• Title/Summary/Keyword: Fish abundance

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Habitat selectivity of fresh water fishes of two second-order tropical streams in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

  • Tesfay, Solomon;Teferi, Mekonen;Tsegazeabe, Haileselasie Hadush
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.43 no.1
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    • pp.73-83
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    • 2019
  • Background: Habitat selectivity and ecology of freshwater fishes were studied in two selected streams and their junction point which consist a total of 39 microhabitats. The aims of this study were to describe the habitat preference and its availability to fish assemblage, as well as ecology, habitat use, and habitat characteristics. Methods: We collected fish with backpack electrofishing three times during August 2013, December 2013, and March 2014. Using a variation partitioning approach of R software, we studied the relationship of fish abundances with stream type, habitat type, and abundance of key macroinvertebrate taxa. Results: A total of 6554 fishes representing four species belonging to the family Cyprinidae were caught. A higher total fish abundance was recorded from Gereb Tsedo (4870; 74.3%) than from Elala stream (1684; 25.7%). Taking both streams together, the overall total relative fish abundance was significantly higher in pools (53%) than in runs (35%) and in riffles (12%) at P < 0.05. Species-wise comparisons showed that 71%, 15%, 13%, and 1% of the pool fish community were occupied by Garra blanfordii, Garra ignestii, Garra dembecha, and Garra aethiopica, respectively. Stream type, habitat type, and key macroinvertebrate taxa each explained a significant proportion of the variation in fish abundance. Based on the variation partitioning approach, fish abundance was higher in Gereb Tsedo stream (P < 0.01). Moreover, fish abundance increased with pool habitat type (P < 0.01) and with availability of key macroinvertebrate taxa (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Fish abundance differed between stream types, among habitats and among key macroinvertebrate taxa availability. Among the factors, habitat type was the most important driving factor behind variation among fish abundances, and pool supports the highest fish abundance.

Seasonal Variations in Species Composition and Abundance of Fish and Decapods in an Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Bed of Jindong Bay

  • Kwak, Seok-Nam;Park, Joo-Myun;Huh, Sung-Hoi
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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    • v.20 no.3
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    • pp.259-269
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    • 2014
  • The objectives of this study to determine seasonal changes in species composition and abundance of fish and decapod assemblage, and the relationships between environmental factors and their abundance in an eelgrass bed of Jindong Bay. A total of 26 fish species and 29 decapod species were collected by a small beam trawl from an eelgrass bed in Jindong Bay in 2002. The dominant fish species were Hexagrammos otakii, Pholis neulosa and P. fangi and these accounted for 48.4 % in the total number of individuals. Dominant decapod taxa were Palaemon macrodactylus, Charybdis japonica, Pagurus minutus and C. bimaculata. These were primarily small species or early juveniles of larger species. Species composition and abundance varied greatly showing a peak in the number of individuals in April and May, and peak biomass in fish in July and decapods in August. Catch rate was low in winter months both in fish and in decapod. Seasonal changes in the abundance of fishes and decapods corresponded with eelgrass biomass and abundance of food organisms indirectly.

Biak and Wakatobi reefs are the two hottest hotspots of coral reef fish diversity and abundance in the Indonesian Archipelago

  • Imam Bachtiar;Edwin Jefri;Muhammad Abrar;Tri Aryono Hadi
    • Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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    • v.25 no.11
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    • pp.549-558
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    • 2022
  • The Indonesian Archipelago has a very complex geological history, along with equatorial warm sea temperature, resulting in diverse types of coral reefs and high diversity of coral reef fish. Many livelihoods of the coastal community are dependent on coral reef fisheries. The present study aimed to determine which region and location in the Indonesian Archipelago has the most diverse and abundant coral reef fish. The archipelago was divided into four regions: the Indian Ocean, Sunda Shelf, Wallacea, and the Pacific Ocean. Data were obtained from a national coral reef monitoring program of the Indonesian Research Center for Oceanography (RCO)-the National Board for Research and Innovation (BRIN). The reef fish data were collected using the underwater visual census method, from 321 belt transects on 24 locations (districts) across the archipelago. The results show that coral reef fish diversity of the Pacific region was the highest across the archipelago for all three trophic levels, i.e., corallivore, herbivore, and carnivore fish. The Pacific Ocean region also had the highest fish abundance for the three trophic levels. Comparison among locations revealed that the best ten locations in reef fish diversity and abundance were Sabang, Mentawai, Makassar, Selayar, Buton, Luwuk, Ternate, Raja Ampat, Biak, and Wakatobi. Wakatobi reefs showed their supremacy in carnivore fish diversity and abundance, while Biak reefs were the best in herbivore fish. The abundance of corallivore fish was also considerably high in Sabang reefs, but it is still lower than in Raja Ampat, Biak, and Wakatobi reefs. These results provide empirical evidence that the coral reefs of Wakatobi and Biak are the hottest hotspots of coral reef fish diversity and abundance in the Indonesian Archipelago.

Year-to-Year and Inter-Decadal Fluctuations in Abundance of Pelagic Fish Populations in Relation to Climate-Induced Oceanic Conditions

  • Gong, Yeong;Suh, Young-Sang;Han, In-Seong;Seong, Ki-Tack
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.31 no.1
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    • pp.45-67
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    • 2008
  • Ocean climate variables ($1900{\sim}2005$), time series of catches ($1910{\sim}2005$) and body size data were used to assess the year-to-year and decadal scale fluctuations in abundance of the fish populations (Japanese sardine, anchovy, jack mackerel, chub mackerel, Pacific saury and common squid) that have spawning grounds in the East China Sea and its adjacent regions. A negative correlation between the abundance of pelagic fishes (e.g. jack mackerel) in the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) region and the Kuroshio-Oyashio Current (KOC) region was attributed to the climatic modulation of larval transport and recruitment, which depends on the winter monsoon-induced drift, current systems, and spawning season and site. The changes in abundance and alternation of dominant fish populations in the two regions in the 1930s, 1970s, and late 1980s mirrored changes in the climate indices (ALPI, AOI and MOI). Oscillations in the decadal climate shifts between the two regions led to zonal differences in larval transport and recruitment, and hence differences in the abundance of the pelagic fish populations. During deep Aleutian Lows, as in the 1980s, larval transport from the East China Sea to the KOC region increases in association with the strong winter Asian monsoon, cool regime and increased volume transport of the Kuroshio Current systems, whereas during a weak Aleutian Low (as in the 1990s), larval transport to the TWC region increased in association with a weak winter Asian monsoon, a warm regime, and increased volume transport of the Tsushima current system. We postulate that the increased chub mackerel abundance in the TWC region and the decreased abundance in the KOC region in the 1990s are partly attributed to changes in recruitment and availability to the fishing fleets under the warm regime in the spawning and nursery grounds in the East China Sea in association with the quasi-steady state of mild winter monsoon in the 1990s. The fluctuations in chub mackerel and jack mackerel abundance are under the environment-dependant growth form, although the tropicalization was identified in the TWC region. The density-dependant growth form was found in Japanese sardine populations, but no tropicalization by fishing was identified in the long ($10{\sim}15$ year) periods of abundance despite their short ($3{\sim}4$ year) generation time, suggesting that the environment-dependant growth form drove the changes in abundance. Year-to-year and decadal scale variations in abundance and population structure of the Pacific saury responded to climate regime shifts (1976/1977, 1988/1989), suggesting that the fish is a key bio-indicators for changes in the ecosystem.

Other faunas, coral rubbles, and soft coral covers are important predictors of coral reef fish diversity, abundance, and biomass

  • Imam Bachtiar;Tri Aryono Hadi;Karnan Karnan;Naila Taslimah Bachtiar
    • Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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    • v.26 no.4
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    • pp.268-281
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    • 2023
  • Coral reef fisheries are prominent for the archipelagic countries' food sufficiency and security. Studies showed that fish abundance and biomass are affected by biophysical variables. The present study determines which biophysical variables are important predictors of fish diversity, abundance, and biomass. The study used available monitoring data from the Indonesian Research Center for Oceanography, the National Board for Research and Innovation. Data were collected from 245 transects in 19 locations distributed across the Indonesian Archipelago, including the eastern Indian Ocean, Sunda Shelf (Karimata Sea), Wallacea (Flores and Banda Seas), and the western Pacific Ocean. Principal component analysis and multiple regression model were administered to 13 biophysical metrics against 11 variables of coral reef fishes, i.e., diversity, abundance, and biomass of coral reef fishes at three trophic levels. The results showed for the first time that the covers of other fauna, coral rubbles, and soft corals were the three most important predictor variables for nearly all coral reef fish variables. Other fauna cover was the important predictor for all 11 coral reef fish variables. Coral rubble cover was the predictor for ten variables, but carnivore fish abundance. Soft coral cover was a good predictor for corallivore, carnivore, and targeted fishes. Despite important predictors for corallivore and carnivore fish variables, hard coral cover was not the critical predictor for herbivore fish variables. The other important predictor variables with a consistent pattern were dead coral covered with algae and rocks. Dead coral covered with algae was an important predictor for herbivore fishes, while the rock was good for only carnivore fishes.

Overview of the Applications of Hydroacoustic Methods in South Korea and Fish Abundance Estimation Methods

  • Kang, Myounghee
    • Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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    • v.17 no.3
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    • pp.369-376
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    • 2014
  • I provide an overview of the application of hydroacoustic methods in South Korea to understand the current research status in relation to fisheries acoustics and to determine which areas require further study. One main purpose for using a scientific echosounder, a representative tool using the hydroacoustic method, is to evaluate the abundance of fisheries resources. Thus, two representative methods for abundance estimation are described. The history of fisheries acoustics worldwide is also summarized.

Change in Species Composition of Shallow Water Fish at the Namdang Beach after Dike Construction in Cheonsu Bay (천수만 방조제 건설 후 남당 천해 어류 종조성의 중장기 변화)

  • Kwon, Soon Yeol;Lee, Jeong Hoon;Hong, Ji Min;Hwang, Hak Bin;Lee, Tae Won
    • Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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    • v.25 no.2
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    • pp.106-118
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    • 2013
  • Monthly variation in species composition of shallow water fish in Cheonsu Bay were determined using samples collected by a beach seine in the shallow water at Namdang beach from April 2010 to March 2011. The species composition were compared to the data obtained in 1885~86 and in 1993, and factors affecting the long-term change in species composition were analyzed. Fish collected during the study were 25 species, 2,194 individuals and 16,762 g. Chelon haematocheilus were predominated in abundance, accounting 68.5% in the number of individuals. A few number of fish were collected during the cold months from November to April. Abundance was high from July to September by a large catch of juveniles of pelagic fish. Species composition in 1993 did not differ significantly from that in 1985~86 although Fabonigobius gymnauchen living in the fine sediments were increased in abundance. Abundance increase of this gobiid fish was considered to be related to the sedimentation of fine particles due to weakened water circulation after dike construction. The number of species and catch amount in 2010~11 were significantly decreased comparing to those of the former periods; especially in pelagic fish and benthic fish, but C. haematocheilus were greatly increased in abundance. C. haematocheilus is an estuarine fish being able to survive in relatively poor quality of water. This increase seems to be related to fish larvae from the culture net cages recently installed in the inner bay. Recent decrease in abundance of shallow water fish suggested that water quality has been gradually getting poor and recently attained over a critical level for the nursery function of fish.

Use of the foraging area by captive bred oriental storks (Ciconia boyciana) in a closed semi natural paddy field

  • Yoon, Jong-Min;Na, Sang-Hee;Kim, Su-Kyung;Park, Shi-Ryong
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.35 no.2
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    • pp.149-155
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    • 2012
  • Rice paddy fields have been recognized as an alternative habitat for avian wetland foragers, and fish-rice farms have become a new tool in improving the abundance of aquatic animals. However, the use of the habitats by avian foragers, particularly by oriental storks ($Ciconia$ $boyciana$), was not well understood. In the present study, we investigated how a fish-rice farm influenced the abundance of aquatic animals and documented the foraging behavior of the two captive bred oriental storks in a closed semi-natural paddy field. Our results showed that the fish refuge pond (water depth 40 cm) had a higher abundance of fish whereas the areas planted with rice (water depth 20 cm) had more tadpoles and some aquatic insects. The two captive bred oriental storks captured mostly fish and aquatic insects in the rice-planted area and mostly fish in the fish refuge pond. The two oriental storks had higher foraging success and spent more time for foraging in the rice-planted area than in the fish refuge pond. This result suggests that the oriental storks might prefer foraging in the area with fish, aquatic insects, and amphibians under a greater success rate presumably due to shallow water depth in the paddy fields with a fish-rice farm.

Species Composition and Seasonal Variations in Abundance of Fishes in Eelgrass Meadows (잘피밭에 서식하는 어류의 종조성 및 출현량의 계절적 변동에 관한 연구)

  • HUH Sung-Hoi
    • Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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    • v.19 no.5
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    • pp.509-517
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    • 1986
  • Abundances of small fishes that utilized eelgrass meadows of Hansilpo, Chungmu, were analyzed to determine fish species composition and monthly changes of this temperate seagrass fish community during 1983-1986. A total of 4,646 fishes that comprised 35 species in 19 families was collected during the period of investigation. Pholis taczanowskii, Pseudoblennius cottoides, Tridentiger trigonocephalus, and Sryngnathus schlegeli predominated in ichthyofauna that occupied the eelgrass meadows most of the year. These four most abundant fish species accounted for approximately $64\%$ of the number of fish collected. Juveniles of economically valuable fish species such as Sebastes inermis, Platycephalus indicus and Limanda yokohamae were also collected in the study area. Seasonal changes in both species composition and abundances of fish populations were major characteristics in these eelgrass meadows. A peak abundance of total fishes occurred during spring, with a secondary peak during fall. The lowest abundance of total fishes occurred in winter. Each abundant fish species showed its own seasonal abundance pattern, and a peak abundance 1-3 months separated from other species with some overlap of the increased larval recruitment.

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Seasonal Variations in Abundance and Species Composition of Fishes in an Eelgrass Bed in Myoungjuri of Jindong Bay (진동만 명주리 잘피밭에 서식하는 어류의 종조성 및 계절변동)

  • Baeck, Gun Wook;Kwak, Seok Nam;Huh, Sung-Hoi
    • Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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    • v.17 no.1
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    • pp.8-18
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    • 2005
  • A total of 33 fish species were collected by a small beam trawl from an eelgrass bed in Myoungjuri of Jindong Bay, Korea. The dominant fish species were Hexagrammos otakii, Pholis fangi, Repomucenus valenciennei, Pseudoblennus cottoides, Pholis nebulosa, Rudarius ercodes, Syngnathus schlegeli, and Sebastes schlegeli. These 8 fish species accounted for 79.5% of the total number of individuals collected. The fishes collected in the study area were primarily small fish species or juveniles of large fish species. Seasonal variations in both species composition and abundance were large; higher numbers of fish occurred from April to June 2002, while biomass was the highest in September 2001 and 2002. Seasonal changes in fish abundance corresponded with eelgrass biomass and abundance of food organisms.