Niches of dominant fish in the waters surrounding the Taishan Islands, China -- Journal of Oceanology and Limnology,2016,34(4):697-708

	Cite this paper:
	YANG Lu, CHEN Jie, YANG Shengyun, ZHONG Huiqi, JU Peilong, YANG Shunliang, SUN Qinqin, CHEN Mingru. Niches of dominant fish in the waters surrounding the Taishan Islands, China[J]. Journal of Oceanology and Limnology, 2016, 34(4): 697-708

Niches of dominant fish in the waters surrounding the Taishan Islands, China

YANG Lu¹, CHEN Jie¹, YANG Shengyun¹, ZHONG Huiqi¹, JU Peilong¹, YANG Shunliang^2,3, SUN Qinqin^2,3, CHEN Mingru¹

1 College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361105, China;
2 Fujian Institute of Oceanography, Xiamen 361013, China;
3 Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Coast and Island Management Technology Study, Xiamen 361013, China

Abstract:

An index of relative importance (IRI) was employed to screen for dominant fish in the waters surrounding the Taishan Islands, China, using data from four seasonal trawl surveys undertaken between 2012 and 2013. Niche breadth and niche overlap were measured using the Feinsinger and Morisita-Horn indices, respectively, and the characteristics and seasonal variations in the niches of dominant fish were assessed via non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and cluster analysis. A total of 80 fish species, including 16 dominant species, were recorded. Only Amblychaeturichthys hexanema was dominant in all seasons. According to niche breadth values and NMDS, the 16 dominant species were grouped into the following three types: (1) wide niche breadth species, including Cynoglossus macrolepidotus, A . hexanema, and Trypauchen vagina, among others; (2) medium niche breadth species, including Setipinna taty and Johnius belangerii; and (3) narrow niche breadth species, including Atrobucca nibe and Coilia mystus. Most species with a wider niche breadth were demersal fish with a lower swimming capability and even distribution. The niche breadth of migrating fish was narrower than that of settled fish. At a given spatial scale, fish with stronger swimming capabilities had a narrower niche breadth. Niche overlap, which is associated with niche specialization, ranged from 0.000 to 0.886 and had an annual mean value of 0.314. In summer and autumn, niche overlap was relatively high within species of the Sciaenidae family and within species of the Gobiidae in autumn. Differences in thermophily, feeding habits, food organism abundance/distribution and predator-prey relationships affected the niche overlap of fish in this area. Cluster analysis revealed that species with the narrowest niche breadth and lowest niche overlap values usually displayed lower aggregation and greater distribution differences compared with other species.

Key words: Taishan Islands|dominant fish|niche breadth|niche overlap|niche specialization

Received: 2015-03-06 Revised: 2015-04-16

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Articles by CHEN Jie

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