Open AccessUse of fish species from different trophic levels to control algae and water quality: An enclosure experiment in eutrophic area of Xiaojiang River
Author(s) -
Lian Hu,
Zhi Min Yang,
Xunzhang Pan,
Na Zhao,
Peng Jian,
Chengyan Wan
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0171953
Subject(s) - eutrophication , stocking , phytoplankton , water quality , environmental science , fishery , biology , fish farming , biomanipulation , nutrient , aquaculture , ecology , zoology , fish <actinopterygii>
The effects of stocking both filter-feeding fish and piscivorous fish were compared to the effects of stocking only filter-feeding fish for suppressing algal blooms and improving water quality in the impoundment area of Xiaojiang River where catfish were dominant. Using only filter-feeding fish for algal suppression and water quality control was more effective in the short-term, but use of both filter-feeding fish and piscivorous fish was better in the long-term. Obvious suppression of phytoplankton biomass (PB) only occurred during the first 14 days regardless of the fish stocked. Adding fish to the enclosure clearly alters phytoplankton community structure and introducing piscivorous fish to an enclosure stocked with filter-feeding fish changed the relative densities of dominant algae species. While stocking filter-feeding fish decreased total nitrogen concentration by removing phytoplankton, it did not effectively decrease total phosphorus and Chlorophyll a concentrations. Introducing piscivorous fish to the enclosure weakened the relationship between nutrients and phytoplankton. Results indicate that stocking only filter-feeding fish to improve water quality and suppress phytoplankton in an impoundment area is insufficient and other technologies and means should be applied simultaneously.