Association between Labeobarbus spp. (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) and environmental variables in the Luhoho basin (Eastern Congo River basin; DRC)

The African cyprinid genus Labeobarbus is characterized by a high polymorphism in mouth morphology. The association between four species of this genus (two chiselmouths, one rubberlip with a well-developed fleshy mental lobe on the lower jaw, i.e., a fleshy appendage on the chin, and one usually with a poorly developed one) and 26 environmental variables was investigated in four affluents of the Luhoho River in the Albertine Highlands of the Upper Congo basin. A combination of univariate and multivariate analyses suggested that differences exist in habitat composition at localities where different Labeobarbus species were reported, and within different mouth phenotypes. The association of L. longidorsalis with the presence of cobbles and pebbles and of L. brauni with the presence of boulders suggests that the occurrence of chiselmouths phenotype is associated with stony habitats, whereas phenotypes with a mental lobe, i.e., Labeobarbus longifilis and L. paucisquamatus, mostly occupy habitats without stones. Differences in the distribution between these two species appear to be linked to physico-chemical parameters such as electrical conductivity and water temperature rather than substrate type. The findings of this study are relevant for developing guidelines that aim effective local preservation and conservation of these Labeobarbus species.

Integrating phylogenetic and ecological distances reveals new insights into parasite host specificity

The range of hosts a pathogen infects (host specificity) is a key element of disease risk that may be influenced by both shared phylogenetic history and shared ecological attributes of prospective hosts. Phylospecificity indices quantify host specificity in terms of host relatedness, but can fail to capture ecological attributes that increase susceptibility. For instance, similarity in habitat niche may expose phylogenetically unrelated host species to similar pathogen assemblages. Using a recently proposed method that integrates multiple distances, we assess the relative contributions of host phylogenetic and functional distances to pathogen host specificity (functional-phylogenetic host specificity). We apply this index to a data set of avian malaria parasite (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus spp.) infections from Melanesian birds to show that multihost parasites generally use hosts that are closely related, not hosts with similar habitat niches. We also show that host community phylogenetic ß-diversity (Pßd) predicts parasite Pßd and that individual host species carry phylogenetically clustered Haemoproteus parasite assemblages. Our findings were robust to phylogenetic uncertainty, and suggest that phylogenetic ancestry of both hosts and parasites plays important roles in driving avian malaria host specificity and community assembly. However, restricting host specificity analyses to either recent or historical timescales identified notable exceptions, including a 'habitat specialist' parasite that infects a diversity of unrelated host species with similar habitat niches. This work highlights that integrating ecological and phylogenetic distances provides a powerful approach to better understand drivers of pathogen host specificity and community assembly.

Swimming with the giant: coexistence patterns of a new redfin minnow Pseudobarbus skeltoni from a global biodiversity hot spot

Ecological niche theory predicts that coexistence is facilitated by resource partitioning mechanisms that are influenced by abiotic and biotic interactions. Alternative hypotheses suggest that under certain conditions, species may become phenotypically similar and functionally equivalent, which invokes the possibility of other mechanisms, such as habitat filtering processes. To test these hypotheses, we examined the coexistence of the giant redfin Pseudobarbus skeltoni, a newly described freshwater fish, together with its congener Pseudobabus burchelli and an anabantid Sandelia capensis by assessing their scenopoetic and bionomic patterns. We found high habitat and isotope niche overlaps between the two redfins, rendering niche partitioning a less plausible sole mechanism that drives their coexistence. By comparison, environment–trait relationships revealed differences in species–environment relationships, making habitat filtering and functional equivalence less likely alternatives. Based on P. skeltoni's high habitat niche overlap with other species, and its large isotope niche width, we inferred the likelihood of differential resource utilization at trophic level as an alternative mechanism that distinguished it from its congener. In comparison, its congener P. burchelli appeared to have a relatively small trophic niche, suggesting that its trophic niche was more conserved despite being the most abundant species. By contrast, S. capensis was distinguished by occupying a higher trophic position and by having a trophic niche that had a low probability of overlapping onto those of redfins. Therefore, trophic niche partitioning appeared to influence the coexistence between S. capensis and redfins. This study suggests that coexistence of these fishes appears to be promoted by their differences in niche adaptation mechanisms that are probably shaped by historic evolutionary and ecological processes.

Estimating Effects of Species Interactions on Populations of Endangered Species

Global change causes community composition to change considerably through time, with ever-new combinations of interacting species. To study the consequences of newly established species interactions, one available source of data could be observational surveys from biodiversity monitoring. However, approaches using observational data would need to account for niche differences between species and for imperfect detection of individuals. To estimate population sizes of interacting species, we extended N-mixture models that were developed to estimate true population sizes in single species. Simulations revealed that our model is able to disentangle direct effects of dominant on subordinate species from indirect effects of dominant species on detection probability of subordinate species. For illustration, we applied our model to data from a Swiss amphibian monitoring program and showed that sizes of expanding water frog populations were negatively related to population sizes of endangered yellow-bellied toads and common midwife toads and partly of natterjack toads. Unlike other studies that analyzed presence and absence of species, our model suggests that the spread of water frogs in Central Europe is one of the reasons for the decline of endangered toad species. Thus, studying population impacts of dominant species on population sizes of endangered species using data from biodiversity monitoring programs should help to inform conservation policy and to decide whether competing species should be subject to population management.