Are nest sites a limiting resource for speleophilic nesting fishes in sand dominated temporarily open/closed estuaries?

被引：4

作者：

Wasserman, Ryan J. ^{[1
]}

Whitfield, Alan K. ^{[1
]}

Welch, Rebecca J. ^{[2
]}

Dalu, Tatenda ^{[3
]}

机构：

[1] SAIAB, Private Bag 1015, ZA-6140 Grahamstown, South Africa

[2] Univ Free State, Zool & Entomol, Qwaqwa Campus, ZA-9866 Phuthaditjhaba, South Africa

[3] Rhodes Univ, Dept Zool & Entomol, POB 94, ZA-6140 Grahamstown, South Africa

来源：

ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY OF FISHES | 2017年 / 100卷 / 02期

基金：

新加坡国家研究基金会;

关键词：

Autecology; Eggs; Gobiidae; Psammogobius knysnaensis; Reproduction; SOUTH-AFRICA; SURF ZONE; ICHTHYOPLANKTON; COAST; GOBY; COMMUNITY; ADJACENT; REGION; MOUTH;

D O I：

10.1007/s10641-016-0570-1

中图分类号：

Q14 [生态学（生物生态学）];

学科分类号：

071012 ; 0713 ;

摘要：

Southern African temporarily open/closed estuaries are often characterized by sand dominated mouth regions, a feature in contrast to many permanently open estuaries of the region which regularly have substantial rocky areas. Here we explore how habitat characteristics may reduce nesting opportunities and potentially explain population trends for a common estuarine fish species, the speckled sand goby Psammogobius knysnaensis, in many temporarily open/closed estuaries in South Africa. The present study is the first to document that P. knysnaensis is a speleophilic nester, utilizing the underside of rocks and other hard substrata for egg attachment. Furthermore, our results suggest that ideal nesting habitat for the speckled sand goby is potentially a limiting resource in sand-dominated temporarily open/closed estuaries. We postulate that this is a factor contributing to the relatively low numbers of adult P. knysnaensis found in sandy temporarily open/closed estuaries of the region, although the role of marine connectivity, food availability, predation pressure and other environmental factors in this regard still remain largely unassessed.

引用

页码：187 / 192

页数：6