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Fishes
Special Issues
Adaptation and Response of Fish to Environmental Changes
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Adaptation and Response of Fish to Environmental Changes

A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Environment and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 January 2026 | Viewed by 2900

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jie Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China
Interests: fish ecology; aquaculture; environmental adaptation
Dr. Mingdian Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan 430023, China
Interests: fishery resources and ecological protection; fishery resources survey; fish biology
Dr. Yaqiu Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510380, China
Interests: eco-physiology; ecology and evolution; fish ecology and behavior; microbiome; environmental DNA

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The fish are the most diverse group of vertebrates on Earth, with more than 34,000 species living in freshwater, saltwater, and the deep ocean, and they are critical to global ecosystems and food supply. They encompass various physiological and ecological adaptations in response to various habitat environments. In order to adapt to the complex and changing living environment, fish have evolved a variety of functional traits, including external morphology, reproductive ability, trophic level,  growth rate, reproductive characteristics, metabolic efficiency, etc., which has been considered as a key factor reflecting the ecological adaptation potential of species. Moreover, the gut microbiome has been recognized as a vital "microbial trait" of fish and is closely related to many characteristics of its host. Thus, it is necessary to deliver valuable insights into behavioral ecology, eco-physiology, population dynamics, and genetics, as well as the monitoring of ecosystems in exploring fish response to rapid environmental change, which provides effective information for fish conservation and ecosystem health. This Special Issue aims to showcase the adaptation and response of freshwater fish to environmental changes.  We invite researchers, scientists, and practitioners to submit original research articles and reviews that address, but which are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Fish  population and community;
  • Fish habitat;
  • Fish eco-physiology;
  • Fish behavior monitoring;
  • Fish conservation biology;
  • Gut microbiome and its insight into differences in fish physiology and behavior;
  • Ecological adaptation of fish to human disturbance (e.g., hydroelectric development);
  • Responses of fish communities to climate change.

We encourage contributions from interdisciplinary research teams, encompassing fisheries scientists, ecologists, biologists, and policymakers, to provide a comprehensive overview of the field.

Prof. Dr. Jie Li
Dr. Mingdian Liu
Guest Editors

Dr. Yaqiu Liu
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fishes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • eco-physiology
  • behavior monitoring
  • ecological adaptation
  • climate change
  • human activities

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 3457 KB  
Article
Transcriptome Analysis Revealed the Immune and Metabolic Responses of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) Under Acute Salinity Stress
by Leshan Ruan, Baocan Wei, Yanlin Liu, Rongfei Mu, Huang Li and Shina Wei
Fishes 2025, 10(8), 380; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10080380 - 5 Aug 2025
Viewed by 355
Abstract
Freshwater salinization, an escalating global environmental stressor, poses a significant threat to freshwater biodiversity, including fish communities. This study investigates the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus), a species with the highest aquaculture output in China, to elucidate the molecular underpinnings of its [...] Read more.
Freshwater salinization, an escalating global environmental stressor, poses a significant threat to freshwater biodiversity, including fish communities. This study investigates the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus), a species with the highest aquaculture output in China, to elucidate the molecular underpinnings of its physiological adaptations to fluctuating salinity gradients. We used high-throughput mRNA sequencing and differential gene expression profiling to analyze transcriptional dynamics in intestinal and kidney tissues of grass carp exposed to heterogeneous salinity stressors. Concurrent serum biochemical analyses showed salinity stress significantly increased Na+, Cl−, and osmolarity, while decreasing lactate and glucose. Salinity stress exerted a profound impact on the global transcriptomic landscape of grass carp. A substantial number of co-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in kidney and intestinal tissues were enriched in immune and metabolic pathways. Specifically, genes associated with antigen processing and presentation (e.g., cd4-1, calr3b) and apoptosis (e.g., caspase17, pik3ca) exhibited upregulated expression, whereas genes involved in gluconeogenesis/glycolysis (e.g., hk2, pck2) were downregulated. KEGG pathway enrichment analyses revealed that metabolic and cellular structural pathways were predominantly enriched in intestinal tissues, while kidney tissues showed preferential enrichment of immune and apoptotic pathways. Rigorous validation of RNA-seq data via qPCR confirmed the robustness and cross-platform consistency of the findings. This study investigated the core transcriptional and physiological mechanisms regulating grass carp’s response to salinity stress, providing a theoretical foundation for research into grass carp’s resistance to salinity stress and the development of salt-tolerant varieties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adaptation and Response of Fish to Environmental Changes)
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17 pages, 4136 KB  
Article
The Effects of Interactions Between Key Environmental Factors on Non-Specific Indicators in Carassius auratus
by Bin Wang, Hang Yang, Hanping Mao and Qiang Shi
Fishes 2025, 10(8), 372; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10080372 - 2 Aug 2025
Viewed by 322
Abstract
Carassius auratus exhibits significant physiological and behavioral alterations under the combined stress of temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) fluctuations, which are common challenges in aquaculture. In this investigation, we employed controlled thermal and DO gradients to characterize the multidimensional response profile of this [...] Read more.
Carassius auratus exhibits significant physiological and behavioral alterations under the combined stress of temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) fluctuations, which are common challenges in aquaculture. In this investigation, we employed controlled thermal and DO gradients to characterize the multidimensional response profile of this species. The key findings revealed that thermal elevation profoundly influenced blood glucose and cortisol concentrations. Notably, exposure to hyperoxic conditions markedly attenuated stress responses relative to hypoxia at equivalent temperatures: cortisol levels were significantly suppressed (reductions of 60.11%, 118.06%, and 34.72%), while blood glucose levels exhibited concurrent increases (16.42%, 26.43%, and 26.34%). Distinctive behavioral patterns, including floating head behavior, surface swimming behavior, and rollover behavior, were identified as indicative behaviors of thermal–oxygen stress. Molecular analysis demonstrated the upregulated expression of stress-associated genes (HSP70, HSP90, HIF-1α, and Prdx3), which correlated temporally with elevated cortisol and glucose concentrations and the manifestation of stress behaviors. Furthermore, a muscle texture assessment indicated that increased DO availability mitigated the textural deterioration induced by heat stress. Collectively, this work establishes an authentic biomarker framework, providing crucial threshold parameters essential for the development of intelligent, real-time environmental monitoring and dynamic regulation systems to enhance climate-resilient aquaculture management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adaptation and Response of Fish to Environmental Changes)
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15 pages, 1646 KB  
Article
Comparing Ecosystem Structure and Function of the Geheyan Reservoir Based on the Ecopath Model After a Fishing Ban
by Miao Xiang, Haoran Liu, Nian Wei, Zihao Meng, Feifei Hu and Xuemei Li
Fishes 2025, 10(4), 168; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10040168 - 9 Apr 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 590
Abstract
The Geheyan Reservoir, located on the Qingjiang River, a tributary of the Yangtze River, is important for regional water supplies and ecological conservation. Understanding changes in ecosystem structure and function has become critical for assessing efficacy after the implementation of a fishing ban. [...] Read more.
The Geheyan Reservoir, located on the Qingjiang River, a tributary of the Yangtze River, is important for regional water supplies and ecological conservation. Understanding changes in ecosystem structure and function has become critical for assessing efficacy after the implementation of a fishing ban. This study employs the Ecopath model to examine the ecosystem characteristics of the Geheyan Reservoir before (2017) and after (2022) the fishing ban. The results show significant differences in trophic levels, energy transfer efficiency, and ecosystem maturity between the two periods. The trophic levels increased from 3.36 pre-fishing ban to 3.89 post-ban, indicating an enhanced complexity in the food web structure. The highest eco-trophic efficiency for major commercial fish species increased after the ban, indicating improved energy utilization efficiency. However, energy transfer bottlenecks were still observed between trophic levels II and IV, suggesting ongoing challenges in nutrient cycling. The total primary production-to-total respiration ratio (6.93) and the connectivity index (0.25) indicate that the ecosystem’s maturity and stability have improved after the fishing ban. These findings underscore the ban’s effectiveness and provide a scientific foundation for sustainable management of Geheyan Reservoir and similar ecosystems in the Yangtze River Basin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adaptation and Response of Fish to Environmental Changes)
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19 pages, 3992 KB  
Article
Length–Weight Relationship and Spatiotemporal Distribution Pattern of Three Schizothoracinae Fishes Along the Nujiang River in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, China
by Mingdian Liu, Weitong Xu, Fengyue Zhu, Xinbin Duan, Shaoping Liu and Daqing Chen
Fishes 2024, 9(11), 465; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes9110465 - 15 Nov 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 775
Abstract
The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) is a unique ecological area that has faced issues like diminishing ecosystem stability and increasing pressures on resources and the environment. These issues have arisen as a result of the combined impact of global warming and human activities in [...] Read more.
The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) is a unique ecological area that has faced issues like diminishing ecosystem stability and increasing pressures on resources and the environment. These issues have arisen as a result of the combined impact of global warming and human activities in recent times. The study of the growth and distribution patterns of schizothoracinae fishes can support guiding policy decisions about the conservation of aquatic species and ecological habitats in the QTP. The investigation on fish resources was carried out in the QTP section of the Nujiang River during the spring and autumn seasons of 2017, 2018, and 2019. A total of seven sampling sites were established based on variations in elevation. According to length–weight relationship (LWR) analysis, Schizothorax nukiangensis mainly displayed a negative allometric growth while Ptychobarbus kaznakovi and Schizopygopsis thermalis mainly showed near isometric growth or positive allometric growth in the QTP section of the Nujiang River. Due to temperature and food abundance, the three schizothoracinae fishes showed better growth performance in autumn than spring. Spatial heterogeneity exhibited a greater influence on the LWR of S. nukiangensis and P. kaznakovi than seasonal variation. In contrast, seasonal variation on S. thermalis showed greater influence than spatial heterogeneity. According to the linear mixed effect model (LMM), both spatial factors and seasons had influence on fish growth in the QTP. Schizothorax nukiangensis was identified as the predominant species from CWL to BS, spanning an altitude range of 1800 to 2700 m. Ptychobarbus kaznakovi was identified as the main species at LL, BB, and BR, occupying an altitude range of 2700 to 3800 m. Schizopygopsis thermalis is primarily distributed at altitudes beyond 4000 m and along the tributary river Yuqu. Principal coordinates analysis (PCOA) and nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) divided schizothoracinae fish populations into three clusters by spatial differences. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and Monte Carlo Permutation analysis revealed that habitat elevation and water temperature had a significant impact on schizothoracinae fish distribution. This article enhances our understanding of the distribution and environmental adaptation of indigenous fish in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Adaptation and Response of Fish to Environmental Changes)
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