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opencc-zeroJan 2024View details →

Data from: mapping endemic freshwater fish richness to identify high priority areas for conservation: an ecoregion approach

Freshwater ecosystems are experiencing accelerating global biodiversity loss. Thus, knowing where these unique ecosystems' species richness reaches a peak can facilitate their conservation planning. By hosting more than 290 freshwater fishes, Iran is a major freshwater fish hotspot in the Middle East. Considering the accelerating rate of biodiversity loss, there is an urgent need to identify species rich areas and understanding of the mechanisms driving biodiversity distribution. In this study, we gathered distribution records of all endemic freshwater fishes of Iran (85 species) to develop their richness map and determine the most critical drivers of their richness patterns from an ecoregion approach. We performed a generalized linear model (GLM) with quasi-Poisson distribution to identify contemporary and historical determinants of endemic freshwater fish richness. We also quantified endemic fish similarity among the 15 freshwater ecoregions of Iran. Results showed that endemic freshwater fish richness is highest in the Zagros Mountains while moderate level of richness was observed between Zagros and Alborz Mountains. High, moderate and low richness of endemic freshwater fish match with Upper Tigris & Euphrates, Namak, and Kavir & Lut Deserts ecoregions respectively. Kura - South Caspian Drainages and Caspian Highlands were the most similar ecoregions and Orumiyeh was the most unique ecoregion according to endemic fish presence. Precipitation and precipitation change velocity since the Last Glacial Maximum were the most important predictors of endemic freshwater fish richness. Areas identified to have the highest species richness have high priority for the conservation of freshwater fish in Iran, therefore, should be considered in future protected areas development.

opencc-zeroJan 2022View details →

Ignorance is not bliss: Evolutionary naïveté in an endangered desert fish and implications for conservation

Predator naiveté has been invoked to explain the impacts of non-native predators on isolated populations that evolved with limited predation. Such impacts have been repeatedly observed for the endangered Pahrump poolfish, Empetrichthys latos, a desert fish species that evolved in isolation since the end of the Pleistocene. We tested Pahrump poolfish anti-predator responses to conspecific chemical alarm cues released from damaged epidermal tissue in terms of fish activity and water column position. Pahrump poolfish behavioural responses to conspecific alarm cues did not differ from responses to a dechlorinated tap water control. As a positive control, the well-studied fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas, showed significant alarm cue responses in terms of reduced activity and lowered water column position. The density of epidermal club cells, the presumptive source of alarm cues, was significantly lower in Pahrump poolfish relative to fathead minnows. Therefore, anti-predator competence mediated by conspecific alarm cues does not seem to be a component of the ecology of Pahrump poolfish. These findings provide a proximate mechanism for the vulnerability of Pahrump poolfish to non-native predators, with implications for conservation and management of insular species.

opencc-zeroJun 2022View details →

To a charismatic rescue: Designing a blueprint to steer fishing cat conservation for safeguarding Indian wetlands

Wetland conservation in the Indo-tropics can benefit from the protection of the charismatic Fishing Cat. India, supporting ∼ 40% of its known range, is a stronghold for the species. Here, using multiple information sources we outline a framework to safeguard fishing cats in India. Specifically, we a) estimated district-level Conservation priority scores (using presence records, and habitat suitability and habitat connectivity) to identify ecologically important habitats, b) estimated state-level Conservation likelihood scores assessing the success potential of any conservation intervention, c) collated district-level Conservation initiative information identifying ongoing efforts for species and/or habitat conservation. We consecutively assessed the spatial congruence between (a), (b) and (c) to delineate species' conservation areas and corresponding action goals (blueprint). Using information on habitat suitability, we also delineated survey landscapes. Although Fishing Cat records were found in 12 Indian states, only a small proportion of the state area was identified harbouring optimal habitat for the species. Three broad habitat clusters - Terai arc, Eastern coast, and Brahmaputra floodplains - were identified, with overall high habitat connectivity. Most districts ranking high in Conservation priority scored low in Conservation likelihood. Districts with Fishing Cat presence (n = 60) were delineated into four tiers of action landscapes and the majority of districts classified as survey landscapes (n = 156) were found in the Terai arc. We use our results to recommend and discuss conservation actions for districts identified in our blueprint. Flagship species conservation approach has substantial potential to enrich wetland conservation, for which our blueprint can act as a baseline.

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2024View details →

FIGURE 41 in Fishes of the upper rio Paraná basin: diversity, biogeography and conservation

FIGURE 41 | Records of threatened species in the upper rio Paraná basin.

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2024View details →

FIGURE 38 in Fishes of the upper rio Paraná basin: diversity, biogeography and conservation

FIGURE 38 | NMDS analysis with spatial changes in fish assemblages in the upper rio Paraná.

Figure 5 in Diversity and conservation of fishes from karstic areas of the Jandaíra Formation in the Brazilian semiarid

Figure 5. Examples of fishes recorded in the Apodi-Mossoró river basin, Jandaíra formation karst, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. (A) Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus, (B) Trachelyopterus galeatus, (C) Cichla sp., (D) Astyanax bimaculatus, (E) Hypostomus pusarum, (F) Cichlasoma orientale, (G) Characidium bimaculatum, (H) Loricariichthys derbyi and (I) Oreochromis niloticus.

Figure 6 in Diversity and conservation of fishes from karstic areas of the Jandaíra Formation in the Brazilian semiarid

Figure 6. Hoplias malabaricus (bottom right), shoal of Astyanax bimaculatus, and Poecilia vivipara in a shallow waterhole at site 12 in the Carmo river.

Figure 4 in Diversity and conservation of fishes from karstic areas of the Jandaíra Formation in the Brazilian semiarid

Figure 4. Graphic representation of fish by orders (A), and fish richness in each sampling site (B). * Located in the Furna Feia National Park.

Figure 1 in Diversity and conservation of fishes from karstic areas of the Jandaíra Formation in the Brazilian semiarid

Figure 1. Map of the sampling sites in the karstic Jandaíra Formation (dark gray areas), Rio Grande do Norte State, Northeast Brazil. Dark blue lines indicate hydrography. Green shape shows the limits of the Furna Feia National Park. Circles represent temporary water bodies and triangles represent perennial localities. Surface sites are show in red, those associated to caves in orange, and caves in yellow.

Figure 2 in Diversity and conservation of fishes from karstic areas of the Jandaíra Formation in the Brazilian semiarid

Figure 2. Examples of sampling sites in karstic areas of the Jandaíra Formation in Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. Surface habitats of sites 5, 11 and 18 (A, B and C), habitats associated to caves of sites 13 (D and E) and 14 (F), cave habitats of sites 16, 17 and 22 (G, H and I).

opencc-zeroMar 2023View details →

Data from: Monitoring temporal and spatial trends of illegal and legal fishing in Canada's marine conservation areas using vessel tracking datasets

Expansion of marine conservation areas (CA) necessitates resource-efficient and achievable strategies for monitoring and evaluation of ongoing fishing activity at national levels. To demonstrate and explore such a strategy, we conducted the first extensive analysis of fishing activity within Canada's static, geographically defined marine CAs with fishing regulations (n = 264 areas). We used eight years of Automatic Identification System data to estimate fishing effort across three oceans and conducted temporal and spatial comparisons specific to each CA's regulations and enactment date. We addressed questions on CA effectiveness, fishing displacement, fishing the line behavior, and relationships between fishing activity and spatial CA attributes. We estimated 22,000 hours of fishing activity within CAs after enactments, 22% of which was identified as illegal. CA effectiveness appeared to be lowest for Atlantic CAs based on illegal fishing effort density within CAs. Fishing displacement and fishing the line was generally not apparent as buffer areas around CAs tended to already have higher fishing effort prior to enactments. CA effectiveness and responses to CAs varied considerably, as was visualized using timeseries plots and maps developed for each CA. Our evaluation of a nation's full suite of CAs provides managers with a foundation and approach for continued monitoring and reporting.

opencc-by-4.0May 2023View details →

Assessing the conservation status of Chinese freshwater fish using deep learning

The lack of information on the extinction risk of most species is a fundamental challenge in prioritizing conservation strategies and bending the curve of current biodiversity decline. Machine learning methods have shown promising potential to fill this gap, but their applicability remains to be validated at different taxa (especially aquatic species) and spatial scales. We assessed the extinction risk of 1,162 freshwater fish species in China that have not yet been included in the latest IUCN Red List using multiple neural network algorithms based on datasets of species occurrences, biological traits, phylogeny, and relevant environmental layers. The best deep learning models dramatically improved the assessment coverage from 29.9% (496 species) to 93.2–93.9% (1,545–1,557 species) of the whole fauna with an accuracy of 95.4–99.0%. By combining our prediction results with the IUCN Red List, we found that 23.8–26.5% (394–440 species) of Chinese freshwater fishes were identified as possibly threatened species, which is roughly four times the IUCN assessment. Newly assessed species and threatened species were mainly from the orders Cypriniformes (prediction added: 837–846 species; final threatened: 325–350 species), Siluriformes (113–122; 28–37) and Perciformes (74–76; 18–25). The increase in threatened species richness based on predictions was led by the upper reaches of the Pearl and Yangtze. Overall, our findings suggest that deep learning algorithms can provide robust and time-saving assessments of extinction risk for entire freshwater fish fauna on a large national scale, thereby facilitating relevant conservation prioritization.

opencc-by-4.0Jun 2017View details →

Figure 1 in A review of amphidromous freshwater fishes of the Chocó biogeographical region (Colombia and Ecuador): diversity, ecology, fisheries and conservation

Figure 1. – Map of the Chocó Biogeographical Region in the Pacific of Colombia and Ecuador.