Long term changes in the fish fauna of Lago de Patzcuaro in Central Mexico

Ramírez-Herrejón, Juan Pablo; Zambrano, Luis; Mercado‐Silva, Norman; Torres-Téllez, Adriana; Pineda‐García, Fernando; Caraveo-Patiño, Javier; Balart, Eduardo F.

doi:10.3856/vol42-issue1-fulltext-11

Cited by 14 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…We found no evidence of piscivorous behavior in individuals under 150 mm. Given our findings on their diet, we support the hypothesis of Ramírez‐Herrejón et al., (), who argue that the top predators have changed from being mainly piscivorous to mainly zooplanktivorous. This indicates shortening of the food web, which is one of the symptoms of high levels of environmental degradation (Karr, ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Silversides are the current dominant top predator in Lake Pátzcuaro (Ramírez‐Herrejón et al., ), but their specific function in ecosystem processes have changed. The maximum standard length recorded for silversides was >400 mm before 1976 (De Buen, ; Rosas, ) and <300 mm in the 1980s (García de León & Pérez‐Velázquez, ); adult silversides are considered piscivores.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Capture of large (>150 mm SL) silversides has declined from >130 tonnes (t) in 1981 to the current collapse; small (<150 mm SL) silversides declined from >500 t in 1985 to the current collapse. These changes were caused by inefficient management practices and changes in the ecosystem (Ramírez‐Herrejón et al., ). Nevertheless, Chirostoma spp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, there is only one recent study that includes the silverside diet (Ramírez‐Herrejón et al., ), and there are no studies on its feeding strategies in Lake Pátzcuaro. It is crucial to understand the feeding strategies that have enabled them to maintain their populations despite the decline in their traditional prey (Ramírez‐Herrejón et al., ). This study determined the trophic guild, niche breadth, and trophic position of Chirostoma spp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Feeding strategy of silverside species in eutrophic Lake Pátzcuaro, Mexico

et al. 2017

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Summary The trophic guild, niche breadth, and trophic position of two different ontogenetic phases were measured according to the size of Chirostoma spp. captured in different zones of Lake Pátzcuaro, Mexico. Analyses were carried out at the genus level due the difficulties to find diagnostic characters to separate the three small silverside species accurately, since even the molecular analyses of mitochondrial DNA for a subsample of the most morphologically differentiated specimens were conducted without success. Fish were captured with a seine net during the wet (September and November 2009) and dry (February and June 2010) seasons at four environmentally different sites. Gut contents of 480 Chirostoma specimens were divided into size‐class intervals of 38–51 mm and 66–71 mm for analyses. The contribution of each food item was quantified using the frequency of occurrence and area percentage. Fish were categorized by size, and diets were compared between fish sizes and sites. Dorsal muscle tissue and zooplankton were obtained for nitrogen isotope signature (δ15N) analyses. The trophic guild was determined using a modified quadrant method for gut content analysis; the importance of each prey item was estimated according to a modified index of relative importance. Niche breadth was calculated by the Levins’ Index. The trophic position was assessed using the TrophLab Program and stable isotope analysis. The index of relative importance among study sites and fish size classes was determined by a multivariate approach. Silversides represent a secondary and tertiary consumer in Lake Pátzcuaro that feed mainly on evasive prey, such as copepods (55%) and on non‐evasive prey, such as cladocerans (25%) at sites with the lowest transparency in the water column (from 350 mm to 150 mm). Fish scales (11%) and insects (6%) were secondary food items. Ingestion of juvenile silversides was rare (1%). Chirostoma spp. prey on insects on the lake bottom and on water hyacinth roots. Based on δ15N analysis, the trophic position of silversides changes between wet and dry seasons. Their opportunistic and specialized predatory feeding strategy indicates the capability of silversides to resist anthropic changes in the lake.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Feeding strategy of silverside species in eutrophic Lake Pátzcuaro, Mexico

et al. 2017

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“…From a conservation perspective, the mitochondrial structure, the considerable morphological differentiation, and the historical isolation of the lake populations are sufficient evidence to consider the lineages as separate species, one endemic to Patzcuaro Lake ( C. attenuatum ) and the other endemic to Zirahuen Lake ( C. zirahuen ), representing a unique and irreplaceable genetic pool (Crandall, Bininda‐Edmonds, Mace, & Wayne, ). This is especially important when considering (i) the restricted geographic range of each species, since for freshwater organisms in general (Ribera, ), and fishes in particular (Rosenfield, ), the likelihood of the extinction increases as geographic range is reduced; (ii) that Chirostoma have represented the most important fishery in Patzcuaro and Zirahuen lakes since pre‐Hispanic times (Barbour, ; Berlanga‐Robles, Luna, Nepita, & Vera, ; Berlanga‐Robles, Madrid‐Vera, & Ruiz‐Luna, ; Hernández‐Batista, Ramírez‐Torrez, Azaola‐Espinoza, Mayorga‐Reyes, & Monroy‐Dosta, ; Miller, ) and it is considered overfished (Chacón‐Torres, ; Hernández‐Batista et al., ; Rojas‐Carrillo, ); and 3) that habitat degradation has been widely documented since the pre‐Hispanic time (Guzmán, Polaco, & Pollard, ; Nichols & Pool, ; Williams & Weigand, ) and continues to the present (Lyons, González‐Hernández, Soto‐Galera, & Guzmán‐Arroyo, ; Ramírez‐Herrejón et al., ; Zambrano et al., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Speciation of silversideChirostoma attenuatum(Pisces: Atheriniformes) in Central Mexico

Betancourt‐Resendes

Pérez‐Rodríguez

Domínguez‐Domínguez

2018

J Zool Syst Evol Res

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The high speciation rate of Chirostoma in Central Mexico has been associated with allopatric speciation events promoted by the emergence of vicariant barriers in freshwater habitats, as well as by sympatric ecological segregation, common in those species inhabiting lacustrine ecosystems. Through nuclear and mitochondrial markers, this study revealed a speciation process within Chirostoma attenuatum resulting in two evolutionary independent units that coincide with their morphological differentiation, indicating that Chirostoma attenuatum and Chirostoma zirahuen may be considered separate species. This process was the result of vicariance associated with geological dynamics of the region. Phylogeographic findings indicated two speciation stages: early allopatric isolation, during which the isolated populations accumulated unique adaptations, and secondary contact with low migration rate and the maintenance of the evolutionary trajectory. Historical demographic analysis indicated that the two well‐differentiated lineages underwent independent evolutionary histories in their respective lakes. Chirostoma zirahuen from Zirahuen and C. attenuatum from Patzcuaro represent unique and irreplaceable genetic diversity that must to be conserved.

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Environmental Degradation in a Eutrophic Shallow Lake is not Simply Due to Abundance of Non-native Cyprinus carpio

Ramírez-Herrejón

Mercado‐Silva

Balart

et al. 2015

Environmental Management

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Non-native species are often major drivers of the deterioration of natural ecosystems. The common carp Cyprinus carpio are known to cause major changes in lentic systems, but may not be solely responsible for large scale changes in these ecosystems. We used data from extensive collection efforts to gain insight into the importance of carp as drivers of ecosystem change in Lake Patzcuaro, Mexico. We compared the structure (fish density, biomass, diversity, and evenness) of fish assemblages from six Lake Patzcuaro sites with different habitat characteristics. Intersite comparisons were carried out for both wet and dry seasons. We explored the relationships between non-carp species and carp; and studied multivariate interactions between fish abundance and habitat characteristics. From a biomass perspective, carp was dominant in only four of six sites. In terms of density, carp was not a dominant species in all sites. Further, carp density and biomass were not negatively related to native species density and biomass, even when carp density and biomass were positively correlated to water turbidity levels. Carp dominated fish assemblages in the shallowest sites with the highest water turbidity, plant detritus at the bottom, and floating macrophytes covering the lake surface. These results suggest that the effect of carp on fish assemblages may be highly dependent on habitat characteristics in Lake Patzcuaro. Watershed degradation, pollution, water level loss, and other sources of anthropogenic influence may be more important drivers of Lake Patzcuaro degradation than the abundance of carp.

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Long term changes in the fish fauna of Lago de Patzcuaro in Central Mexico

Cited by 14 publications

References 46 publications

Feeding strategy of silverside species in eutrophic Lake Pátzcuaro, Mexico

Feeding strategy of silverside species in eutrophic Lake Pátzcuaro, Mexico

Speciation of silversideChirostoma attenuatum(Pisces: Atheriniformes) in Central Mexico

Environmental Degradation in a Eutrophic Shallow Lake is not Simply Due to Abundance of Non-native Cyprinus carpio

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