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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 75(9)

Environmental DNA metabarcoding reveals the effect of river slope on diadromous fish communities in island rivers

Yusuke Kumai https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5261-1215 A * , Tatsushi Kobayashi A , Takashi Yamakawa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9627-924X A , Tetsuya Sado B , Masaki Miya B and Mari Kuroki https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9722-155X A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

B Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba, Japan.

* Correspondence to: yksakana@gmail.com

Handling Editor: Peter Unmack

Marine and Freshwater Research 75, MF24029 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF24029
Submitted: 16 February 2024  Accepted: 16 May 2024  Published: 12 June 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

Understanding the natural factors that influence diadromous fish communities in river ecosystems is crucial for effective biodiversity management. However, this remains an unexplored and challenging task. Here, the relationship between river morphology and diadromous fish communities within rivers was explored. We focused on river slope and estuary size, as these may constrain their upstream migration and affect the availability of important nursery grounds for some species. Using environmental DNA metabarcoding, we investigated the diadromous fish communities within 12 rivers of subtropical Yakushima Island, southern Japan, and compared the community differences among rivers with different river slopes and estuary sizes. Fewer diadromous fish species were detected in rivers with steeper slopes and smaller estuaries. Additionally, the community similarity was greater among rivers with analogous gradients and estuary sizes. These results indicate that river slopes exert a species-selective effect on diadromous fish communities by affecting their upstream migration and estuarine habitat availability, thereby playing a crucial role in shaping the composition of these communities within rivers. Conserving gentle-gradient rivers with large estuaries would be crucial for preserving the diversity of diadromous fish species, which play a crucial role in shaping biodiversity especially in rivers of subtropical and tropical oceanic islands.

Keywords: anadromous fish, biodiversity conservation, environmental DNA, estuarine environment, Gobiidae, river morphology, riverine gradient, Yakushima Island.

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