Taxonomic and functional distinctness of the fish assemblages differing among different types of reservoirs in south-eastern Brazil

The dynamics of fish assemblages in reservoirs depend on factors such as the morphometry of the catchment, habitat structure, and the uses of the reservoir. In the Paraiba do Sul (PSR) basin in southeastern Brazil, there are several types of reservoirs, some on the main channel, some are cascade reservoirs originated from a diversion of the waters of the PSR, and others are isolated reservoirs from tributaries. This study aimed to evaluate the influences of these three types of reservoirs on the taxonomic and functional distinctness of the fish assemblages. It was hypothesized that reservoirs on the main channel (more inflowing waters and habitat availability) have higher taxonomic and functional distinctness compared to cascade reservoirs, which in turn, have greater distinctness than isolated reservoirs. In addition, we expect assemblage structure to differ among these types of reservoirs because of the close relationship with local environmental conditions and habitat structure. Thirty measurements (26 quantitative and 4 categorical) from 34 fish species representing functional traits associated with locomotion, feeding, life strategy, and habitat use were taken. Fish assemblages differed among the three types of reservoirs, which was probably associated with different environmental and local habitat conditions. Higher taxonomic and functional distinctness were found for the isolated reservoirs, and lower for reservoirs on the main channel. This suggests that the fish fauna in this latter type of reservoir were probably composed of phylogenetically close and morphologically similar species. It is likely that limitation of the available resources induces fish to partition the available niches to coexist, favoring assemblages with species adapted to different functions. Our results demonstrate that assessing fish functional and taxonomic distinctness can be used to advance understanding of fish communities from reservoirs in Neotropical regions.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the influences of different types of reservoirs on the taxonomic and functional distinctness of fish assemblages in the Paraiba do Sul basin in Brazil. The results showed that reservoirs on the main channel had lower taxonomic and functional distinctness compared to cascade reservoirs, while isolated reservoirs had higher distinctness. The findings suggest that assessing fish functional and taxonomic distinctness can enhance our understanding of fish communities in Neotropical reservoirs.