Yazhou Jiang

Accurately modeling the distribution of keystone species is of utmost importance to gain a comprehensive understanding of their complex ecological dynamics and to develop effective strategies for sustainable scientific management. In the coastal China ecosystem, the swordtip squid (Uroteuthis edulis) stands out as a keystone species with significant commercial and ecological value. Despite its importance, research on the ecological dynamics of this species remains limited and requires further investigation. To investigate the spatial and temporal variability in the distribution of U. edulis and identify the key environmental drivers in the East China Sea (ECS) and southern Yellow Sea across different seasons, we generated ensemble models using oceanographic variables and fishery-independent scientific survey data collected from 2016 to 2018. Our results revealed that U. edulis predominantly inhabited the central and southern regions of the ECS throughout the year. The primary environmental variables driving its distribution varied by season, with the sea surface temperature being the most important in spring, sea surface height in summer and autumn, and depth in winter. During summer and autumn, the suitable habitats of U. edulis were found to be largest and extended northwards towards the coastline. However, they migrated southwards to the waters near the edge of the ECS continental shelf with smaller suitable areas in the spring and winter. These results suggested that U. edulis exhibited season-specific habitat preferences and responded to changing environmental conditions throughout the year. The observed seasonal distribution patterns were likely influenced by the fluctuating mixture of waters (ocean currents) from different sources, with varying physical and chemical characteristics throughout the year. Our study provides baseline data for comprehending the population dynamics of U. edulis and highlights the significance of considering species’ habitat preferences in a dynamic environment.

Larval ecology of gobiid fishes in Xiangshan Bay of the east coast of China was examined from ichthyoplanktonic data collected during 10 weekly cruises in spring–early summer of 2015. Particular attention was given to their environmental preferences and spatiotemporal habitat partitioning. A total of 87, 007 gobiid larval individuals, distributed in 9 species, were collected. The thermal and salinity preferences of 6 of the 9 gobiid larvae have been determined using a quotient-rule analysis. This work filled some gaps in larval ecology of these poorly studied gobiids. Temporal succession in gobiid larvae composition was strongly evident. The bay ecosystem was mainly occupied by Asian freshwater goby Acanthogobius ommaturus, branded goby Chaeturichthys stigmatias and tank goby Glossogobius giuris, with preferences for temperature bellow 19°C during April to early May, while striped sand goby Amoya pflaumi and burrowing goby Trypauchen vagina, which preferred water temperature above 22°C, predominated the larval assemblage in early June. With respect to spatial distribution, relatively little variation was detected among species. Most of gobiid larvae exhibited little obvious habitat preference except pinkgray goby Amblychaeturichthys hexanema and A. ommaturus, which distributed preferably in the inner zone and mouth of the bay ecosystem, respectively. Water temperature was the major structuring factor of gobiid larvae assemblage structure in the bay. The gobiid larvae exhibited to be particularly susceptible to the rapid rising temperature shocks. Sharp decline in the total abundance of gobiid larvae was detected with each rapid heating process. In addition, significant shift in larval fish composition occurred following the process. The results suggest that pattern of temperature increase in spring and early summer plays a vital role in recruitment success of the gobiid larvae.

The fish-gut microbiota play a key role in the physiology, development, and fitness of its host. An understanding of fish-gut microbial communities and the factors influencing community composition is crucial for improving fish performance. In this study, we compared the gut microbiota of juvenile black sea bream Acanthopagrus schlegelii among habitats: (1) wild, (2) offshore cage-culture, and (3) pond-culture. We also explored the relationships between the gut microbiota and host-associated environmental factors. Gut samples and associated environmental compartments were investigated using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Our results revealed significant habitat-specific differences among the gut microbiota of juvenile A. schlegelii. Wild populations of juvenile A. schlegelii had more diverse gut microbiota than populations cultured in pond habitats due to their omnivorous feeding habits and the corresponding abundance of natural food resources. Significant variations in the composition, core taxa, and diversity of the microbiota were also found between the gut and the environmental compartments. However, no significant differences were observed among the microbiota of the environmental compartments in the relatively isolated pond habitat. Source tracking analysis recovered connections between the fish-gut microbiota and the diet, water and sediment environmental compartments. This connection was especially strong between the microbiota of the fish gut and that of the diet in the pond habitat: the diet microbiota accounted for 33.48 ± 0.21% of the gut microbiota. Results suggested that all A. schlegelii shared a core gut microbiota, regardless of differences in diet and habitat. However, environmental factors associated with both diet and habitat contributed to the significant differences between the gut microbiota of fish living in different habitats. To the authors’ knowledge, this study presents the first comparison of gut microbiota among juvenile A. schlegelii with different diets and habitats. These findings enrich our understanding of the gut microbiota of A. schlegelii and help to clarify the interaction between gut microbiota and environmental factors. Our results may also help to guide and improve fish ecological fitness via the regulation of gut microbiota, thereby increasing the efficacy of stock enhancement programs for this species.

Since 1850, each successive decade has been warmer than any preceding one. Warming could make a major contribution to the growth of fish larvae. To evaluate the influence of water temperature on the growth of larvae who spawned in later spring and early summer, we selected Scomberomorus niphonius, which has important ecological and economic value as a sample fish species. We conducted high‐resolution spatiotemporal surveys during the 2015 spawning season at an important spawning ground in China. We found that the temperature required for larval survival was stricter than that for spawning. Within the appropriate temperature range, a rapid rise in water temperature was favourable for larval hatching, but S. niphonius hatched at relatively low temperature exhibited a faster growth rate in the yolk‐sac and pre‐flexion stages. The accumulated temperature and hatching temperature significantly affected the growth rate of S. niphonius larvae. The model that considered developmental stages provided a better explanation of the data than the model that only considered the temperature effect. The model improvement in terms of variance explained was higher for the early developmental stages than for the later developmental stages, suggesting that stage‐specific temperature influences were prominent in the earlier stages, like the yolk‐sac stage, and then reduced. Our results implied that water temperature anomalies could be hazardous to fish larvae, especially for fish spawning in late spring and early summer. Given that early‐life stage fish are highly sensitive to water temperature, it is imperative to incorporate the potential effects of climate change into fisheries management.