TY - JOUR
T1 - Diversity and longitudinal distribution of fishes in the Soto La Marina River basin, Mexico, and relationship with environmental variables
AU - Ruiz-Campos, Gorgonio
AU - Martínez-Vázquez, Ana Verónica
AU - Contreras-Catala, Fernando
AU - Hernández-Guzmán, Rafael
AU - García-De León, Francisco Javier
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.
PY - 2021/10
Y1 - 2021/10
N2 - The spatial and temporal heterogeneity of rivers largely determine both the richness and the variability of the fish assemblages; however, few studies have been carried out in the northern parts of Mexico. This study assesses the species diversity and longitudinal distribution of fish fauna in the Soto La Marina River (northeast Mexico) and how this relates to environmental variables in an area of biogeographic transition of the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. A total of 89 species (82 natives and seven exotic) belonging to 67 genera and 39 families were recorded. The fish fauna in this basin shows a clear biotic zonation represented by three different species assemblages related to the three physiographic zones of the river (mouth, plain, and mountain) with a replacement of species throughout a temperature and salinity gradient. A principal component analysis found that Astyanax mexicanus, Poecilia mexicana, and Herichthys cyanoguttatus were the most abundant species in the plain and mountain zones of the river but exhibited different high abundance hotspots throughout the basin. Salinity, conductivity, and total dissolved solids increased downstream, directly impacting fish composition and diversity. The mouth of the river was characterised by high salinity and conductivity values correlating with high species richness of marine derivation. Similarly, the richness of species negatively correlated with the longitudinal gradient of the river. An integral knowledge of the relationship between environmental and anthropogenic parameters in the Soto La Marina River basin will enable the design of conservation and management strategies for its fish resources and habitats.
AB - The spatial and temporal heterogeneity of rivers largely determine both the richness and the variability of the fish assemblages; however, few studies have been carried out in the northern parts of Mexico. This study assesses the species diversity and longitudinal distribution of fish fauna in the Soto La Marina River (northeast Mexico) and how this relates to environmental variables in an area of biogeographic transition of the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. A total of 89 species (82 natives and seven exotic) belonging to 67 genera and 39 families were recorded. The fish fauna in this basin shows a clear biotic zonation represented by three different species assemblages related to the three physiographic zones of the river (mouth, plain, and mountain) with a replacement of species throughout a temperature and salinity gradient. A principal component analysis found that Astyanax mexicanus, Poecilia mexicana, and Herichthys cyanoguttatus were the most abundant species in the plain and mountain zones of the river but exhibited different high abundance hotspots throughout the basin. Salinity, conductivity, and total dissolved solids increased downstream, directly impacting fish composition and diversity. The mouth of the river was characterised by high salinity and conductivity values correlating with high species richness of marine derivation. Similarly, the richness of species negatively correlated with the longitudinal gradient of the river. An integral knowledge of the relationship between environmental and anthropogenic parameters in the Soto La Marina River basin will enable the design of conservation and management strategies for its fish resources and habitats.
KW - Biogeographic affinities
KW - Fish communities
KW - Soto La Marina River
KW - Tamaulipas
KW - Zonation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85116287878&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10641-021-01158-9
DO - 10.1007/s10641-021-01158-9
M3 - Artículo
AN - SCOPUS:85116287878
SN - 0378-1909
VL - 104
SP - 1321
EP - 1339
JO - Environmental Biology of Fishes
JF - Environmental Biology of Fishes
IS - 10
ER -