000 species – was then compared with the number described to date, about 2650 species, and an estimate of total extant species. Our estimate, which considers the proportion of new species found in little-explored regions of the world ocean, such as off western Australia, and the number of new species expected in future taxonomic revisions, is a total of 3000–4000 species. The Grassle and Maciolek method appears invalid as a means to extrapolate global biodiversity from local surveys.     

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。     

Observations on the Diet of Some Slope Dwelling Fishes of Southern Portugal

The diets of 33 fish species from the southern Portuguese slope, at depths between 498 and 740 m were studied through the examination of stomach contents. Species of scyliorhinids, squalids, rajids, chimaerids, anguilliforms, notacanthids, macrourids, gadids and merluccids, with pelagic, benthope-lagic and benthic modes of life were examined. Nezumia sclerorhynchus feeding habits were studied in detail. Its diet its dominated by amphipods. No differences of prey preferences were recorded corresponding to predator size classes. The studied predators can exploit a wide range of prey, but they feed mainly on benthopelagic and epibenthic material. Consequently it is difficult to establish distinct feeding guilds, so confirming a generalist type of feeding for most of the upper slope dwelling fishes.     

Habitat alteration and its effects on native fishes in the upper Tennessee River system, east-central U.S.A.

The upper Tennessee River drainage, which includes portions of the States of Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, supports an exceptionally diverse fish fauna. Recent reductions in abundance and geographic ranges of several freshwater fishes have promulgated the imposition of protective measures for about 115 species among the three states, with nearly half of those species occurring in the upper Tennessee River. Most protected species are darters (Percidae: Etheostomatinae) or minnows (Cyprinidae), and are typically small, benthic invertivores. Major impacts on the fish fauna have resulted from dams, introduced species, toxic spills, mining and agriculture. An important cumulative effect of these impacts is fragmentation of the watershed; nearly 40% of the riverine habitat in major tributaries is either impounded or altered by tailwater discharges. The isolation and stress imposed on tributaries of the river have caused and will continue to cause extirpations of fishes, mussels and other aquatic fauna. Numerous federal, state, and private organizations are co-operating in efforts to protect rare species and habitats, improve agricultural and coal-producing practices, and enforce regulations for industrial and municipal effluents.     

Fish foraging effects on benthic assemblages along a warm-temperate stream: differences among drift feeders, benthic predators and grazers

In streams, physical and biotic conditions change from the headwaters to the mouth, shaping longitudinal patterns in community structure. We examined how fish foraging effects on periphyton and benthic invertebrates changed along a longitudinal gradient of a warm-temperate stream in southwestern Japan. We established three study sites according to changes in the composition of fish feeding guilds (upper site characterized by drifting-invertebrate feeders, Oncorhynchus masou ; middle site by benthic invertebrate feeders, Rhinogobius spp.; lower site by the presence of periphyton grazers, Sicyopterus japonicus ), and performed two manipulative experiments to examine effects of different fish assemblages on periphyton and benthic invertebrate abundances. Results of an exclosure experiment suggested that fishes had no effect on the benthic assemblages at the upper and middle sites whereas fishes reduced the abundances of both periphyton and invertebrates on stone surfaces at the lower site, where both benthic invertebrate feeders and grazers inhabited. A subsequent enclosure experiment showed that the reduction of invertebrate densities at the lower site was caused by the grazers rather than benthic invertebrate feeders. These experimental results suggested that effects of fishes on benthic assemblages are intensified downstream, owing to the occurrence of the grazing fish. Furthermore, observational data based on field sampling suggested that such grazing effects were reflected in longitudinal patterns in periphyton and invertebrate abundances. Overall results emphasize an important role of the grazing fish ( S. japonicus ) in shaping longitudinal patterns in benthic assemblage structure.     

Pleistocene fish otoliths from the Mediterranean Basin: a synthesis

An overview of upper pPliocene and pleistocene otolith assemblages is compiled on the basis of both literature data and newly collected material from several sections located mainly in southern Italy. One hundred and five taxa are listed. Additional comments are provided for taxa subject to discussion. The composition and affinities of the Mediterranean Pleistocene otolith associations (consisting mainly of deep sea fishes) is checked against the available data for Pre-Messinian, Pliocene, and Recent Mediterranean fishes. This analysis is based on the recorded nominal species, but some taxa that could be identified at the generic level only are also included when they are relevant from a biogeographic point of view. Some new data on Piacenzian (middle Pliocene) and Gelasian (upper Pliocene) otoliths are also provided because this time interval still constitutes a major gap in the knowledge of the stratigraphic range of Plio-Pleistocene fish taxa. The Pleistocene deepwater fish fauna of the Mediterranean shows a markedly more oceanic character than the present-day one, a tendency that was all ready observed from early Oligocene till Pliocene times. Starting from the late Piacenzian, an increasing number of Atlantic taxa progressively invaded the Mediterranean including several subpolar and temperate forms. This invasion became stronger in the Gelasian. From this period up to the middle and late Pleistocene, the Mediterranean deepwater fish fauna (mesopelagic and benthopelagic) is enriched by taxa which today are typical for the north Atlantic cold deep water. This faunal shift seems to be correlated with the evolution of the Plio-Pleistocene Mediterranean paleoceanographic setting as well as with the global climatic deterioration.     

哈拉哈河上游的鱼类区系和资源现状

哈拉哈河上游的鱼类采集到１４种和亚种,分水于４目６科,其中鲤科８种,占５７．１％。区系组成分归５个区系类群,其中属于全北区的北方山地,北方平原和北极淡水类群鱼类有１０种,占７１．４％,这与该河系具有适于冷水性鱼类栖存的生态条件密切相关。     

云南萨尔温江水系3条一级支流鱼类区系存在度及其在鱼类保护区设置中的意义

将经典动物区系与区系存在度分析方法相结合, 探讨云南萨尔温江水系的南滚河、南汀河及勐波罗河3条一级支流的鱼类多样性相对于萨尔温江中游水系鱼类的代表性, 比较其鱼类区系存在度差异, 分析区系组成特征及科、属在区系建成中的重要性, 旨在探讨区系存在度指标对鱼类保护区设置的指导作用。结果显示, 萨尔温江中游水系(云南段)共记录土著鱼类74种, 分隶于5目12科45属。3条支流共有土著鱼类53种, 分隶于5目12科38属, 其中南滚河鱼类有9科23属32种, 南汀河有11科33属47种, 勐波罗河有10科26属33种。按种类的绝对数排序, 3条支流均是鲤科、鮡科和条鳅科排前3位。而按区系存在度结果排序, 均是鳗鲡科、鳢科、刺鳅科、合鳃鱼科和鮡科等5个科位列前5位。两种方法排序结果显示, 3条支流表现出完全的一致性。同一属级分类阶元的区系存在度在不同支流间变异较大, 属级和种级分类阶元的地域性分布特点渐趋明显。这3条一级支流鱼类均是以老第三纪原始类群为主体, 南方类群次之, 还有少量青藏高原类群。结合鱼类区系存在度研究结果, 在设置淡水鱼类保护区时, 应考虑在大水系的上中下游分别选择1条或多条一级支流建立保护区; 如果目、科级存在度高的阶元在鱼类保护区规划时涵盖得多, 则保护了较多的高级阶元, 但并非是必须考虑的阶元; 而属级存在度值则是保护区规划时需要特别关注的事项。     

Recent benthic foraminifera from the continental margin of northwest Africa: Community structure and distribution

Sediment grab samples were collected at 107 locations along the continental margin of northwest Africa. These samples form a series of depth transects between the Straits of Gibraltar and Dakar, Senegal. The greater than 250 μm size fraction was retained for a census of both the live and dead foraminifera. After deleting trace occurrences, Jaccard and correlation coefficient-based cluster analyses were performed to decipher the community structure for this margin.The geographic distribution of the four major faunal provinces recognized is conventional in that for both the live and dead assemblages three are related to depth: upper slope and shelf, middle slope, and lower slope and continental rise. The biotopes and thanatotopes within these provinces are strongly restricted along vertical or latitudinal boundaries when the data are analysed using Jaccard coefficients. Dendrograms constructed from correlation coefficients emphasize depth-related faunal communities. Dominant species such asCibicides lobatulus, Trifarina fornasinii, Planulina ariminensis, Uvigerina finisterrensis, andC. wuellerstorfi are generally distributed within a definite depth range along this margin and strongly influence the correlation coefficient-based dendrograms. Other distributions are clearly not depth-related but correspond to various environmental variables, for example:Cancris auriculus — coarse substrate;Bolivina subaenariensis — oxygen minimum;Cibicidoides kullenbergi andHoeglundina elegans — low organic carbon.Uvigerina peregrina is also a notable exception to depth-dependence in that this dominant species and the province it represents are generally confined to the continental slope south of Cape Blanc. Its preference for that region may arise from the high organic carbon and fine grain-size of the sediment there, from low salinity of the bottom water, or from other unknown variables. The most important vertical faunal boundary occurs between Cape Barbas and Cape Blanc (between 22° and 21°N latitude). In contrast, the Canary Island Ridge intersects the continental margin at a saddle depth of about 1500 m, but that physiographic barrier has little effect on provincialism of the deep-water benthic foraminifera.     

Community structure of fishes attracted to shallow water fish aggregation devices off South Carolina,U.S.A.

Synopsis Twenty-two fish aggregation devices were deployed in 14 m of water off South Carolina. Species composition and abundance were determined by diver visual census on eight occasions from May through November, 1985. A total of 21 families and 36 species of fishes was observed at 121 stations. Pelagic fishes dominated the fauna with a 99.3% relative abundance, and Decapterus punctatus accounted for 97.6% of the individuals. Caranx crysos, Diplectrum formosum, Decapterus punctatus, Centropristis striata and Monacanthus hispidus were the most frequent species. Total fish abundance, number of species and abundance of four of the six most common species were significantly affected by season. Hurricane activity may have caused a significant drop in pelagic fish abundance at the FADs in July. No significant correlations among species abundances were found after removal of season and FAD type effects. Spatial zonation and seasonal occurrence patterns suggest some competition among pelagic fishes. Several factors that regulate FAD faunal abundance and composition are hypothesized, including: juvenile fish availability, availability of shelter, availability of adequate food resources, interspecific and intraspecific competition, severe sea conditions, and sporadic intrusions of large predatory fishes. It is hypothesized that the abundances of benthic and pelagic FAD fishes are correlated and that there is a direct or indirect energetic link between shallow water pelagic and benthic fish assemblages near FADs.     

Benthische Foraminiferen auf dem Island-Schottland Rücken: Umwelt-Anzeiger an der Grenze zweier ozeanischer Räume

Surface sediment samples taken by box corer from 32 stations on the Iceland-Scotland Ridge have been investigated for their benthic foraminiferal content. The live (Rose Bengal stained) benthic foraminiferal fauna was differentiated from empty tests comprising the foraminiferal death assemblage. Principal component analysis of both the live and dead faunal data from the Iceland-Scotland Ridge reveals eight live species assemblages and six corresponding dead assemblages. Bottom water current conditions, surface sediment characteristics, particulate organic matter supply, and to some extent also the bottom water temperatures are the main factors limiting and governing the composition and distribution of live benthic foraminiferal species assemblages on the Iceland-Scotland Ridge. On the Atlantic slope of the Iceland-Scotland Ridge the dead species assemblages differ greatly from the foraminiferal fauna living there today due to winnowing processes and redeposition of Pleistocene sediments. In this area an investigation of distribution patterns of the empty tests only would lead to wrong results concerning ecologic interrelations between benthic foraminiferal species assemblages and their environment.     

Bryozoans of the Weddell Sea continental shelf,slope and abyss: did marine life colonize the Antarctic shelf from deep water,outlying islands or in situ refugia following glaciations?

Aim At the height of glaciations such as the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), benthic life on polar continental shelves was bulldozed off nearly all of the Antarctic shelf by grounded ice sheets. The origins of the current shelf benthos have become a subject of considerable debate. There are several possible sources for the current Antarctic shelf fauna, the first of which is the continental slope and deep sea of the Southern Ocean. The high levels of reported eurybathy for many Antarctic species are taken as evidence supporting this. A second possible source for colonists is the southern margins of other continents. Finally, shelves could have been recolonized from refugia on the continental shelves or slopes around Antarctica. The current study investigates whether the patchily rich and abundant biota that now occurs on the Antarctic continental shelf recolonized from refugia in situ or elsewhere. Location Weddell Sea, Antarctica. Methods We examined bryozoan samples of the BENDEX, ANDEEP III and SYSTCO expeditions, as well as the literature. Using similarity matrices (Sørensen coefficient), we assessed similarities of benthos sampled from around Antarctica. By assessing numbers of species shared between differing depths and adjacent shelf areas, we evaluated the origins of cheilostome bryozoan communities. Results Bryozoans decreased from 28, 6.5 and 0.3 colonies per trawl, and 0.16, 0.046 and 0.0026 colonies per cm² of hard surface from shelf to slope to abyssal depths. We found little and no support for recolonization of the Weddell Sea shelf by bryozoans from the adjacent slope and abyss, in the scenario of LGM faunal wipe‐out. The Weddell Sea shelf bryozoan fauna was considerably more similar to those on other Antarctic shelves than to that of the adjacent (Weddell Sea) continental slope. The known bryozoan fauna of the Weddell Sea shelf is not a subset of the Weddell Sea slope or abyssal faunas. Main conclusions We consider that the composition of the current Weddell Sea bryozoan fauna is most easily explained by in situ survival. Thus we consider that at least some of the Weddell Sea fauna persisted throughout the LGM, although not necessarily at the same locations throughout, to recolonize the large area currently occupied.     

Long-Term Observations of Epibenthic Fish Zonation in the Deep Northern Gulf of Mexico

A total of 172 bottom trawl/skimmer samples (183 to 3655-m depth) from three deep-sea studies, R/V Alaminos cruises (1964–1973), Northern Gulf of Mexico Continental Slope (NGoMCS) study (1983–1985) and Deep Gulf of Mexico Benthos (DGoMB) program (2000 to 2002), were compiled to examine temporal and large-scale changes in epibenthic fish species composition. Based on percent species shared among samples, faunal groups (≥10% species shared) consistently reoccurred over time on the shelf-break (ca. 200 m), upper-slope (ca. 300 to 500 m) and upper-to-mid slope (ca. 500 to 1500 m) depths. These similar depth groups also merged when the three studies were pooled together, suggesting that there has been no large-scale temporal change in depth zonation on the upper section of the continental margin. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) also detected no significant species changes on the limited sites and areas that have been revisited across the studies (P>0.05). Based on the ordination of the species shared among samples, species replacement was a continuum along a depth or macrobenthos biomass gradient. Despite the well-known, close, negative relationship between water depth and macrofaunal biomass, the fish species changed more rapidly at depth shallower than 1,000 m, but the rate of change was surprisingly slow at the highest macrofaunal biomass (>100 mg C m⁻²), suggesting that the composition of epibenthic fishes was not altered in response to the extremely high macrofaunal biomass in the upper Mississippi and De Soto Submarine Canyons. An alternative is that the pattern of fish species turnover is related to the decline in macrofaunal biomass, the presumptive prey of the fish, along the depth gradient.     

Recent benthic foraminiferal assemblages in deep high-energy environments from the Gulf of Cadiz (Spain)

The benthic environment in the Gulf of Cadiz, north-eastern Atlantic, is strongly affected by the Mediterranean outflow water undercurrent (MOW) which flows northwards along the western Iberian Margin at 500–1500 m water depth. Foraminiferal census counts of living and dead assemblages from 27 surface samples ranging from 103 to 1917 m water depth, and the examination of hard substrates reveal a close correlation of the fauna with the local hydrography and sediment facies. Four different faunal groups are separated by factor analysis of the living fauna. Assemblage 1 contains typical lower slope species and dominates samples from the lower MOW core layer and in the North Atlantic deep water below. Shelf edge foraminifera are common in assemblage 2a which shows the highest proportions in samples from 103 to 272 m. Assemblage 2b is dominated by upper slope species and suspension-feeders that are frequent in the upper MOW core layer and in distal settings between 396 and 901 m. Species from assemblage 3 prefer epibenthic habitats and are recorded with high proportions exclusively in the immediate flow paths of the upper MOW between 496 and 881 m. Colonisation structures and species composition of epibenthic assemblages from the proximal facies largely differ from those in distal settings. In general, epibenthic foraminifers only use elevated substrates under the influence of near-bottom flow. Under high current velocities, epibenthic foraminifers prefer large and heavy objects. They colonise high attachment levels where a maximum yield of advected food particles can be achieved. In distal settings at lower flow velocities, the elevation height does not exceed 20 mm above the surrounding sediment surface. This level is related to a hydrologic transition layer with high concentrations of suspended particles. The comparison of microhabitat preferences and faunal structure under high and low current velocities reveal that substrate stability may be a confining environmental variable for endobenthic and shallow epibenthic foraminifers. The observations also indicate that the preferential settling height of epibenthic foraminifera is related to the highest lateral flux rates of food particles within reach from the sea floor. A dynamic selection of elevated microhabitats is only used by 7.8% of all species recognised in the Gulf of Cadiz area.     

Community structure and biogeography of shore fishes in the Gulf of Aqaba,Red Sea

Shore fish community structure off the Jordanian Red Sea coast was determined on fringing coral reefs and in a seagrass-dominated bay at 6 m and 12 m depths. A total of 198 fish species belonging to 121 genera and 43 families was recorded. Labridae and Pomacentridae dominated the ichthyofauna in terms of species richness and Pomacentridae were most abundant. Neither diversity nor species richness was correlated to depth. The abundance of fishes was higher at the deep reef slope, due to schooling planktivorous fishes. At 12 m depth abundance of fishes at the seagrass-dominated site was higher than on the coral reefs. Multivariate analysis demonstrated a strong influence on the fish assemblages by depth and benthic habitat. Fish species richness was positively correlated with hard substrate cover and habitat diversity. Abundance of corallivores was positively linked with live hard coral cover. The assemblages of fishes were different on the shallow reef slope, deep reef slope and seagrass meadows. An analysis of the fish fauna showed that the Gulf of Aqaba harbours a higher species richness than previously reported. The comparison with fish communities on other reefs around the Arabian Peninsula and Indian Ocean supported the recognition of an Arabian subprovince within the Indian Ocean. The affinity of the Arabian Gulf ichthyofauna to the Red Sea is not clear. Received in revised form: 2 November 2001 Electronic Publication     

The Tortonian fish fauna of Gavdos Island (Greece)

Although the occurrence of fossil fishes is known since more than one century in the Neogene of Gavdos Island (Greece), its composition remained hitherto unknown. The present study demonstrates that, in the Tortonian of Gavdos, the most abundant species is Bregmaceros albyi (Sauvage), which constitutes two thirds of the collected material. This fish fauna is indicative of an environment of moderate depth, probably corresponding to the external edge of the neritic zone, or possibly to the upper part of the continental slope. To cite this article: J. Gaudant et al., C. R. Palevol 4 (2005).     

Biogeography of helminth parasites of freshwater fishes in Mexico: the search for patterns and processes

Aim To uncover and describe patterns of biogeography of helminth parasites in freshwater fishes of Mexico, and to understand processes that determine them. Three predictions about host‐specificity, faunal exchange in transitional areas, and the biogeographical ‘core’ fauna, are evaluated, all of which follow from a fundamental hypothesis: that parasites show characteristic associations with particular host clades. The parasite fauna of the southern Mexican cichlids and of the fishes of the Mesa Central are examined as case studies that reflect Neotropical and Nearctic historical influences. Location The region covered in this study includes most of Mexico, with emphasis on six biogeographical areas: the Yucatán Peninsula (area 1), the Grijalva‐Usumacinta drainage (area 2), the Papaloapan and Pánuco drainages (area 3), the Balsas drainage (area 4), the Lerma‐Santiago drainage (area 5), and the Bravo drainage (area 6). Methods A parasite data base containing all the records of helminth parasites of freshwater fishes of Mexico was filtered to extract records of adult helminth parasites in freshwater fishes from the six biogeographical areas designated in this study. Jaccard's similarity coefficients and cluster analyses (using upgma ) were used to analyse the extent of faunal similarity between the designated biogeographical areas and between host (fish) families. Taxonomic composition of parasite assemblages in different host groups was also qualitatively compared from summary data. These data were used to test the three main predictions. Results To date, 184 species of helminths (120 as adults) have been recorded from 127 freshwater fishes in Mexico (almost 33% of the total fish diversity of Mexico). Of these parasite species, 69 are digenetic flukes, 51 are nematodes, 33 are monogeneans, 25 are tapeworms, and only six are acanthocephalans. The data and analyses from the six biogeographical areas corroborate the predictions that: (1) the adult parasite fauna is largely circumscribed by higher levels of monophyletic host taxa (families, orders, etc.), and that this pattern is independent of areas; (2) areas within a certain biogeographical region, and consequently with similar fish composition (e.g. areas 1, 2 and 3) have more similar parasite faunas compared to areas with less similar fish faunal composition; and (3) ‘core’ parasite faunas persist to some extent in transitional areas with limited host‐sharing. Main conclusions Helminth biodiversity in Mexican freshwater fishes is determined by the historical and contemporary biogeography of their hosts. Host lineage specificity, mainly at the level of the host family, appears to be an important factor in the distribution of the parasites. Most fish families (Characidae, Cichlidae, Pimelodidae, Ictaluridae, Catsotomidae, Goodeidae, Atherinidae) possess their own characteristic ‘core’ helminth fauna, with limited host‐sharing in transitional areas (e.g. areas 3 and 4). A re‐evaluation of the helminth fauna of Mexican cichlids questions the hypothesis that cichlids lost parasites during the colonization of Mexico from South America. The evidence supports the idea that they acquired new parasites by host switching, possibly from marine or brackish‐water percomorphs. In contrast, the parasite fauna of the Mesa Central remains enigmatic and reflects the region's history of endemicity with historical marine and Nearctic connections.     

Distribution of the macrobenthos fauna in the Ola River basin,northern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk

The taxonomic composition of the macrobenthos fauna and its distribution in the main stream and tributaries of the mid-size salmon Ola River, the northern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, were investigated for the first time. In the Ola River basin, 253 taxa of benthic invertebrates belonging to 3 phyla (Plathelminthes, Annelida, and Arthropoda) and 5 classes (Turbellaria, Clitellata, Crustacea, Arachnida, and Insecta) were revealed. Mayflies (Ephemeroptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera), caddisflies (Trichoptera), and midges (Chironomidae, Diptera) showed the highest species richness and dominated the benthic communities. Chironomidae comprised most of the fauna: 140 species and species groups, or more than 55% of the total diversity. The shares of identified species of mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies were subequal. Analysis of hydromorphological characteristics and the composition of aquatic insect families showed that all the areas surveyed in the Ola River basin were rhithral while the macrobenthos fauna represented there belonged to rhithron. The classification obtained by cluster analysis showed spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of the benthic fauna along the Ola River, related to changes in water temperature, slope, and altitude. The heterogeneous fauna distribution and the corresponding change in stable hydromorphological features indicated the existence of the typical epi-, meta-, and hyporhithral subzones whose boundaries were difficult to distinguish. However, the rhithral subzones selected were characterized by the habitat selectivity of certain taxa and by peculiar species richness values, thus emphasizing their individuality.     

怒江流域鱼类多样性及空间分布格局

怒江是我国西南地区重要的国际河流, 也是全球生物多样性热点区域之一。受地理位置和地形条件限制, 目前尚缺乏怒江流域鱼类物种多样性及其分布格局的系统研究。本研究利用近5年的全流域实地采样数据, 结合文献资料, 系统整理了怒江流域鱼类物种组成信息; 利用聚类和排序方法分析了怒江流域鱼类空间分布格局。结果表明, 怒江流域共有土著鱼类85种, 隶属于5目12科47属; 外来鱼类18种, 隶属于3目8科16属, 另外实地调查发现新记录外来种2种。怒江流域鱼类多样性从上游至下游呈明显的递增趋势。根据土著鱼类组成的聚类和排序分析结果, 可以将怒江25个亚流域分为3个部分: (1)西藏自治区内的上游河段, 分布有鱼类15种, 组成以裂腹鱼类、高原鳅类为主, 具有明显青藏高原冷水性鱼类区系特征。(2)贡山至泸水的中游河段, 分布有鱼类36种, 组成兼有上游冷水性鱼类和下游喜温的鲃亚科、野鲮亚科鱼类。(3)泸水以下的下游河段, 分布有鱼类74种。下游河段干流广泛分布有喜温的鲃亚科、野鲮亚科和 亚科鱼类, 支流则分布有数量众多的南鳅属(Schistura)、纹胸鮡属(Glyptothorax)鱼类, 鱼类组成以适应流水、激流环境的热带亚热带鱼类为主。2017-2021年的多次调查仅发现土著鱼类43种(占历史记录的50.6%), 土著鱼类资源衰退明显。过度捕捞、支流小水电开发、外来鱼类入侵等是主要威胁因素。随着人类活动的急剧增多, 怒江流域鱼类将面临更大的威胁, 亟需从流域层面开展系统的鱼类资源管理和保护规划。     

Characterization of food web structure of the upper continental slope of the Celtic Sea highlighting the trophic ecology of five deep‐sea fishes

In marine ecosystems, the study of trophic relationships has extensively benefited from the development of stable isotope analyses (SIA) as dietary tracers. SIA are particularly useful in elucidating the structure of deep sea food webs given the constraints involved in obtaining gut‐content data from deep trawling. We used carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses and Stable Isotope Bayesian Ellipses in R (SIBER) and Stable Isotope Analysis in R (SIAR) routines, to determine the trophic ecology of five deep‐sea fishes from the upper continental slope of the Celtic Sea. SIA made it possible to deduce some general tendencies in food‐web structure and species trophic interactions and confirmed diet determined by gut‐content analysis for the same species, in other ecoregions. More specifically, mixing models revealed that the deep sea species considered are omnivorous and are able to feed on all the sampled taxa. Based on isotopic ratio, no clear differences in fish diet could be detected from one species to another except for rabbit fish, which has benthic affinities. Three species, blackbelly rosefish, greater forkbeard and softhead grenadier showed overlapping isotopic niches. This study is the first attempt to describe the trophic ecology of deep sea species on the Celtic Sea upper continental slope. In the context of the development of ecosystem integrated modeling approaches for managing fisheries in the Celtic sea, and considering the vulnerability of deep‐water species, improving the knowledge on the trophic ecology of these local species is of importance in order to allow their sustainable exploitation.