Comparison of inshore and offshore fish larval assemblages within the wider Yangtze River estuary (China)

It is hypothesized that fish larvae undertake vertical movements in estuarine waters. To test this hypothesis, a sampling period was selected during times when many spring‐spawning fish reach maximum abundance in coastal waters so that spring and summer variations in larval fish assemblages could be determined in the Yangtze River estuary. Six oceanographic surveys were conducted across the salinity gradient of an inshore (freshwater) and offshore area (brackish intersection) during spring (May) and summer (August) between 2010 and 2012. The fish larval community was dominated by species of Engraulidae, Gobiidae, Champsodontidae and Mugilidae. The pre‐flexion and flexion larval stages of euryhaline marine species, which are dependent on estuaries as nursery areas, were common. The brackish and marine larval assemblage was the most abundant with taxa such as Coilia mystus and Engraulis japonicus accounting for more than 57.3% of the total catch. Spatial differences in the taxonomic composition of larval fish assemblages were evident between the inshore and offshore areas. Additionally, the Yangtze River runoff regulatory functions as affected by the Three Gorges Reservoir operational mode (hydrological alternating operations) showed weak influences on fish and habitat environments. Low salinities from high freshwater inflow limited bay anchovy production in the inshore area.     

Temporal dynamics of stream fish assemblages and the role of spatial scale in quantifying change

1. Spatial grain of studies of communities is often based on arbitrary convention. Few studies have examined how spatial scaling of grain size affects estimates of compositional change over time, despite its broad implications.
2. Fish assemblage structure was compared between 1974 and 2014 at 33 sampling locations in the Muddy Boggy River drainage, USA. The two main objectives for this comparison were to quantify change in assemblage structure and to test for a relationship between compositional change and spatial scale. Spatial scale was manipulated by pooling assemblage data into a continuous range of groups, which increased in size from K = 33 pairs (i.e., local scale) to K = 1 pair (i.e., global scale), via clustering algorithm based on pair‐wise fluvial distance.
3. Local assemblages (stream reaches) varied in the degree of assemblage change over time (range = 0.10–0.99 dissimilarity; mean = 0.66). The global assemblage (drainage), however, remained relatively similar. A discontinuity in the relationship between compositional change and spatial scale occurred at K = 15 (mean dissimilarity = 0.56; p = .062), and this grouping is roughly the size of the headwater/tributary drainages (i.e., stream order ≤ 3) in the study system.
4. Spatial scale can impact estimates of biodiversity change over time. These results suggest assemblages are more dynamic at individual stream reaches than at the scale of the entire drainage. The decline in assemblage change at the spatial scale of K = 15 deserves further attention given the marginal significance, despite a small sample size (n = 15). This pattern could suggest regional and meta‐community processes become more important in shaping assemblage dynamics at the scale of headwater drainages, whereas the factors responsible for driving individual stream reach dynamics (e.g., stochasticity) become less important. Defining assemblages at a larger scale will result in different estimates of species persistence. Biodiversity monitoring efforts must take the effect of spatial scaling into consideration.

     

Temporal and spatial variation in the long-term functional organization of fish assemblages in a large river

We examined abundances of fishes by ecological categories for variation with time (years) and longitudinal river distance (km) in the Wabash River, a large US Midwestern river. An ordination resulted in significant correlations with time for an axis that represented increases in surface-feeding invertivores and species that prefer sand substrates. We found increased abundances of planktivores and species with high tolerance to silt in downstream river sites. We found significant changes in abundance for the majority of ecological categories in comparisons of upstream–downstream locations. There was a general decrease in abundances of taxa in ecological categories that tend to inhabit upstream reaches: species that prefer rubble substrates, inhabit fast, and moderate current velocity habitats, and that have low silt tolerance with time. These abundance changes suggest that the upstream river experienced increased sedimentation during 1974–1998. The use of ecological categories provided information for likely habitat changes, such as increased sedimentation, that were not apparent in previous taxonomic analyses. We suggest that combinations of anthropogenic impacts including hydrologic alterations and agricultural activities in the Wabash River resulted in ecosystem changes and subsequent changes in abundance of fishes by ecological categories.     

Spatial and Temporal variations of mangrove fish assemblages in Martinique (French West Indies)

A study of the mangrove fish fauna in a bay of Martinique Island (French West Indies) was carried out at different seasons during two consecutive years. fishes were sampled with specific hoop-nets in the coastal areas at 8 stations.A total of 87 species was collected in the bay. Most individuals were represented by small-size specimens and juveniles. The overall species richness varied according to the stations and the sampling periods. The biomass and number of individuals were variable according to the location but remained stable in time. A factor correspondence analysis and a hierarchical clustering with median links were used to follow the evolution of the stations in space and time. Two types of stations were differentiated: the stations characterized by the mangrove and those under the influence of seagrass beds. A seasonal cycle, opposing the dry periods to the others, was observed.Thus, it seems that the use of the mangrove habitat by the fishes is optimized through a complete reorganization of communities in terms of species composition whereas the overall number and biomass remain stable. This model remains valid even for the most constraining biota of the mangrove ecosystem inhabited by a small number of well adapted species.     

Year-to-year variation in larval fish assemblages of the Southern North Sea

In order to test the temporal stability within and the reproducibility of larval fish assemblages between years, the larval fish assemblage at Helgoland Roads, North Sea (NE Atlantic) was quantitatively sampled almost daily from January 2003 to December 2005. The survey resulted in a total of 462 samples containing 50,632 larval fish of at least 42 taxa. In winter the larval fish assemblage was mainly dominated by larvae emerging from demersal eggs. This changed gradually to larvae hatching from pelagic eggs. Larvae from pelagic eggs dominated the ichthyoplankton assemblage in summer. A remarkably stable seasonality in terms of dominance patterns with recurring, season-specific fish assemblages was observed over the 3 years, despite substantial variation in environmental conditions such as a temperature difference of almost 20°C between summer and winter. The lesser sandeel (Ammodytes marinus), was the only species which showed significant fluctuations in abundance between the years. After removal of this species from the analysis, the dominance patterns of the remaining fish species were almost identical between years.     

Trophic dependencies of some larval chironomidae (Diptera) and fish species in the River Thames

Experiments are described to characterise the heterotrophic potential of Westiellopsis prolifica Janet, which fixes nitrogen under light and dark conditions. The growth of the organism in terms of dry weight increase, was more in fructose, lactose, sucrose, sorbose, galactose, glucose, sodium acetate, mannitol, sorbitol, glycerol, ethyl alcohol and butyl alcohol, when the alga was pretreated with light and subsequently incubated with the substrates in light. Mannose, xylose, acetic acid, propionic acid, fructose 1,6 di Po₄, pyruvic acid, dihydroxyacetone and succinic acid decreased the growth of the organism in the same condition. In dark incubation after pretreatment with light, as well as in the dark, Westiellopsis showed a better growth response to almost all the exogenous substrates. However, after pretreatment either with light or dark, the test organism utilised exogenous substrates quicker in light than in dark incubations. These experiments would suggest that the substrate specificity and efficiency of substrate utilisation by the alga during its heterotrophic growth are governed by the growth conditions.     

Environmental forcing and larval fish assemblage dynamics in the Lima River estuary (northwest Portugal)

This study investigated the potential control of selected abioticparameters on an estuarine larval fish assemblage from the LimaRiver. Surveys were done fortnightly during spring tides, fromApril 2002 until April 2004, at 11 stations distributed alongthe estuary from the mouth to 7 km upstream. The surveys consistedof subsurface plankton tows of 5-min duration using a 1-m diameter,500-µm mesh net and coupled with vertical profile measurementsof temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and turbidity.The Lima River estuary exhibited seasonal vertical stratificationof salinity during the winter period, when salinity sharplyincreased with depth and a layer of fresh water was sometimespresent at the surface. Temperature was always vertically stratified.Cooler water was typically found near the bottom of the watercolumn, except during winter, when a thermal inversion occurred.A seasonal decrease in abundance and diversity of the larvalassemblage was observed during winter, when fish larvae werealmost absent from the plankton collections. Canonical correspondenceanalysis (CCA) results showed that the first axis representeda temporal gradient and the second axis represented a spatialgradient. Seasonal variations on temperature and precipitationwere responsible for the temporal differences on the fish larvalassemblages. This study reinforced the concept that interannualclimate and hydrodynamic variations have a strong influenceon estuarine ichthyoplankton and, consequently, on the recruitmentof marine coastal fish populations. This paper was presented at Plankton Symposium III, held atFiguera da Foz, Portugal between 17 and 20 March 2005, underthe auspices of the University of Coimbra and the Universityof Aveiro, and coordinated by Mário Jorge Pereira andUlisses M. Azeiteiro.     

Temporal variability in fish assemblages from disturbed and undisturbed streams

Fish assemblages were sampled by electrofishingover a two- to ten-year period in undisturbedand anthropogenically disturbed South Carolinacoastal plain streams. Jaccard similarity,Bray–Curtis similarity, and Spearman rankcorrelations among samples collected from thesame sites over time were significantly greaterat undisturbed sites than at disturbed sites,suggesting greater fish assemblage persistenceand stability at the undisturbed sites. TheIndex of Biotic Integrity (IBI) also exhibitedsignificantly less variation over time atundisturbed sites than at disturbed sites.Physical habitat structure changed more overtime at disturbed sites than at undisturbedsites, and this variability was directlyrelated to temporal variability in fishassemblage structure. Comparisons betweenmultiple and single pass electrofishing samplessuggested that only a small proportion of thetemporal variability observed at the studysites was caused by inefficient sampling.Assessment of temporal variation in fishassemblage structure can serve as an indicatorof environmental disturbance and facilitate thedistinction of substantive ecological changefrom normal background variation.     

Depth distribution of nearshore temperate fish larval assemblages near rocky substrates

In this study, we compare the composition, abundance and structureof a temperate fish larval assemblage at different depth intervals(0–4, 4–8 and 8–12 m) in the extreme nearshoreenvironment. We used a plankton net attached to an underwaterscooter to sample in close proximity to the rocky substrate(<50 cm). A total of 868 larvae from 27 taxa in 13 familieswere caught. The majority of larvae belonged to benthic reef-associatedspecies (Blenniidae, Gobiidae, Gobiesocidae and Tripterygiidae),the four most abundant comprising 76% of the total larvae caught.A non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis (MDS) showedthat there was a single multispecific larval patch near thesubstrate in the extreme nearshore up to 12 m depth. Nonetheless,distinct larval abundances were found in this relatively smalldepth range, with the majority of species being more abundantat the deepest interval, particularly Pomatoschistus pictusand Gobius xanthocephalus. Tripterygion delaisi was an exceptionbeing more abundant at the shallowest depth as young larvae.The density of pre-flexion larvae was not significantly differentacross depth intervals, but post-flexion larval density increasedwith depth. The full size range (from hatching to settlement)of P. pictus was present at the extreme nearshore. The innovativesampling technique used here revealed high densities of larvaeclose to the bottom, and depth was found to be an importantfactor influencing the distribution of several taxa and ontogeneticstages. The nearshore component of coastal fish larval assemblagesnear rocky substrates has been poorly studied, and our resultssuggest that the high densities of larvae found to aggregatein these environments must be taken into account when studyingdistribution and functional aspects of these assemblages.     

Temporal and spatial variability in midge assemblages from a backwater lake in Pool 2, Mississippi River

The temporal and spatial variability in the midge assemblage found in a backwater lake of the Mississippi River was examined. Bi-weekly samples were taken during the summers of 1987 and 1988. Four taxa of chironomids were found. The population density and sizes of chironomids, and the proportion that each taxon comprised of the midge assemblage, varied significantly in time and space. In an attempt to examine whether the variability noted was related to sediment accretion in the lake, sedimentation rates were measured. There were few correlations among sedimentation rate or the organic matter content of the collected sediment and the structure of the midge assemblage. Those few correlations that were statistically significant were low and often paradoxical. For example negative relationships were found between the density and size of Chironomus spp., a detritivore, and the amount of sediment deposited or its organic matter content. Also no significant relationships were found between the density of the predator Cryptochironomus spp. and the density of other chironomids (potential prey). These negative findings indicate that factors other than food, such as sediment texture, may be more important than food availability in structuring chironomid assemblages in backwater areas. There was spatial variability in the densities and sizes of chironomids that may be explained by differences in sediment texture and organic matter. This suggests that short-term inputs of sediment (as ascertained by sediment traps) may not greatly influence midge assemblages while the long-term changes in sediment composition may have large influences.     

Habitat diversity and fish assemblages in an African river basin (Nyagui River, Zimbabwe)

Little is known about the ecology of stream fishes in Zimbabwe and this study investigated fish communities in the Nyagui River basin and is one of the first to examine the relationship between fish assemblages and habitat diversity in Zimbabwe. Fourteen sampling stations were, for convenience, divided into three groups; upper (>1400 m above sea level), middle (1000–14000 m) and lower stations (<1000 m). A total of 24 species were collected, four of which were introduced, and the species composition differed according to the location of the stations. Species that favoured running water and/or rocks were generally absent from the upper stations, reflecting the fact that they were mostly sandy‐bottomed and still. Diversity and relative abundance increased in the mid‐ and low‐altitude stations, which were rockier and faster flowing. Both species diversity and relative abundance increased with the catchment area above each station, which was attributed to increased habitat diversity in larger streams. This view was supported by a strong correlation between habitat diversity and catchment area, and between habitat diversity and species richness and relative abundance. At present, the Nyagui system is relatively unregulated but the Kunzvi Dam, presently under construction, will change this situation and species diversity is likely to decrease owing to the loss of rheophilic species while other groups, notably cichlids and introduced species will increase.     

Temporal and spatial variability of pelagic wild fish assemblages around Atlantic bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus farms in the eastern Adriatic Sea

The abundance and size structure of wild fishes aggregated around the sea‐cages of two commercial Thunnus thynnus farms, including control locations, were assessed and compared over a 1 year period. The T. thynnus farms were located in the eastern Adriatic Sea, offshore of the islands of Ugljan and Bra?. Fish assemblages were evaluated through visual census using scuba at 2 month intervals at two sites within each farm. The data suggest that wild fish assemblages at the study sites differed greatly; 20 species occurred at the Ugljan farm and 17 at the Bra? farm, while only seven species were observed at the control locations. The abundance and diversity of wild fish assemblages were greater at the farms in comparison to control locations. The most abundant families were Sparidae and Belonidae (>80% of aggregated fishes). At both farms, the abundance and diversity of wild fishes were highest during summer, while diversity was lowest in winter and was mainly characterized by schools of bogue Boops boops and garfish Belone belone. Variability was also detected in spatial assemblages between farms; B. boops and B. belone were the most abundant species for the overall study at the Bra? farm, while B. belone and saddled bream Oblada melanura were the most abundant at the Ugljan farm. The settlement also played a significant role in farm‐associated fish assemblages, as both juveniles and advanced juveniles were common residents at farms. The majority of species which settled at the farms belonged to the sparids. Results indicate that aggregations of wild fishes at T. thynnus farms are persistent year‐round, though the assemblage compositions and size structures of dominant species vary in respect to location and season.     

Temporal and spatial patterns in littoral-zone fish assemblages of a reservoir (Lake Texoma,Oklahoma-Texas,U.S.A.)

Synopsis We sampled the littoral-zone fish fauna of Lake Texoma reservoir by electrofishing from January through December 1986 to examine species abundance, species associations and assemblage structure. Although total fish abundance differed significantly across seasons, only one common species (Dorosoma cepedianum) exhibited significant seasonal movement into or out of the littoral zone. Overall littoral-zone assemblage structure (based on rank order of species abundance) was concordant across seasons and habitat types, (vegetation, wood, open). However, within individual seasons and habitat types, assemblage structure was likely influenced by temporal and spatial differences in habitat availability and physicochemical conditions. Associations characteristic of species in natural aquatic environments were not well developed among species in this partly artificial, evolutionarily short-lived reservoir assemblage. Conditions related to water-level fluctuation appeared to deter the formation of persistent species associations and assemblage structure, especially in vegetation and open littoral zone habitats of this multi-purpose reservoir.Senior author     

Temporal variability of pelagic fish assemblages around fish aggregation devices: biological and physical influences

Pelagic fishes were counted around four fish aggregation devices (FADs) moored between 3 and 10 km offshore on the continental shelf off Sydney, Australia. Visual counts were made at FADs on 81 days periodically from April 1999 to April 2002. Surface water temperature and current speed were also measured at the FADs. Assemblages of fishes at FADs followed a seasonal pattern, however, biological and physical variables influenced seasonal structure greatly. Abundances at FADs were greatest in spring due to the appearance of large schools (100s to 1000s) of juvenile Trachurus sp. In contrast, diversity was far greater in summer and autumn, principally due to the appearance of schools (10s to 100s) of juvenile Coryphaena hippurus (Coryphaenidae), and other warm water species from January to May when water temperatures were >20° C. Short‐term variability differed among species; C. hippurus fluctuated greatly among counts separated by 2–3 days, while Seriola lalandi (Carangidae) and Alutera monoceros (Monacanthidae) abundances were more stable, indicating greater residence times at FADs for these two species. Marked differences in fish assemblages occurred between times when predators were present and absent, with few small fishes being observed when piscivorous predators occurred at FADs, regardless of season. Furthermore, abundances of C. hippurus and A. monoceros were correlated with current speed, with greatest abundances observed when currents were strong and weak, respectively. The results indicated that much of the temporal variability in fish assemblages at moored FADs could be explained by biological and physical factors.     

长江口水域夏季鱼卵和仔稚鱼年间变化

基于2005年、2008年、2009年和2011年8月(夏季)在长江口水域(30°30'—31°45'N,121°15'—123°10'E)4个航次的浮游生物拖网资料,分析了长江口水域鱼卵和仔稚鱼的种类组成、数量分布特征及其年间变化。结果表明:4个航次采集的鱼卵和仔稚鱼鉴定到种的种类有17种,隶属于8目13科,以鲈形目种类最多,11种,其次是鲱形目,5种,其他各目种类均小于5种;种类数存在明显年间差异,2005年种类数最多(鱼卵3种,仔稚鱼8种),其次是2009年和2011年,2008年种类数最少(鱼卵1种,仔稚鱼5种)。优势种年间更替明显,长蛇鲻(Saurida elongata)、虾虎鱼(Gobiidae spp.)和中华小公鱼(Stolephorus chinensis)在2005年是优势种,2008年优势种为鳀鱼(Engraulis japonicus),2009年优势种为鳀鱼、寡鳞飘鱼(Pseudolaubuca engraulis)、虾虎鱼等,2011年虾虎鱼和小公鱼(包括小公鱼属未定种Stolephorus spp.和中华小公鱼Stolephorus chinensis)成为优势种。2005年鱼卵和仔稚鱼数量分布的密集区在嵊泗列岛附近水域,2008年鱼卵和仔稚鱼出现较少,未出现明显的数量密集区;2009年鱼卵数量较少,仔稚鱼数量较多,密集区主要分布在在长江口以外123°E附近水域;2011年鱼卵主要分布在在长江北支口门外附近水域,仔稚鱼在调查区内分布相对均匀。     

Functional convergence of fish assemblages in urban streams of Brazil and the United States

The aim of this study was describe functional faunal assemblages occurring in streams with high influence of urbanization in USA and Brazil to answer the question whether similar biological traits of fish assemblages would be found between streams with high influence of urbanization in USA and Brazil. We compiled data on the structure and composition of freshwater fishes in 46 urban streams in the USA and 10 urban streams in Brazil. Data on functional traits was established in accordance with ordinal data on abundance. Cluster analysis was conducted to examine relationships among species composition across all sites sampled and to uncover patterns in functional traits of the fish assemblages by nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS). The cluster analysis separated the biogeographic regions in relation to the fish fauna composition. However, the ordination analysis (NMS) did not reveal differences between functional traits in Brazil and USA urban fish assemblages, suggesting functional similarity of very disparate zoogeographic assemblages.     

Temporal and spatial distribution of young Brachyplatystoma spp. (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae) along the rapids stretch of the Madeira River (Brazil) before the construction of two hydroelectric dams

Monthly (April 2009 to May 2010) bottom‐trawl sampling for Brachyplatystoma species along the rapids stretch of the Madeira River in Brazil revealed that Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii larvae and juveniles were present in low abundances in all areas and during all hydrological periods. The presence of larvae and juveniles throughout the hydrological cycle suggests asynchronous spawning in the headwaters of the Madeira River.     

Spatial and seasonal variations in fish assemblages of the Yangtze River estuary

This study aimed to test the hypothesis that biotic influences play a role in determining estuarine fish assemblages. Thus the mechanisms that regulate the observed spatial niche segregation between fish species with morphological and ecological similarities within estuaries were investigated. Fishes were sampled seasonally at 30 stations along an entire salinity gradient of the Yangtze River estuary from spring 2010 to winter 2011, using bottom trawling (10 mm mesh size in the cod end). A total of 62 species belonging to 28 families were collected. Marine migrants (21) and estuarine species (19) dominated the assemblage and accounted for the highest abundances (marine migrants = 42.5%, estuarine species = 38.3%), with the marine migrants having the highest biomass (57.2%). Canonical correspondence analyses indicated that chlorophyll a, salinity, temperature, and geographic distance were the four main variables influencing the occurrence of fishes within the system. A stable fish assemblage in the upper zone during the wet season (spring and summer) was more obvious than in the dry season. The Pianka index showed a clear spatial segregation in four pairs of tonguesoles species (Cygonobius), and in most pairs of gobiids (Gobiidae), and a high degree of overlapping (>0.60) in only four pairs of gobiid species during the wet season. However, according to the results of the null model the observed segregating or pattern sharing was not caused by interspecific competition.     

Oceanographic and lunar forcing affects nearshore larval fish assemblages from temperate rocky reefs

The influence of oceanographic features and moon phases on ichthyoplankton assemblages in a temperate nearshore rocky reef off El Quisco Bay, central Chile, was assessed during austral spring–summer 2015–2016 using Bongo nets. Wind direction was predominantly south-west, and ocean temperature increased gradually during the study period, fluctuating between 11.6°C and 17.7°C. A relatively cold period (from late September to early December, 12.42?±?0.64°C) was distinguished from a relatively warmer phase (from mid-December to February, 13.56?±?1.08°C). Nearshore ichthyoplankton was composed of 13,700 individuals, belonging to 43 taxa. Larval Strangomera bentincki (Clupeidae) were collected in high numbers between late September and late October with peaks during full moon and first quarter (maximum?=?734 ind. 100?m^?3); larval Engraulis ringens (Engraulidae) was most abundant between late October and late December 2015, with peaks during the third quarter and full moon. Principal Component Analysis of ichthyoplankton data explained more than 44% of total variance and showed the influence of cold/warm periods in the structuring of larval fish assemblages. Water temperature had more influence than lunar phase in the structure and composition of nearshore fish larvae off central Chile. We conclude that larval fish assemblages found in nearshore waters change on a seasonal scale by differences in the reproductive activity among species, and that lunar phase exerts a low, but significant effect on the abundance of fish larvae, but this variability is species-specific.     

Temporal and spatial expression pattern of the myostatin gene during larval and juvenile stages of the Chilean flounder (Paralichthys adspersus)

The full length cDNA sequence of the myostatin gene was cloned from a teleostean fish, the Chilean flounder (Paralichthys adspersus) through RT-PCR amplification coupled with the RACE approach to complete the 5'- and 3'-region. The deduced amino acid sequence encodes a protein of 377 amino acid residues, including the structural domains responsible for its biological activity. Amino acid sequence comparison revealed high sequence conservation, and confirmed that the isolated sequence corresponds to the MSTN1 gene. Gene expression analysis showed that cfMSTN mRNA is present in a wide variety of tissues in juvenile fish. In addition, we assessed the spatial expression pattern of the MSTN mRNA during embryos and larval stages through whole mount in situ hybridization. No expression was observed in embryos, whereas in larvae of 8 and 9 days post fertilization, the notochord, somites, intestine and some discrete territories in the head, such as brain and eye, were positive for MSTN mRNA. Our results contribute to the knowledge of the MSTN system in larval and juvenile stages; in particular the strong expression observed in the notochord suggests that MSTN, in synchronization with positive growth signals, may play an important role in the control of the development of larvae somites.