Shifts in Eastern Mediterranean Fish Communities: Abundance Changes, Trait Overlap, and Possible Competition between Native and Non-Native Species
During the last few decades the fish community has changed substantially along the Eastern Mediterranean continental shelf, which is a hotspot of invasion by species that had migrated via the Suez Canal. Trawl data from the Israeli coast spanning two periods (1990–1994 and 2008–2011) were compared t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-04-01
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| Series: | Fishes |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/3/2/19 |
| _version_ | 1818109092788436992 |
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| author | Erik Arndt Or Givan Dor Edelist Oren Sonin Jonathan Belmaker |
| author_facet | Erik Arndt Or Givan Dor Edelist Oren Sonin Jonathan Belmaker |
| author_sort | Erik Arndt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | During the last few decades the fish community has changed substantially along the Eastern Mediterranean continental shelf, which is a hotspot of invasion by species that had migrated via the Suez Canal. Trawl data from the Israeli coast spanning two periods (1990–1994 and 2008–2011) were compared to identify species with substantial variation in their relative abundance between the two periods. The aim of this study was to examine if certain ecological traits characterize fish species showing an increase or decrease in relative abundance, and if non-indigenous fishes with strongly increasing populations may have caused the decline of native species with similar habitats and diets. We found that the main predictors of population trends were species length, habitat affinity, and maximum depth, with larger and soft bottom species displaying decreasing abundances. Comparing native and non-indigenous fishes with similar habitat and diet, we found a potential for competitive impact of the Indo-Pacific Plotosus lineatus and two Upeneus spp. on the native Mullus species. However, competition with non-indigenous fishes could not generally explain the dramatic decline of many other native species between the two study periods. Alternative causes, such as fishery pressure and increasing water temperature, are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T02:25:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a5c18a9b50254038a8663545e9a8a9dd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2410-3888 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T02:25:46Z |
| publishDate | 2018-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fishes |
| spelling | doaj.art-a5c18a9b50254038a8663545e9a8a9dd2022-12-22T01:23:56ZengMDPI AGFishes2410-38882018-04-013219010.3390/fishes3020019fishes3020019Shifts in Eastern Mediterranean Fish Communities: Abundance Changes, Trait Overlap, and Possible Competition between Native and Non-Native SpeciesErik Arndt0Or Givan1Dor Edelist2Oren Sonin3Jonathan Belmaker4Department 1, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, D-06406 Bernburg, GermanySchool of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, IsraelNational Institute of Oceanography, Tel-Shikmona, Haifa 31080, IsraelDepartment of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Beit-Dagan 50250, IsraelSchool of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, IsraelDuring the last few decades the fish community has changed substantially along the Eastern Mediterranean continental shelf, which is a hotspot of invasion by species that had migrated via the Suez Canal. Trawl data from the Israeli coast spanning two periods (1990–1994 and 2008–2011) were compared to identify species with substantial variation in their relative abundance between the two periods. The aim of this study was to examine if certain ecological traits characterize fish species showing an increase or decrease in relative abundance, and if non-indigenous fishes with strongly increasing populations may have caused the decline of native species with similar habitats and diets. We found that the main predictors of population trends were species length, habitat affinity, and maximum depth, with larger and soft bottom species displaying decreasing abundances. Comparing native and non-indigenous fishes with similar habitat and diet, we found a potential for competitive impact of the Indo-Pacific Plotosus lineatus and two Upeneus spp. on the native Mullus species. However, competition with non-indigenous fishes could not generally explain the dramatic decline of many other native species between the two study periods. Alternative causes, such as fishery pressure and increasing water temperature, are discussed.http://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/3/2/19biological invasionLessepsian migrationecological traitscommunity ecology |
| spellingShingle | Erik Arndt Or Givan Dor Edelist Oren Sonin Jonathan Belmaker Shifts in Eastern Mediterranean Fish Communities: Abundance Changes, Trait Overlap, and Possible Competition between Native and Non-Native Species Fishes biological invasion Lessepsian migration ecological traits community ecology |
| title | Shifts in Eastern Mediterranean Fish Communities: Abundance Changes, Trait Overlap, and Possible Competition between Native and Non-Native Species |
| title_full | Shifts in Eastern Mediterranean Fish Communities: Abundance Changes, Trait Overlap, and Possible Competition between Native and Non-Native Species |
| title_fullStr | Shifts in Eastern Mediterranean Fish Communities: Abundance Changes, Trait Overlap, and Possible Competition between Native and Non-Native Species |
| title_full_unstemmed | Shifts in Eastern Mediterranean Fish Communities: Abundance Changes, Trait Overlap, and Possible Competition between Native and Non-Native Species |
| title_short | Shifts in Eastern Mediterranean Fish Communities: Abundance Changes, Trait Overlap, and Possible Competition between Native and Non-Native Species |
| title_sort | shifts in eastern mediterranean fish communities abundance changes trait overlap and possible competition between native and non native species |
| topic | biological invasion Lessepsian migration ecological traits community ecology |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/3/2/19 |
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