The species diversity and trophic structure of reef fishes in the waters of the Xisha Archipelago

Gao, Yongli; Hui, Huang; Ji, Lian; Jian-hui, Yang

doi:10.3724/sp.j.1003.2014.14102

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…piscivores (pi), invertebrate feeder & piscivores (ip), invertebrate feeders (iv), omnivores (om), planktivores (pk), detritivores(dt), and herbivores (hb). The primary information on the trophic groups of fishes was from literatures and databases (Zhang et al, 2006;Gao et al, 2014;Shao, 2019;Froese and Pauly, 2020;Liveaquaria, 2022). Those fish whose diet could not be determined were analyzed separately by gastric contents.…”

Section: Study Area and Fish Specimen Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Overall, coral cover had a larger impact than fishing power on the mean body weight (Table 5). Gao et al (2014) reported that the dominant coral reef fishes belonged to the iv and pk trophic groups in the Xisha Islands of SCS (six reefs: Yongxing Island, Dongdao Island, Lingyang Atoll, Jinyin Island, Huaguang Atoll, and Zhongjian Island), and the abundance and biomass of other trophic groups were both low (e.g. pi, om, and hb), and the proportion of same trophic group between reefs differed greatly.…”

Section: Effects Of Fishing Effort and Coral Cover On Fishmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, the knowledge of reef fish feeding is of great significance for protecting fishery resources and diagnosing health status of coral reefs (Letourneur et al, 2013;Hempson et al, 2017;Morillo-Velarde et al, 2018). Dividing reef fish into different trophic groups according to their prey is helpful to study their ecological roles and how fishing and climate alter the structure of reef fish (Gao et al, 2014;Wilson et al, 2021;Dai et al, 2022). For example, herbivorous fishes in coral reef can inhibit algal overgrowth and promote coral growth, which is important for the recovery of bleached coral (Cramer et al, 2017;Rempel et al, 2020;Wilson et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The removal of piscivorous fish may have repercussions throughout the ecosystem (Jennings et al, 1995). In the SCS, Although some studies have focused on feeding and trophic levels of reef fish (Zhang et al, 2006;Yang et al, 2012;Gao et al, 2014;Zhang et al, 2022), little research has revealed the long-term variations in the structure of their trophic groups.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Long-term variations in trophic groups of coral reef fishes in the lagoon of Meiji Reef in the South China Sea

Zhang

Gong

Cai

et al. 2023

Front. Conserv. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fishes play significant ecological functions though many ways in coral reef, and feeding process is one of the most important. To understand responses of reef fish communities to external disturbances, we studied variations in trophic groups of fishes in the lagoon of Meiji Reef in the South China Sea based on fish specimens collected by hand-line and gillnet in 1998—2018, databases and literatures. Differences in species richness, abundance, weight and size of fish in different trophic groups among years were analysed, especially herbivorous and high-economy fish. The results indicated that the percentages of species number and weight of herbivores, piscivores and detritivores decreased significantly from 1998—1999/2016—2018. Herbivorous fishes saw the biggest decline. In the gillnet surveys, the percentages of species number and weight of herbivorous fishes in 1999 were 33.33% and 56.14%, respectively, while the percentages in 2016—2018 were all zero. The species number percentage of large-sized fishes (maximum total length ≥ 65 cm) in 1998—1999 was significantly larger than that in 2016—2018. Thirty-two fish species being found in the lagoon of Meiji Reef during 1998—1999 were not discovered during 2012—2018. Contingency table analysis showed that the disappearance of fish was not significantly related to the vulnerability or resilience of fish rather than economic value. The mean body weight of very high & high-value fish in 1998—1999 was significantly larger than that in 2016—2018. Simple linear regression showed that coral cover had the greater effect on the species number and weight of herbivorous fishes as compare to fishing power. Both fishing power and coral cover had significant effects on the mean body weight. To protect fish on Meiji Reef, we propose to strengthen the conservation initiatives (e.g., creating protected areas, prohibiting fishing, and reconstructing habitat).

show abstract

Section: Study Area and Fish Specimen Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Effects Of Fishing Effort and Coral Cover On Fishmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Long-term variations in trophic groups of coral reef fishes in the lagoon of Meiji Reef in the South China Sea

Zhang

Gong

Cai

et al. 2023

Front. Conserv. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A preliminary assessment of the South China Sea's biological diversity indicates the presence of more than 8600 species of plants and animals [37], with fish alone contributing to 3365 species [38]. The South China Sea is an important transfer station for reef fishes to move from the Coral Triangle to higher latitudes in China [39]. The resources of the South China Sea, where fish are the major protein source for coastal communities, contribute to the economic livelihoods of the neighboring countries [40]; however, the progress of scientific technology, the increase in human demands, and growing coastal populations have significantly increased the pressure on reef fish stocks [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geographic Variation in the Species Composition of Parrotfish (Labridae: Scarini) in the South China Sea

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Since parrotfish in coral reefs are involved in key ecological processes, this study compiled species presence-absence data across 51 sites in the South China Sea to identify and explore the distribution and relationship between species and large-scale factors. A total of 50 species of parrotfish were recorded during the compilation, of which Scarus ghobban Forsskål, 1775 was the most common and widespread. The Nansha Islands, having a vast area of coral reefs and great proximity away from human interference, had the highest abundance with 41 species. Nestedness analysis indicated that the parrotfish community had statistically significant nested patterns in the South China Sea, and the Nansha Islands were the topmost site for the nested matrix rank. Scleractinian coral species richness and log(reef area) both had a significant effect on the site nested matrix rank (p < 0.05), which supports the habitat nestedness hypothesis in the South China Sea. Compared with browsers and excavators, scrapers were determined to be the most important functional group composition, while browsers had a greater contribution to the species nested matrix rank. A linear regression model showed that parrotfish species’ richness increased with increasing longitude, scleractinian coral species richness, and reef area. Longitudinal variations in the parrotfish species richness were related to its distance from the biodiversity hotspot in the Indo-Australian Archipelago. Parrotfish were mainly distributed in the temperature range of 26–29 °C, similar to the optimum temperature for coral growth. The Nansha Islands should be considered biodiversity conservation priority areas for the conservation of parrotfish in degraded coral reef habitats, particularly in the context of increasing natural variability and anthropogenic disturbances.

show abstract

Seven decades of transformation: evaluating the dynamics of coral reef fish communities in the Xisha Islands, South China Sea

Zhao,

Wang,

et al. 2024

Rev Fish Biol Fisheries

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The species diversity and trophic structure of reef fishes in the waters of the Xisha Archipelago

Cited by 9 publications

References 0 publications

Long-term variations in trophic groups of coral reef fishes in the lagoon of Meiji Reef in the South China Sea

Long-term variations in trophic groups of coral reef fishes in the lagoon of Meiji Reef in the South China Sea

Geographic Variation in the Species Composition of Parrotfish (Labridae: Scarini) in the South China Sea

Seven decades of transformation: evaluating the dynamics of coral reef fish communities in the Xisha Islands, South China Sea

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About