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Testing latitudinal patterns of tidepool fish assemblages: local substrate characteristics affect regional-scale trends

  • BIODIVERSITY IN ASIAN COASTAL WATERS
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Abstract

We tested the regional-scale latitudinal patterns of occurrence and community structure of rocky tidepool fishes in relation to local environmental factors, particularly substrate characteristics. Data were derived from intensive field observations conducted on 36 shore sites spread across ca. 1,000 km north–south (24°03′N–32°45′N) in the south-western Japan. While numbers of families, genera, species and individuals per unit area decreased with latitude, these were dependent on substrate types: sites with non-limestone rock substrates tended to harbour larger numbers than limestone sites at the same latitude. Relative abundances of two dominant families (Blenniidae and Gobiidae) varied among sites with weak latitudinal gradients. Species-specific trends of latitudinal distribution were observed in most of the common intertidal fishes, with over half of the species demonstrating substrate-dependent variation. Species composition was clearly different between the Kyushu Island and the Ryukyus and also between limestone and non-limestone sites. Thus, our results clearly demonstrated that the regional-scale latitudinal trends of tidepool fish assemblages were partially dependent on local environmental characteristics (substrate types). Consideration was given to the influences of the Kuroshio Current and other factors including species interactions that might have helped modify observed latitudinal patterns.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to the AMBL-Kyushu University; the Sesoko Marine Station, TBRC-University of the Ryukyus; the International Coral Reef Research and Monitoring Center, Ministry of Environment; Prefectural Offices of Okinawa and Kagoshima; fishermen’s cooperatives in each study site. The authors are grateful to Ms Mizoguchi for help in field works, Drs. Kai and Iguchi for some assistance in field collections and Drs. Terada, Takegaki and Sakai for arranging field works. The authors also express their thanks to Drs. Murase, Senou, Maeda and Yoshino for providing information on species identification. Part of this research was supported by the 21st Century COE programs of the University of the Ryukyus and the GCOE program of the Kyushu University and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (‘Grant-In-Aid’ no. 21770026 to SA).

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Correspondence to Seiji Arakaki.

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Guest editors: M. Tokeshi & H. T. Yap / Biodiversity in Changing Coastal Waters of Tropical and Subtropical Asia

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Arakaki, S., Tsuchiya, M. & Tokeshi, M. Testing latitudinal patterns of tidepool fish assemblages: local substrate characteristics affect regional-scale trends. Hydrobiologia 733, 45–62 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1768-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1768-2

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