Longitudinal patterns of fish assemblages in European boreal streams

• DOI: 10.1007/s10750-020-04330-x
• Publication Date: 2020-06-15T15:03:58Z
• Authors: Tapio Sutela; Teppo Vehanen; Pekka Jounela
• Keywords: Brown trout; Electrofishing; Grayling; Cottus; Guild; Dominance (genetics)

Abstract Fish assemblages are known to change from headwaters river outlets. Still, our knowledge of this is often approximate or sporadic. In study, we quantified the average longitudinal a large electrofishing data set boreal streams in Northern Europe. The species richness increased medium-sized rivers but levelled off when reaching rivers. Existence some headwater specialist fish species, e.g. brook trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis ), was interpreted support zonation concept over accumulative addition downstream. traditional developed Western Europe suggests four zones outlets, zone, grayling barbel zone and bream zone. Of these, only clearly present with high dominance studied. For North European streams, suggest three dominating downstream, brown Salmo trutta bullhead Cottus gobio ) Atlantic salmon salar ). Discovered shifts guild compositions offered an opportunity for ecological interpretation promising basis bioassessment.