Species-specific variations in reproductive traits of three yellow catfish species (Pelteobagrus spp.) in relation to habitats in the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

Abstract

The reproductive biology of three yellow catfish congeners was studied in the Three Gorges Reservoir of the Yangtze River, China. We compared reproductive traits among the lentic, transitional, and lotic zones. A total of 4502 individuals of the three species was collected, and the sex ratio, size at 50% maturity, spawning season, fecundity, and egg size were determined. Results showed that populations inhabiting the lotic zone spawned earlier than those inhabiting the lentic zone. For the three species, fecundities were significantly higher for populations in the lotic zone than for those in the lentic and transitional zones (P < 0.05). Pelteobagrus vachelli (Richardson) and P. fulvidraco (Richardson) displayed an obvious trade-off between egg size and fecundity, whereas P. nitidus (Sauvage et Dabry) produced the largest eggs in the lotic zone. Sex ratios were significantly different among zones (P < 0.05, for each species), but the bias patterns were different. Sizes at 50% maturity of female P. nitidus and P. vachelli were the largest in the lotic zone and the smallest in the transitional zone, but was similar among zones for P. fulvidraco. Overall results suggest that the three yellow catfish species developed different reproductive traits among the three habitats in the TGR, whereas the variations reflected further interspecific differences. Our study indicates the importance of riverine habitats for the conservation of species of fish, even for species such as these eurytopic catfish inhabiting the upper reach of the Yangtze River. This study further suggests that species-specific responses should be considered when evaluating the influences of new hydropower projects, even for such closely related species of fish.

Effects of Temperature and Salinity on Incubation Time, Hatching Success, and Larvae Survival of the Giant Tiger Prawn Penaeus monodon under Experimental Conditions

“…On contrary, increased hatching success (91.33%) for P. semisulcatus were observed at lowest temperature of 24 °C and salinity of 40 ppt combinations (Aktas et al 2004). The observed differences could be attributed to the fact that reproduction in crustaceans is species-specific and dependent on the prevailing environmental factors in which they later become adapted to (Liao 2018). Since in the present study hatching was above 50% in all temperature and salinity groups, it can be generalised that hatching of Penaeus monodon can take place successfully over a wide range of temperatures and salinities.…”

Longitudinal habitat gradient affects diet and body condition of riverine fish: A case study ofPelteobagruscatfishes in the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

“…It also provides evidence that the body condition of the populations in the lentic habitat was worse than those inhabiting the riverine habitats, mainly due to the shortage of preferred food resources and lower nutritional value of alternative foods. Poor fish body condition, coupled with an observed reduced fecundity (Liao et al, 2018) may have strong ecological consequences. Whether the stocks of these omnivorous species will fluctuate in the transitional and lentic zones of the reservoir should be monitored for more fish species in the future.…”

Reproductive traits and spawning activity of striped eel catfish (Plotosidae) in Kolono Bay, Indonesia

“…A similar situation was reported for P. canius in the Khulna coast, Bangladesh (Khan et al 2002) and P. lineatus in the waters of the Sungsan and Jocheon coast, Korea (Heo et al 2007) and other catfish, such as Mystus gulio in the Khulna, Bangladesh (Islam et al 2008) and Pelteobagrus spp. in the Gorges Reservoir, China (Liao et al 2018). However, the association between fecundity and weight mass cannot be used as a prediction model.…”