Distribution of fish among Avicennia and Sonneratia microhabitats in a tropical mangrove ecosystem in South China

Abstract

Mangrove structural complexity plays an important role in the way fish using their habitat.However, the effects of structural attributes on fish spatial distribution remain uncertain. In this study, we sampled fish at three easily identifiable microhabitats (i.e., vegetated area with both mangrove trees and pneumatophores, pneumatophore area without trees, and adjacent mudflat without trees and pneumatophores) within two sites dominated by Avicennia marina and Sonneratia apetala in a large estuarine system in South China from 2014 to 2015, and explored the fish community differences in these microhabitats. Our results showed that fish assemblages varied significantly among the three microhabitats, with distinct community assembly patterns between sites. At the Avicennia site, highest fish diversity was recorded at the mudflat, followed by the pneumatophore area and the vegetated area. In contrast, the opposite pattern was observed at the Sonneratia site. Fish size also differed significantly among microhabitats, with smaller fish presented in the vegetated areas. Within the same mangrove types, the height and biomass of pneumatophores as well as density of trees showed significant effects on the among-microhabitat variations of fish assemblages. Fish abundance was positively associated with pneumatophore height and negatively correlated with pneumatophore biomass at the Avicennia site. While at the Sonneratia site, it was positively correlated with pneumatophore biomass. We conclude that the spatial variations of fish community are highly correlated with the structural complexity of mangroves. However, the specific effects might be mangrove species-dependent.

Biotic homogenization increases with human intervention: implications for mangrove wetland restoration

“…5c). The vegetation structure of mangroves at the active restoration site may provide refuges for mangrove fish (Zhang et al 2019). Thus, based on the observed effects of each pond‐to‐mangrove restoration method on the mangrove community (natural mangrove recovery is possible) and the α‐ and β‐diversity of mangrove, macrobenthos, fish and waterbird communities, as well as the high cost of afforestation, we recommend prioritizing natural restoration methods for mangrove restoration worldwide where possible.…”

“…The centipede nets were elongated square tubes made of netting (35 cm wide, 25 cm tall and 10 m long, with an 8.5 mm mesh); each net consisted of 23 rectangular iron frames (35 × 25 cm) placed every 40 cm. Because centipede nets have small, lengthwise, cupped holes staggered along both sites, they act as fish traps (Wang et al 2009, Zhang et al 2019). Fish at each site were sampled using replicate centipede nets for three consecutive days during the spring tide of each season.…”

Modeling the Climate Suitability of Northernmost Mangroves in China under Climate Change Scenarios

“…Mangroves are ecologically important wetland ecosystems that provide habitats for many species [1,2], store carbon [3], and support key ecosystem services for humans [4]. Mangroves protect tropical and subtropical coasts from erosion and storm damage [5]; however, they are degenerating at an alarming rate [6,7].…”

Strategies for Successful Mangrove Living Shoreline Stabilizations in Shallow Water Subtropical Estuaries

“…Therefore, increasing areas of mangrove habitat has the potential to increase local biodiversity and provide multiple ecosystem services, including fisheries production, carbon sequestration, and ecotourism [32][33][34][35][36]. Many mangrove species have complex, above-ground root structures that slow water movement, capture suspended sediments, and provide microhabitats for invertebrates and fish [32,33,35,37]. Underground mangrove roots lead to shoreline stabilization by increasing soil strength [38].…”