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Resource partitioning in a tropical stream fish assemblage
Author(s) -
Herder F.,
Freyhof J.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2006.01126.x
Subject(s) - biology , interspecific competition , foraging , niche , trophic level , ecology , niche differentiation , abundance (ecology) , relative species abundance , assemblage (archaeology) , ecological niche , habitat , juvenile , spatial distribution , statistics , mathematics
An assemblage of freshwater fishes inhabiting a medium‐sized stream in tropical central Vietnam was investigated with respect to spatial and trophic distribution. Point‐abundance sampling, gut content analysis and relative intestine length yielded interspecific differences in niche expression. Conspecific juvenile and adult habitat and feeding niches were also distinct. Niche differences arose mainly from differences in current velocity, substrata and foraging preferences. Extreme specializations, such as selective feeding on hard incustrations of cyanobacteria by adult Annamia normani , were present. The low niche overlap suggests that this tropical fish assemblage is structured by competitive interactions.