New Trends in Freshwater Fishes

A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888). This special issue belongs to the section "Biology and Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 December 2022) | Viewed by 9095

Special Issue Editor

Ichthyology and Benthos Laboratory, Life Science Department, University of Trieste, Via Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, TS, Italy
Interests: fish biology; fish communities; freshwater ecology; trophic webs; biomonitoring; trophic web pollution
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue will focus on the new perspectives regarding ichthyological research in freshwater environments. At these times, biogeographic distribution of species is changing due to the climate crisis, and this topic is also related to the alien species spreading, which could be favored by the related global changes. The detection of variations in fish communities and in species distribution areas are of pivotal importance to better understand the effects of said global changes. In this context, a great boost has been given also to genetic research, particularly regarding some techniques such as environmental DNA, which could be helpful to check the presence of the most elusive species, especially those that require the application of conservation policies. Finally, particular attention will be given to the freshwater fish fauna as a tool to detect the presence of pollutants, such as microplastics, heavy metals, rare earth elements, antibiotics, and others in the freshwater trophic webs.

Dr. Elisabetta Pizzul
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fishes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • global change
  • fish
  • environmental DNA
  • pollutants
  • trophic web

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 196 KiB  
Editorial
Editorial: New Trends in Freshwater Fishes
by Elisabetta Pizzul
Fishes 2022, 7(6), 388; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7060388 - 13 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1016
Abstract
Global changes represent one of the main environmental threats of the Anthropocene and have a strong impact on the biosphere [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Freshwater Fishes)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

17 pages, 4229 KiB  
Article
Effects of Starvation on the Physiology and Liver Transcriptome of Yellowcheek (Elopichthys bambusa)
by Min Xie, Shaoming Li, Zhifeng Feng, Jin Xiang, Qi Deng, Pengpeng Wang, Hao Wu, Jingwei Gao, Guoqing Zeng and Guangqing Xiang
Fishes 2023, 8(4), 175; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8040175 - 24 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1218
Abstract
Anthropogenic and extreme climate disasters cause ecological changes in natural rivers and lakes, increasing the risk of starvation in yellowcheek (Elopichthys bambusa). Therefore, the impact of starvation on the metabolism and wild population of yellowcheek should be explored. In this study, [...] Read more.
Anthropogenic and extreme climate disasters cause ecological changes in natural rivers and lakes, increasing the risk of starvation in yellowcheek (Elopichthys bambusa). Therefore, the impact of starvation on the metabolism and wild population of yellowcheek should be explored. In this study, we used transcriptome sequencing technology to analyze the effects of short (8 d) and long-term (28 d) starvation on the liver transcriptome, growth, and serum indicators of yellowcheek. Our results showed that short-term starvation significantly reduced the visceral weight and viscera index of yellowcheek. Long-term starvation significantly reduced the body weight and Fulton’s condition factor, and it maintained significant reductions in visceral weight and viscera index. These results indicate that glycogen is the preferred energy source, rather than muscle protein, under starvation. Short-term starvation limited N-glycan and fatty acid biosynthesis, fatty acid elongation in the endoplasmic reticulum in the liver, and upregulated fatty acid degradation. However, long-term starvation alleviated the reduction in N-glycan and fatty acid biosynthesis caused by early starvation, and it significantly reduced fatty acid elongation in the mitochondria, as well as fatty acid degradation. These results provide important experiment information for assessing the starvation levels and nutritional status of wild yellowcheek. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Freshwater Fishes)
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16 pages, 5030 KiB  
Article
Impacts of Land Cover Changes on Catches of Nile Perch and Nile Tilapia on Lake Kyoga, Uganda
by Rebecca Walugembe Nambi, Abebe Getahun, Fredrick Jones Muyodi and Edward Rukuunya
Fishes 2023, 8(3), 158; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8030158 - 10 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1826
Abstract
In East Africa, Nile perch and Nile tilapia are major commercial fish species, providing reliable protein and income sources. However, their stocks are dwindling on Lake Kyoga due to land use and land cover (LULC) changes within the surrounding catchment. Thus, this paper [...] Read more.
In East Africa, Nile perch and Nile tilapia are major commercial fish species, providing reliable protein and income sources. However, their stocks are dwindling on Lake Kyoga due to land use and land cover (LULC) changes within the surrounding catchment. Thus, this paper aims at assessing the land use land cover on Lake Kyoga and its immediate catchment and how those changes affect the water quality and the local fish catches. The Iso-Cluster tool in ArcGIS was used to analyze Landsat images from the years 1989 to 2021 to obtain LULC information. The LULC classes were classified into water, wetland, agricultural land, rangeland, and settlements. Correction using a 2-tailed test of the water quality parameters with the LULC classes indicated a strong positive correlation of TN with water (0.71), a strong negative correlation of TP with rangelands (−0.83), and a strong positive correlation of Chl-a with settlement (0.98) at a 0.05 confidence level. The correlation of the recorded fish catch data with fishing gear showed a strong negative correlation with cast and monofilament nets. Continued use of illegal fishing gear was ranked number 1 of the causes of LULC by the stakeholders. Thus, the fisheries managers should collaborate with local stakeholders to boost declining fish catches for improved livelihoods and sustainable management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Freshwater Fishes)
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23 pages, 1518 KiB  
Article
Factors Influencing Early Growth of Juvenile Tiger Trout Stocked into Subalpine Lakes as Biocontrol and to Enhance Recreational Angling
by Adam G. Hansen, Erik T. Cristan, Miranda M. Moll, Michael W. Miller, Eric I. Gardunio and Jesse M. Lepak
Fishes 2022, 7(6), 342; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7060342 - 23 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1736
Abstract
Tiger trout (Salmo trutta × Salvelinus fontinalis) are sterile hybrids often stocked as a biocontrol agent for undesirable fishes and to enhance recreational angling. Yet, how different ecological processes affect their post-stocking performance remain poorly understood. Rapid growth early in life [...] Read more.
Tiger trout (Salmo trutta × Salvelinus fontinalis) are sterile hybrids often stocked as a biocontrol agent for undesirable fishes and to enhance recreational angling. Yet, how different ecological processes affect their post-stocking performance remain poorly understood. Rapid growth early in life can foster rapid transitions to piscivory, and improve survival. Identifying factors that benefit early growth can help managers optimize tiger trout stocking for meeting multiple fisheries management objectives. Here, we characterized the trophic ecology and growth of tiger trout stocked at varying densities into seven lentic subalpine systems in Colorado, USA. Study systems supported different species of undesirable fish (e.g., minnows or suckers). We used stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen to quantify trophic relationships among tiger trout and other fishes in each system. We then evaluated several system-specific attributes as predictors for the size of tiger trout at age-1 using a Random Forest model. Stable isotopes demonstrated the potential for resource competition among tiger trout and other fishes, but potential varied by system. Indices of resource competition ranked highest in the Random Forest model, but the stocking density of tiger trout was most important, suggesting that intraspecific competition outweighed interspecific competition in driving early growth. These processes were mediated by system productivity. Thus, stocking density in combination with the realized carrying capacities of systems should be considered when making management decisions for tiger trout. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Freshwater Fishes)
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12 pages, 2406 KiB  
Article
An Overview of Interlocation Sexual Shape Dimorphism in Caquetaia kraussi (Perciformes: Cichlidae): A Geometric Morphometric Approach
by Jordan Hernandez, Amado Villalobos-Leiva, Adriana Bermúdez, Daniela Ahumada-Cabarcas, Manuel J. Suazo and Hugo A. Benítez
Fishes 2022, 7(4), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes7040146 - 23 Jun 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2594
Abstract
C. kraussii is an endemic fish species from Colombia and Venezuela and represents a valuable food resource for local human communities. Due to its economic importance, the management and captive breeding of this species are of special interest. However, the anatomical similarities between [...] Read more.
C. kraussii is an endemic fish species from Colombia and Venezuela and represents a valuable food resource for local human communities. Due to its economic importance, the management and captive breeding of this species are of special interest. However, the anatomical similarities between sexes have been a problem for visual identification. It is also important to indicate that C. kraussii has cryptic morphological behavior between sexes, a topic that has been one of the main problems for the implementation of management plans. The following research studied individuals from three different localities along the Canal del Dique, Bolívar Department in Colombia, in which the body shape of C. kraussii was analyzed using geometric morphometric analysis. The analyses detected the presence of intralocality sexual dimorphism in two of the three localities analyzed, showing a low morphological variability among males, presenting conserved body shape, as well as a greater morphological disparity among females. This sexual shape dimorphism may be associated with the environmental variation among different locations. These results suggest the presence of two evolutionary forces acting asymmetrically between the sexes of C. kraussii, with males mostly subject to sexual selection pressure, while females are mainly subject to environmental pressures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Freshwater Fishes)
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