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Diet partitioning and trophic guild structure of fish assemblages in Chishui River, the last undammed tributary of the upper Yangtze River, China
Author(s) -
Liu Fei,
Wang Xue,
Wang Meirong,
Liu Huanzhang,
Wang Jianwei
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
river research and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.679
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1535-1467
pISSN - 1535-1459
DOI - 10.1002/rra.3519
Subject(s) - guild , trophic level , tributary , omnivore , ecology , detritus , biology , fishery , geography , habitat , predation , cartography
Abstract Knowledge of trophic ecology of fish species is fundamental to understand the organization mechanism of fish assemblages and crucial for developing effective management and conservation strategies. This study examined the diet partitioning and trophic guild structure of fish assemblages in Chishui River, the last undammed tributary of the upper Yangtze River, China. Specimens were collected in three sections along the upstream–downstream gradient in 2012. Digestive tract contents of 54 fish species, represented by 692 individuals, were analysed and quantified. Analysis showed that fish assemblages in the Chishui River utilized aquatic insects, algae, detritus, molluscs, and fishes as the main food resources, whereas terrestrial insects were consumed only occasionally. The trophic guild structure of fish assemblages changed gradually with the longitudinal gradient. Specially, the number of trophic guilds increased with downstream distance. In addition, the relative number of omnivorous species increased longitudinally, whereas the relative number of insectivorous species declined downstream. This study demonstrated how fish assemblages utilize the food resources under near‐natural conditions. These results provide valuable information for fish conservation and ecological restoration.