Community Ecology of Freshwater Animals and Biodiversity

A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Biology and Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2025) | Viewed by 487

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Centro de Investigação e de Tecnologias Agroambientais e Biológicas, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: freshwater ecology; biodiversity; ecological monitoring; aquatic ecology

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Guest Editor
Department of Forest Sciences and Landscape Architecture, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: ecological assessment of water bodies; river ecology; river restoration; nature base solutions
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Guest Editor
CERNAS–Research Centre for Natural Resources, Environment and Society, Agrarian School of Santarém, Santarém Polytechnic University, Quinta do Galinheiro–S. Pedro, 2001-904 Santarém, Portugal
Interests: management and conservation of freshwater fish; recreational fisheries; biotic integrity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, titled “Community Ecology of Freshwater Animals and Biodiversity”, brings together articles that explore the structure, behaviour, dynamics, and functioning of freshwater communities, with a particular focus on freshwater fish. These organisms play a central role in aquatic ecosystems and are excellent models for understanding patterns of diversity, biotic interactions, and responses to climate change. This Special Issue includes a variety of ecological approaches, ranging from experimental and observational studies to modelling and theoretical syntheses, covering both local and regional scales. By highlighting recent advances in community ecology and biodiversity conservation, this collection will improve our understanding of the processes that shape these communities and support strategies for the sustainable management of inland water resources.

Dr. Joaquim José Barreira de Jesus
Prof. Dr. Rui Manuel Vitor Cortes
Prof. Dr. João Oliveira
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • freshwater fish
  • biodiversity
  • community ecology
  • freshwater habitats
  • conservation
  • ecological interactions
  • environmental management
  • fish behaviour

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 1343 KB  
Article
Reproductive Parameters of the Western Tubenose Goby (Proterorhinus semilunaris) from Žitný Island, Slovakia, in Connection with Its Invasive Potential
by Eva Záhorská, Mária Balážová, Andrea Kečkéšová and Daniel Gruľa
Fishes 2025, 10(10), 528; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10100528 - 17 Oct 2025
Viewed by 253
Abstract
Three populations of the western tubenose goby were analysed during the reproductive season of 2024 in the area of Žitný Island, Slovakia. Specimens were processed in the laboratory, where meristic and reproductive parameters were detected. Populations were female-dominated and all in good condition. [...] Read more.
Three populations of the western tubenose goby were analysed during the reproductive season of 2024 in the area of Žitný Island, Slovakia. Specimens were processed in the laboratory, where meristic and reproductive parameters were detected. Populations were female-dominated and all in good condition. Males showed a decrease in condition, probably due to different roles during reproduction. Females were characterised by increased values of the absolute (114–3997; mean 1299 oocytes) and relative number of oocytes (114–3206; mean 1225 oocytes), gonadosomatic index (3.02–93.27%; mean 19.49), and oocyte size (0.10–1.93 mm) compared to other native and/or invasive areas of occurrence. Comparing populations from 2024 with 2015, we found that females from the present study have smaller body sizes, higher values of absolute and relative number of oocytes, but lower values of gonadosomatic index and larger sizes of oocytes. This would suggest a shift to a more generalistic strategy based on a hypothesis derived from the theory of alternative ontogenies and invasive potential. Although the western tubenose goby is regarded as a native species in Slovakia, its reproductive parameters suggest a shift to more opportunistic behaviour. This pattern is consistent with its invasiveness in other non-native regions, such as parts of Europe and the Laurentian Great Lakes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community Ecology of Freshwater Animals and Biodiversity)
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