Aquatic Fauna Biodiversity and Conservation

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Aquatic Animals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 15720

Special Issue Editors

Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266003, China
Interests: fish diversity; fish biogeography; aquatic ecology; fisheries utilization and conservation; evolution
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541000, China
Interests: fish fauna; biotic integrity; habitat heterogeneity; ecological processes; environmental pollution
First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China
Interests: population genomics; phylogenetic genomics; local adaption; species distribution model; marine biodiversity protection

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biodiversity constitutes a valuable natural resource in economic, cultural, aesthetic, scientific and educational terms. Aquatic ecosystems may well be the most endangered ecosystems in the world, facing the major threats of overexploitation, water pollution, flow modification, destruction or degradation of habitats, invasions by exotic species, climate change, as well as their combined and interacting influences, which have led to the reduction in and shrinking of aquatic biodiversity and populations worldwide. The conservation and management of aquatic systems are critical to the interest of all humans, nations and governments.

This Special Issue is searching for original and novel papers on aquatic fauna, biodiversity, threats and conservation, as well as the policy and management considerations surrounding the ongoing sustenance of aquatic ecosystems within the evolving milieu and context of climate change, offering substantial new insights in any of the aforementioned fields, including original research articles, reviews and communications.

Prof. Dr. Bin Kang
Prof. Dr. Liangliang Huang
Dr. Linlin Zhao
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • species richness
  • functional diversity
  • phylogenetic diversity
  • biological traits
  • species distribution
  • human activity
  • management
  • conservation

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 2136 KiB  
Article
Troglonectes canlinensis sp. nov. (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae), a New Troglomorphic Loach from Guangxi, China
by Shu-Jing Li, Jia-Kai Ge, Chun-Yan Bao, Li-Na Du, Fu-Guang Luo and Tong-Xiang Zou
Animals 2023, 13(10), 1712; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13101712 - 22 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1322
Abstract
A new species of the genus Troglonectes is described based on specimens from a karst cave in Andong Town, Xincheng County, Liuzhou City, Guangxi, China. Troglonectes canlinensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congener species by the following combination of characteristics: eye [...] Read more.
A new species of the genus Troglonectes is described based on specimens from a karst cave in Andong Town, Xincheng County, Liuzhou City, Guangxi, China. Troglonectes canlinensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congener species by the following combination of characteristics: eye degenerated into a black spot; whole body covered by scales, except for the head, throat, and abdomen; incomplete lateral line; forked caudal fin; 8–10 gill rakers on the first gill arch; 13–14 branched caudal fin rays; 8–9 branched dorsal fin rays; 5–6 anal fin rays; 9–10 pectoral fin rays; upper adipose keel depth mostly 1/2 of the caudal peduncle depth; and caudal fin forked. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Fauna Biodiversity and Conservation)
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14 pages, 4585 KiB  
Article
Life History Parameters and Fishing Aspects of the Alien Nimble Spray Crab Percnon gibbesi in a Native Area of the Central-East Atlantic
by Airam Guerra-Marrero, Antonio Bonino-Pérez, Ana Espino-Ruano, Lorena Couce-Montero, David Jiménez-Alvarado and José J. Castro
Animals 2023, 13(8), 1427; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13081427 - 21 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1512
Abstract
Percnon gibbesi is a native crab species characteristic of intertidal and subtidal zones of the Atlantic coast of the European Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores, Madeira, and Canary Islands), and probably also in the neighbouring rocky coasts of northwest Africa. P. gibbesi is considered an [...] Read more.
Percnon gibbesi is a native crab species characteristic of intertidal and subtidal zones of the Atlantic coast of the European Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores, Madeira, and Canary Islands), and probably also in the neighbouring rocky coasts of northwest Africa. P. gibbesi is considered an invasive alien species in almost all of the Mediterranean, with expanding populations from Spain to Turkey, including Libya. However, its biology and ecology are highly unknown, despite all its range of distribution. In the intertidal zones of Gran Canaria Island, this crab, in the intertidal zones of Gran Canaria Island, shows a carapace length range between 4.1 and 22.7 mm (4.1–22.7 in males and 5.7–22.3 in females), where females showed higher weights and lengths than males on average. However, males predominated in all samples, with a sex ratio of 1:0.57. The L for this crab was estimated to be 27 ± 3 mm (23 ± 4 mm for females and 25 ± 4 mm for males). The growth coefficient (K) was 0.24 year−1, the total mortality (Z) was Z = 1.71 year−1, and the natural mortality (M) was 0.47 year−1. Although females grow faster than males, males are more abundant in the larger length classes. Although the presence of ovigerous females indicated that reproduction takes place twice a year, from March to April and from August to September, the number of cohorts detected by the modal progression analysis showed that reproduction takes place all year. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Fauna Biodiversity and Conservation)
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13 pages, 1662 KiB  
Article
Diversity of Underwater Vocalizations in Chinese Soft-Shelled Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis)
by Lu Zhou, Jinhong Lei, Xiaofei Zhai, Ningning Lu, Haitao Shi and Jichao Wang
Animals 2023, 13(5), 812; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13050812 - 23 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1302
Abstract
Sound communication is important for underwater species. The wild population of the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) is listed as vulnerable. However, its vocalization, which can serve as the basis for ecological and evolutionary research, has not been studied. Here, we [...] Read more.
Sound communication is important for underwater species. The wild population of the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) is listed as vulnerable. However, its vocalization, which can serve as the basis for ecological and evolutionary research, has not been studied. Here, we performed underwater recordings of 23 Chinese soft-shelled turtles of different ages and sexes and identified 720 underwater calls. The turtle calls were manually divided into 10 call types according to visual and aural inspection properties. The similarity test indicated that the manual division was reliable. We described the acoustic properties of the calls and the statistical analysis showed that the peak frequency of calls was significantly different between adult females and males, and also between subadults and adults. Similar to other aquatic turtles that prefer to live in deep water, Chinese soft-shelled turtles have a high vocal diversity and many harmonic calls, indicating that this highly aquatic species developed a variety of vocalizations to enhance their underwater communication, which helped them adapt to the complex and dim underwater environment. Furthermore, the turtles showed a tendency for vocalization to become more diverse with age. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Fauna Biodiversity and Conservation)
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15 pages, 3655 KiB  
Article
Fish Community Structure and Biomass Particle-Size Spectrum in the Upper Reaches of the Jinsha River (China)
by Taiming Yan, Jiayang He, Deying Yang, Zhijun Ma, Hongjun Chen, Qian Zhang, Faqiang Deng, Lijuan Ye, Yong Pu, Mingwang Zhang, Song Yang, Shiyong Yang, Ziting Tang and Zhi He
Animals 2022, 12(23), 3412; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12233412 - 04 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1347
Abstract
To understand the characteristics of the fish community structure and biomass particle-size spectrum in the upper reaches of the Jinsha River, fish and environmental surveys were conducted in 21 segments of the upper reaches of the Jinsha River in September 2019 and June [...] Read more.
To understand the characteristics of the fish community structure and biomass particle-size spectrum in the upper reaches of the Jinsha River, fish and environmental surveys were conducted in 21 segments of the upper reaches of the Jinsha River in September 2019 and June 2020. A total of 4062 fish belonging to 2 orders, 5 families, 18 genera, and 28 species were collected. Among them, Cyprinidae fish were the most abundant (14 species), accounting for 50.00%. The Shannon index and Pielou evenness index values varied from 0.402–1.770 and 0.254–0.680, respectively. The dominant species of fish were Triplophysa stenura, Schizothorax wangchiachii, and Schizopygopsis malacanthus. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to analyse the relationship between the fish community and environmental factors. Velocity, altitude, and dissolved oxygen were the main influencing factors of fish community structure differences in the upper reaches of the Jinsha River. The abundance/biomass curves showed that the fish communities in the upper reaches of the Jinsha River were moderately or severely disturbed. The standardized biomass particle-size spectrum of fish showed that the degree of disturbance of fish in tributaries was much lower than that in the main stream. Compared with the historical data, the fish community structure in the Jinsha River has changed significantly, with the number of exotic species increasing, and the individual fish showing miniaturization and younger ages. It is suggested that habitat conservation strategies be adopted in the upper tributaries of the Jinsha River to provide a reference for the restoration of fishery resources and the conservation of fish diversity in the Yangtze River. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Fauna Biodiversity and Conservation)
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17 pages, 4861 KiB  
Article
Species Composition, Growth, and Trophic Traits of Hairtail (Trichiuridae), the Most Productive Fish in Chinese Marine Fishery
by Xiongbo He, Zhisen Luo, Chunxu Zhao, Liangliang Huang, Yunrong Yan and Bin Kang
Animals 2022, 12(22), 3078; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12223078 - 08 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1982
Abstract
Hairtail (Scombriformes: Trichiuridae) have always ranked first in single-species production in Chinese marine fishery. However, due to the confusion of species identification, in official statistics, data on hairtail production and economic value are a combination of all the different species of Trichiuridae. In [...] Read more.
Hairtail (Scombriformes: Trichiuridae) have always ranked first in single-species production in Chinese marine fishery. However, due to the confusion of species identification, in official statistics, data on hairtail production and economic value are a combination of all the different species of Trichiuridae. In this study, based on sampling along China’s coastal areas, the composition and distribution of common hairtail species, as well as their age, growth, and trophic traits, are discussed. Six species of four genera and two subfamilies were identified, and largehead hairtail (Trichiurus japonicus) and Savalai hairtail (Lepturacanthus savala) were the most important populations that constituted catch production. The growth parameter b could be divided into two groups, with values in species mostly inhabiting northern parts of Chinese seas higher than those in southern parts. Most individuals were 1–2 years of age, suggesting species sexual precocity and individual miniaturization under multiple stresses. Species of Trichiuridae are at the top of the food web and play a bottom-up role in regulating the trophic dynamics of marine food webs. Largehead hairtail showed the highest stability and the greatest impact on the stability of the trophic structure. Despite temporary resource maintenance under fishery-induced evolution, the effective recovery and reasonable utilization of hairtail resources are still the main focuses of attention for Chinese marine fishery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Fauna Biodiversity and Conservation)
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18 pages, 1546 KiB  
Article
Spatial Factors Outperform Local Environmental and Geo-Climatic Variables in Structuring Multiple Facets of Stream Macroinvertebrates’ β-Diversity
by Naicheng Wu, Guohao Liu, Min Zhang, Yixia Wang, Wenqi Peng and Xiaodong Qu
Animals 2022, 12(19), 2648; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12192648 - 02 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1555
Abstract
One of the key targets of community ecology and biogeography concerns revealing the variability and underlying drivers of biodiversity. Most current studies understand biodiversity based on taxonomic information alone, but few studies have shown the relative contributions of multiple abiotic factors in shaping [...] Read more.
One of the key targets of community ecology and biogeography concerns revealing the variability and underlying drivers of biodiversity. Most current studies understand biodiversity based on taxonomic information alone, but few studies have shown the relative contributions of multiple abiotic factors in shaping biodiversity based on taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic information. We collected 179 samples of macroinvertebrates in the Hun-Tai River Basin. We validated the complementarity between the three facets and components of β-diversity using the Mantel test. Distance-based redundancy analysis and variance partitioning were applied to explore the comparative importance of local environmental, geo-climatic, and spatial factors on each facet and component of β-diversity. Our study found that taxonomic and phylogenetic total β-diversity was mainly forced by turnover, while functional total β-diversity was largely contributed by nestedness. There is a strong correlation between taxonomic and phylogenetic β-diversity. However, the correlations of functional with both taxonomic and phylogenetic β-diversity were relatively weak. The findings of variation partitioning suggested that distinct facets and components of macroinvertebrates’ β-diversity were impacted by abiotic factors to varying degrees. The contribution of spatial factors was greater than that of the local environment and geo-climatic factors for taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic β-diversity. Thus, studying different facets and components of β-diversity allows a clearer comprehension of the influence of abiotic factors on diversity patterns. Therefore, future research should investigate patterns and mechanisms of β-diversity from taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic perspectives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Fauna Biodiversity and Conservation)
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13 pages, 1617 KiB  
Article
Signals of Potential Species Associations Offer Clues about Community Organisation of Stream Fish across Seasons
by Chen Zhang, Yuzhou Zhang, Jorge García-Girón, Kai Tan, Lei Wang, Yihao Ge and Yunzhi Yan
Animals 2022, 12(13), 1721; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12131721 - 03 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1516
Abstract
Environmental filtering, spatial factors and species interactions are fundamental ecological mechanisms for community organisation, yet the role of such interactions across different environmental and spatial settings remains mostly unknown. In this study, we investigated fish community organisation scenarios and seasonal species-to-species associations potentially [...] Read more.
Environmental filtering, spatial factors and species interactions are fundamental ecological mechanisms for community organisation, yet the role of such interactions across different environmental and spatial settings remains mostly unknown. In this study, we investigated fish community organisation scenarios and seasonal species-to-species associations potentially reflecting biotic associations along the Qiupu River (China). Based on a latent variable approach and a tree-based method, we compared the relative contribution of the abiotic environment, spatial covariates and potential species associations for variation in the community structure, and assessed whether different assembly scenarios were modulated by concomitant changes in the interaction network structure of fish communities across seasons. We found that potential species associations might have been underestimated in community-based assessments of stream fish. Omnivore species, since they have more associations with other species, were found to be key components sustaining fish interaction networks across different stream orders. Hence, we suggest that species interactions, such as predation and competition, likely played a key role in community structure. For instance, indices accounting for network structure, such as connectance and nestedness, were strongly correlated with the unexplained residuals from our latent variable approach, thereby re-emphasising that biotic signals, potentially reflecting species interactions, may be of primary importance in determining stream fish communities across seasons. Overall, our findings indicate that interaction network structures are a powerful tool to reflect the contribution of potential species associations to community assembly. From an applied perspective, this study should encourage freshwater ecologists to empirically capture and manage biotic constraints in stream ecosystems across different geographical and environmental settings, especially in the context of the ever-increasing impacts of human-induced local extinction debts and species invasions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Fauna Biodiversity and Conservation)
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16 pages, 2686 KiB  
Article
Diversity, Distribution, and Biogeography of Freshwater Fishes in Guangxi, China
by Jiayang He, Zhiqiang Wu, Liangliang Huang, Minhui Gao, Hao Liu, Yangyan Sun, Saeed Rad and Lina Du
Animals 2022, 12(13), 1626; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12131626 - 24 Jun 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1925
Abstract
The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has the largest number of cavefish species in the world and is a global biodiversity hotspot. In this study, a species list of freshwater fishes in 12 Sub−basins of Guangxi was compiled systematically. Moreover, the species composition and [...] Read more.
The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has the largest number of cavefish species in the world and is a global biodiversity hotspot. In this study, a species list of freshwater fishes in 12 Sub−basins of Guangxi was compiled systematically. Moreover, the species composition and distribution of the diversity were analyzed via the G-F index, taxonomic diversity index, and beta diversity index. Results showed that 380 species of freshwater fishes were recorded in this region, which belonged to 158 genera in 43 families and 17 orders in 2 phyla, in which 128 species of endemic fishes and 83 species of cavefish accounted for 33.68% and 21.84%, respectively. The species diversity from northwest to southeast gradually decreased for most Sub−basins. The G-F index has generally risen in recent years. The taxonomic diversity index showed that the freshwater fish taxonomic composition in Guangxi is uneven. The spatial turnover component was the main contributor to beta diversity. A cluster analysis showed that the 12 Sub−basins in the study area could be divided into four groups, and the phylogenetic relationships of freshwater fishes in Guangxi generally reflect the connections between water systems and geological history. The freshwater fish system in Guangxi, which belonged to the South China division in the Southeast Asiatic subregion of the Oriental region, originated in the early Tertiary period. The results will provide the information needed for freshwater fish resource protection in Guangxi and a reference for promoting the normalization of fish diversity conservation in the Pearl River Basin and other basins. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Fauna Biodiversity and Conservation)
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13 pages, 2348 KiB  
Article
Temporal Changes of Fish Diversity and Driver Factors in a National Nature Reserve, China
by Dongmei Luo, Ziwei Wan, Chenchen Jia, Yiqiu Zhu, Qin Zou, Fangfei Ye, Yan Feng, Mi Zhang, Xiaoping Wu, Xiongjun Liu and Shan Ouyang
Animals 2022, 12(12), 1544; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12121544 - 14 Jun 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1891
Abstract
Freshwater-fish diversity declined rapidly due to multiple anthropogenic disturbances. The loss of fish diversity often manifested itself in taxonomic homogenization over time. Knowledge of multi-faceted diversity (i.e., species, functional, and phylogenetic diversity) perspectives is important for biodiversity assessment and conservation planning. Here, we [...] Read more.
Freshwater-fish diversity declined rapidly due to multiple anthropogenic disturbances. The loss of fish diversity often manifested itself in taxonomic homogenization over time. Knowledge of multi-faceted diversity (i.e., species, functional, and phylogenetic diversity) perspectives is important for biodiversity assessment and conservation planning. Here, we analyzed the change of the species diversity and phylogenetic diversity of fish in 2008 and 2021 as well as explored the driver factors of the biodiversity patterns in the Lushan National Nature Reserve. The results showed that the species diversity and phylogenetic diversity of fish have declined from 2008 to 2021, with five species lost over time. We found an overall homogenization trend in the fish fauna of the study area, with a 4% increase in taxonomic similarity among the rivers. Additionally, we found that community structure of fish was significantly different among the rivers, and environmental filtering was the main contributor to the phylogenetic diversity of fish in 2008 and 2021. This study provides new insight into the patterns and drivers of fish-biodiversity change in the broader Yangtze River basin and informs management efforts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aquatic Fauna Biodiversity and Conservation)
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