Cambodian Freshwater Fish Assemblage Structure and Distribution Patterns: Using a Large-Scale Monitoring Network to Understand the Dynamics and Management Implications of Species Clusters in a Global Biodiversity Hotspot

Pin, Kakada; Nut, Savat; Hogan, Zeb S.; Chandra, Sudeep; Saray, Samadee; Touch, Bunthang; Chheng, Phen; Ngor, Peng Bun

doi:10.3390/w12092506

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Cambodian Freshwater Fish Assemblage Structure and Distribution Patterns: Using a Large-Scale Monitoring Network to Understand the Dynamics and Management Implications of Species Clusters in a Global Biodiversity Hotspot

by

Kakada Pin

^1,†

,

Savat Nut

^1,2,3,†,

Zeb S. Hogan

^1,4,

Sudeep Chandra

^1,4,

Samadee Saray

¹,

Bunthang Touch

³,

Phen Chheng

⁵ and

Peng Bun Ngor

^1,3,*

¹

Wonders of the Mekong Project, c/o Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Fisheries Administration, No. 186, Preah Norodom Blvd., Khan Chamcar Morn, P.O. Box 582, Phnom Penh 12300, Cambodia

²

Centre for Biodiversity Conservation, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh 12156, Cambodia

³

Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Fisheries Administration, No. 186, Preah Norodom Blvd., Khan Chamcar Morn, P.O. Box 582, Phnom Penh 12300, Cambodia

⁴

Global Water Center & the Department of Biology, University of Nevada, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA

⁵

Fisheries Administration, No. 186, Preah Norodom Blvd., Khan Chamcar Morn, P.O. Box 582, Phnom Penh 12300, Cambodia

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

Co-first author; these authors contribute equally to this work.

Water 2020, 12(9), 2506; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12092506

Submission received: 30 July 2020 / Revised: 30 August 2020 / Accepted: 4 September 2020 / Published: 8 September 2020

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Channels for Change: Integrating Multiple Disciplines for New Frontiers in Managing the Mekong River Basin)

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Abstract

Mekong River Basin is one of the world’s fish biodiversity hotspots. Fisheries of the Cambodian Mekong are characterized by high diversity and productivity. However, few studies have focused on broad scale patterns and fish assemblage structure of this important system at a national level. Here, we describe spatial and seasonal variation in fish assemblages by analyzing one year of daily fish catch data sampled at 32 sites covering Cambodia’s main inland water bodies. We recorded 125 fish species. Four clusters were distinguished based on assemblage composition similarity, and 95 indicator species were identified to characterize each of the identified assemblage clusters. High diversity fish assemblages were associated with the upper Mekong system and Mekong/Bassac/Tonle Sap Rivers in Kandal Province and southern Tonle Sap Lake while lower diversity assemblages were observed in the Mekong River in Kratie and the northern area of the Tonle Sap Lake. We find significant variation in the assemblage composition between wet and dry seasons, indicating strong seasonal species turnover within clusters. Length–weight relationship analysis indicated a negative allometric growth among a majority of indicator species, reflecting suboptimal conditions for growth. Our study establishes contemporary structure and diversity patterns in the Lower Mekong River system of Cambodia, which can be used to map fish biodiversity hotspots and assess key indicative fish stocks’ statuses for conservation and management.

Keywords: species distribution; fish richness; indicator species; length–weight relationship; tropical flood pulse fisheries; inland water; Lower Mekong Basin

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MDPI and ACS Style

Pin, K.; Nut, S.; Hogan, Z.S.; Chandra, S.; Saray, S.; Touch, B.; Chheng, P.; Ngor, P.B. Cambodian Freshwater Fish Assemblage Structure and Distribution Patterns: Using a Large-Scale Monitoring Network to Understand the Dynamics and Management Implications of Species Clusters in a Global Biodiversity Hotspot. Water 2020, 12, 2506. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12092506

AMA Style

Pin K, Nut S, Hogan ZS, Chandra S, Saray S, Touch B, Chheng P, Ngor PB. Cambodian Freshwater Fish Assemblage Structure and Distribution Patterns: Using a Large-Scale Monitoring Network to Understand the Dynamics and Management Implications of Species Clusters in a Global Biodiversity Hotspot. Water. 2020; 12(9):2506. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12092506

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pin, Kakada, Savat Nut, Zeb S. Hogan, Sudeep Chandra, Samadee Saray, Bunthang Touch, Phen Chheng, and Peng Bun Ngor. 2020. "Cambodian Freshwater Fish Assemblage Structure and Distribution Patterns: Using a Large-Scale Monitoring Network to Understand the Dynamics and Management Implications of Species Clusters in a Global Biodiversity Hotspot" Water 12, no. 9: 2506. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12092506

APA Style

Pin, K., Nut, S., Hogan, Z. S., Chandra, S., Saray, S., Touch, B., Chheng, P., & Ngor, P. B. (2020). Cambodian Freshwater Fish Assemblage Structure and Distribution Patterns: Using a Large-Scale Monitoring Network to Understand the Dynamics and Management Implications of Species Clusters in a Global Biodiversity Hotspot. Water, 12(9), 2506. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12092506

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Cambodian Freshwater Fish Assemblage Structure and Distribution Patterns: Using a Large-Scale Monitoring Network to Understand the Dynamics and Management Implications of Species Clusters in a Global Biodiversity Hotspot

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