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Chukwuka AV, Adeogun AO. Urbanization effects on growth and otolith asymmetry in Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus and Oreochromis niloticus within tropical coastal lagoon watersheds. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 359:142231. [PMID: 38719117 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the growth dynamics and otolith shape asymmetry of two fish species, Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (CN) and Oreochromis niloticus (ON), within urbanized watersheds of the southern lagoon system, Nigeria. Using the von Bertalanffy growth model (VBGM), in addition to sediment metal concentration indices such as the average shale content, index of geoaccumulation (Igeo), contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), and potential ecological risk (PER) index, contamination levels were classified, and ecological risks were assessed. Notably, a lower growth potential (t0) was observed in CN at Ikorodu than at Epe, with similar trends for ON in the Epe during the dry season. Otolith asymmetry patterns, particularly in the CN at Ikorodu and ON in the Epe during the dry season, exhibited distinct ecological variations, indicating heightened stress levels at Ikorodu. Sediment analyses revealed moderate to strong contamination (Cd, Pb, Ni, and Cr) in both Lagos Lagoon (Ikorodu) and Epe Lagoon, with Ikorodu exhibiting notably high to moderate contamination levels according to the CF index. Elevated PLI values for Cd and Pb in Ikorodu, in addition to greater PER, indicated increased risk, with Cd posing a high risk (61.42%) and Pb posing a moderate risk (49.50%). Additionally, the reduced asymptotic length in the Epe during the dry season suggests that Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus is adaptable to seasonal variations, while divergent growth patterns in both areas indicate the existence of trade-off mechanisms in response to changing conditions. Habitat-specific otolith asymmetry and metal contamination underscore species adaptability, with wider stressor variability in Lagos than in Epe. Furthermore, multidimensional scaling analysis highlights the intricate relationship between otolith shape variables and environmental factors, emphasizing the need for tailored conservation efforts in urbanized watersheds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azubuike Victor Chukwuka
- Environmental Quality Control Department, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Nigeria; Environmental Biology and Ecology Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
| | - Aina O Adeogun
- Hydrobiology and Fisheries Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
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Yang S, Qu J, Tang K, Zhao X, Zhou H, Hu J. Trophic niche and adaptation in highland lizards: sex has greater influences than species matching. Integr Zool 2024; 19:564-576. [PMID: 37858979 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
The plateau environments are typically arid, cool, and high altitude, posing formidable challenges to wildlife survival due to resource scarcity and harsh conditions. Unraveling ecological adaptability in severe conditions requires a deeper understanding of the niche characteristics of plateau species. Trophic niche, which is a comprehensive indicator describing the energy acquisition strategy of animals, remains relatively understudied in plateau species. Here, by combining stable isotopes and morphological data, we quantified the trophic niches of two allopatric lizard species (Phrynocephalus vlangalii and P. erythrurus) that live in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, and explored how their trophic niches correlate with morphological and environmental factors. While both trophic niche and morphological traits were similar between species, noteworthy distinctions were observed between male and female Phrynocephalus lizards. The morphological traits associated with predation (i.e. limb length and head size) and reproduction (i.e. abdomen length), annual mean temperature, and sex played influential roles in shifting trophic niches. These results imply that sexual dimorphism may facilitate inter-sex divergence in resource utilization, leading to trophic niche variations in the highland lizards. Furthermore, extreme environmental stress can constrain interspecific divergence in morphological and trophic traits. Our findings illustrate the dynamic variations of trophic niches in highland lizards, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the adaptation strategies employed by lizard species in plateau environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengnan Yang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiapeng Qu
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology for Cold Region, Northwest lnstitute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
| | - Ke Tang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Xinquan Zhao
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology for Cold Region, Northwest lnstitute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Huakun Zhou
- Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology for Cold Region, Northwest lnstitute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
| | - Junhua Hu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Divergence in life-history traits among three adjoining populations of the sea snake Emydocephalus annulatus (Hydrophiinae, Elapidae). Sci Rep 2022; 12:5137. [PMID: 35332205 PMCID: PMC8948236 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09130-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Life-history traits such as rates of growth, survival and reproduction can vary though time within a single population, or through space among populations, due to abiotically-driven changes in resource availability. In terrestrial reptiles, parameters such as temperature and rainfall generate variation in life-histories—but other parameters likely are more important in marine systems. We studied three populations of sea snakes (Emydocephalus annulatus) in adjacent bays in the IndoPacific archipelago of New Caledonia. The extreme philopatry of individual snakes allows us to unambiguously allocate each animal to one of the three populations. Although water temperatures and rainfall do not differ over this small scale, one site experiences more intense winds, restricting opportunities for foraging. Our 18-year mark-recapture dataset (> 1,200 snakes, > 2,400 captures) reveals significant divergence among populations in life-history traits. Survival rates and population densities were similar among sites, but snakes at the most wind-exposed site (Anse Vata) exhibited lower body condition, slower growth, less frequent production of litters, and smaller litters. Weather-driven variation in feeding rates thus may affect life-history traits of marine snakes as well as their terrestrial counterparts, but driven by different parameters (e.g., wind exposure rather than variation in temperatures or rainfall).
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Lyberger K, Schoener TW, Schreiber SJ. Effects of size selection versus density dependence on life histories: A first experimental probe. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1467-1473. [PMID: 33963637 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
When prey experience size-based harvesting by predators, they are not only subject to selection due to larger individuals being preferentially harvested but also selection due to reductions in population density. Density-dependent selection represents one of the most basic interactions between ecology and evolution. Yet, the reduction in density associated with exploitation has not been tested as a possible driving force of observed evolutionary changes in populations harvested size-dependently. Using an artificial selection experiment with a mixture of Daphnia clones, we partition the evolutionary effects of size-based harvesting into the effects of removing large individuals and the effects of lowering the population density. We show that both size selection and density-dependent selection are significant drivers of life-history evolution. Importantly, these drivers affected different life-history traits with size-selective harvesting selecting for slower juvenile growth rates and a larger size at maturity, and low-density selecting for reduced reproductive output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey Lyberger
- Department of Evolution and Ecology and Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Thomas W Schoener
- Department of Evolution and Ecology and Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Sebastian J Schreiber
- Department of Evolution and Ecology and Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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Smart JJ, Grammer GL. Modernising fish and shark growth curves with Bayesian length-at-age models. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0246734. [PMID: 33556124 PMCID: PMC7870076 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Growth modelling is a fundamental component of fisheries assessments but is often hindered by poor quality data from biased sampling. Several methods have attempted to account for sample bias in growth analyses. However, in many cases this bias is not overcome, especially when large individuals are under-sampled. In growth models, two key parameters have a direct biological interpretation: L0, which should correspond to length-at-birth and L∞, which should approximate the average length of full-grown individuals. Here, we present an approach of fitting Bayesian growth models using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), with informative priors on these parameters to improve the biological plausibility of growth estimates. A generalised framework is provided in an R package 'BayesGrowth', which removes the hurdle of programming an MCMC model for new users. Four case studies representing different sampling scenarios as well as three simulations with different selectivity functions were used to compare this Bayesian framework to standard frequentist growth models. The Bayesian models either outperformed or matched the results of frequentist growth models in all examples, demonstrating the broad benefits offered by this approach. This study highlights the impact that Bayesian models could provide in age and growth studies if applied more routinely rather than being limited to only complex or sophisticated applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J. Smart
- SARDI Aquatic Sciences, West Beach, SA, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Gretchen L. Grammer
- SARDI Aquatic Sciences, West Beach, SA, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Dias E, Barros AG, Hoffman JC, Antunes C, Morais P. Habitat use and food sources of European flounder larvae ( Platichthys flesus, L. 1758) across the Minho River estuary salinity gradient (NW Iberian Peninsula). REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE 2020; 34:10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101196. [PMID: 33426248 PMCID: PMC7787986 DOI: 10.1016/j.rsma.2020.101196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The European flounder (Platichthys flesus Linnaeus, 1758) exhibits plasticity for several life traits throughout its distribution range, including ontogenetic habitat shifts during early life, as well as the timing and duration of spawning. Estuaries are preferred as nursery habitat; however, the importance of specific salinity zones for larval development is not well-understood. Therefore, we aimed to identify the significance of distinct estuarine salinity habitats (i.e., tidal freshwater, brackish) along the Minho River estuary (NW-Iberian Peninsula, Europe) for larval development by combining field observations with carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stable isotope analysis. Sampling occurred between January 2015 and January 2016 in six sampling stations across the estuarine salinity gradient. A total of 29 larvae were collected in the Minho River estuary from March till September 2015. Spawning likely occurred near the river mouth because the highest abundance of larvae occurred in the brackish estuary. Timing for migration towards freshwater was variable with metamorphosis likely occurring in both brackish and freshwater habitats. European flounder larvae obtained their diet from the benthic food web, indicating that benthic habitat is fundamental for larval development, including prior to settlement. This study provides further evidence on the behavioral plasticity of European flounder during early life regarding both habitat use and timing of migration towards freshwater habitats. Additionally, this study demonstrates the importance of preserving estuarine connectivity for this migratory species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Dias
- CIMAR/CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Ana Gabriela Barros
- CIMAR/CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
- CBMA - Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Minho, Campos de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Joel C. Hoffman
- Mid-Continent Ecology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Lab, US Environmental Protection Agency, 6201 Congdon Blvd, Duluth, Minnesota, 55804, USA
| | - Carlos Antunes
- CIMAR/CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
- Aquamuseu do Rio Minho, Parque do Castelinho s/n, 4920-290 Vila Nova de Cerveira, Portugal
| | - Pedro Morais
- CCMAR – Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
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Wilson KL, Foos A, Barker OE, Farineau A, De Gisi J, Post JR. Social–ecological feedbacks drive spatial exploitation in a northern freshwater fishery: A halo of depletion. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle L. Wilson
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Calgary Calgary AB Canada
- Earth to Ocean Research Group Simon Fraser University Burnaby BC Canada
| | - Aaron Foos
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada Whitehorse YT Canada
| | - Oliver E. Barker
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada Whitehorse YT Canada
- Yukon Department of Environment Whitehorse YT Canada
| | - Anne Farineau
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Calgary Calgary AB Canada
- Agriculture and Agri‐Food Canada Lethbridge AB Canada
| | - Joe De Gisi
- Fish and Wildlife Sector – Skeena Division British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations Smithers BC Canada
| | - John R. Post
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Calgary Calgary AB Canada
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