Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Godoing, 1410, Brunei Darussalam.
Institute of Tropical Aquaculture, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Terengganu, Malaysia.
Sci Rep. 2020 Oct 9;10(1):16890. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-72788-9.
Anguillid eels of the genus Anguilla, which have a unique catadromous life history, are widely distributed across many parts of the world. However, little research has been conducted on the behavioural mechanisms of habitat segregation between sympatric species in tropical anguillid eels. To understand the ecological and behavioural mechanisms involved in the life history and migration of tropical anguillid eels, strontium (Sr):calcium (Ca) ratios were examined in otoliths of A. bengalensis bengalensis (41 specimens) and A. bicolor bicolor (130 specimens) collected from ten rivers in northwestern Peninsular Malaysia. The otolith Sr:Ca ratios revealed different habitat use between the two species. The broad range of otolith Sr:Ca ratios and habitat shift found in A. bicolor bicolor suggested that its habitat utilization was opportunistic in environments of varying salinity. A. bicolor bicolor prefers to live in the midstream to downstream areas with tidal influences. A. bengalensis bengalensis, however, was found to only reside in freshwater environments throughout their continental growth. A. bengalensis bengalensis tends to live in upstream area with no tidal influence. Their habitat use, migratory history, and habitat distribution indicate that habitat segregation occurs between the two species, leading to the different habitat preferences in tropical river systems.
鳗鲡目鳗鲡属的鳗鲡,具有独特的洄游生活史,广泛分布于世界许多地区。然而,对于热带鳗鲡中同域物种的栖息地隔离的行为机制的研究甚少。为了了解热带鳗鲡的生活史和洄游的生态和行为机制,对从马来西亚半岛西北部的 10 条河流中采集的 41 尾印度鳗鲡(A. bengalensis bengalensis)和 130 尾双色鳗鲡(A. bicolor bicolor)的耳石中的锶(Sr):钙(Ca)比值进行了检查。耳石 Sr:Ca 比值揭示了这两个物种之间不同的栖息地利用方式。在双色鳗鲡中发现的广泛的耳石 Sr:Ca 比值和栖息地变化表明,其栖息地利用是在不同盐度环境中的机会主义行为。双色鳗鲡喜欢生活在有潮汐影响的中下游地区。然而,印度鳗鲡只被发现存在于其整个大陆生长过程中的淡水环境中。印度鳗鲡倾向于生活在没有潮汐影响的上游地区。它们的栖息地利用、洄游历史和栖息地分布表明,这两个物种之间存在栖息地隔离,导致它们在热带河流系统中表现出不同的栖息地偏好。