A long-term monitoring dataset of fish assemblages in rocky tidepools on the northern coast of Taiwan

Abstract

The assemblage of fish species in the rocky intertidal zone is highly affected by the destructive impact of human activities and has an extended impact on land-sea interactions. There are a few long-term research projects that have focused on rocky intertidal ecosystems, especially on the resident fish community. Here, we describe a long-term time series dataset of fish collected by counting the number of anesthetized fishes at sampling stations in rocky tidepools in the intertidal zones on the northern coast of Taiwan. The species assemblages were monitored seasonally at three stations from 1999 to 2018. In total, 144 samples containing 1,577 individuals belonging to 106 species were recorded in the surveys. The resulting data can be used as background information for conservation and resilience studies of the fish community in coastal areas and to establish reasonable conservation strategies. This study presents valuable data to ecologists and fisheries biologists interested in understanding the temporal patterns of species abundance, richness, and composition in relation to environmental factors, climate change, and anthropogenic pressures.

Recovery and variation of the coastal fish community following a cold intrusion event in the Penghu Islands, Taiwan

“…An increase in the herbivores in the fish community may be a potential mechanism of functional community change [ 14 , 60 ]. This study provides a case study of how the fish assemblages varied and recovered after a cold water intrusion, however, the consistent long-term monitoring is still necessary to elucidate the entire influence on the ecosystem [ 61 – 63 ].…”

Long-term monitoring dataset of fish assemblages in rocky tidepools on the southern coast of Taiwan

“…No samples were collected during 2009–2011 because the project was temporarily suspended and there was no funding for the experiment. Data were collected by counting the number of anesthetized fish during low tide, with an average operation time of approximately 1 h 19 . The sampling days were chosen based on the meteorological conditions obtained from the Central Weather Bureau, Taipei, Taiwan.…”

“…Many of these reports have investigated seasonal and annual changes in community structures 5 , 8 , 14 , 15 and food web network 16 , and in the context of the resilience and stability of assemblages 5 , 17 . However, relatively few studies have been long-term surveys 7 , 8 , 18 , and there are few reports from tropical and subtropical areas 19 . In 2020, Ho et al .…”

“…In 2020, Ho et al . 19 described a long-term time-series dataset of fish collected in the intertidal zone containing 10966 individuals belonging to 106 taxa over 20 y (1999–2018). This is the only published long-term temporal dataset of fish assemblages in the Taiwan intertidal zone.…”

“…Studies on subtidal fish assemblages in Taiwan have shown that there are significant differences in species composition between the northern and southern coasts 28 , 29 , but there are few reports on intertidal fish. Our data can be used to understand the status and changes of species diversity in the intertidal zone of southern Taiwan, as well as differences in intertidal species composition from northern Taiwan 19 . Additionally, these data can be used as background information for the variation and resilience of fish community conservation in coastal areas.…”