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Microhabitat use by Blennius fluviatilis in the Río Matarraña, Spain
Author(s) -
FREEMAN MARY C.,
VIÑOLAS DOLORS,
GROSSMAN GARY D.,
SOSTOA ADOLFO
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
freshwater biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.297
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2427
pISSN - 0046-5070
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2427.1990.tb00714.x
Subject(s) - habitat , nest (protein structural motif) , ecology , range (aeronautics) , occupancy , environmental science , streams , geography , biology , computer network , biochemistry , materials science , computer science , composite material
SUMMARY.1 Microhabitat use by Blennius fluviatilis in the Río Matarraña, Spain, varied significantly among dates during a 19‐month study. Most temporal variation, however, was attributable to changes in microhabitat availability. 2 B. fluviatilis demonstrated non‐random use of available microhabitats during each sampling period, and generally occupied deeper microhabitats with higher average current velocities dominated by rubblegravel substrates. 3 B. fluviatilis also demonstrated non‐random use of available nest sites; males generally nested under the largest available pieces of rubble, in areas with less gravel or sand. Water column depth influenced nest site use in two of four study areas. 4 We found few microhabitat differences between spawning and nonspawning periods, or between males and females. In addition, microhabitat use was similar among B. fluviatilis size‐groups. 5 Although B. fluviatilis often were over‐represented in deeper, erosional areas, blennies necessarily inhabited a wide range of microhabitats because average current velocities and water depths fluctuated greatly during the study. Tolerance of a broad range of environmental conditions may contribute to the species' persistence in habitats that exhibit extreme seasonal changes in discharge such as the Matarraña.