Abstract
The cultural and ecological importance of fork-tailed catfish, Neoarius graeffei, in northern Australia is linked to its energy stores, or how fat fish are. Water resource development that alters river flow has the potential to impact the energy stores of fork-tailed catfish. We investigated the influence of flow and habitat on the energy reserves of fork-tailed catfish during the dry season in an intermittent wet–dry tropical river using data collected in three years with different flow volumes from a variety of habitats, i.e. different mesohabitats (tributary, main-channel) and pool sizes. Julian day was included to describe seasonal trends. We used mesohabitat and pool size to reveal where fork-tailed catfish had the most energy reserves and flow-year and Julian day to reveal when reserves were greatest. Body condition and the quantity of intramuscular and coelomic fat were used to describe energy reserves. Predictive models created for each metric revealed that fork-tailed catfish body condition and intramuscular fat were greater in years following moderate to high wet-season flow, smallest in a year following very low flows and decreased as the dry season progressed. Coelomic and intramuscular fat of fork-tailed catfish was also lower in smaller pools. There was no association between mesohabitat and energy store. These when and where hydro-ecological patterns highlight the importance of wet season flows and groundwater-fed refuge pools for fork-tailed catfish energetics in this wet–dry tropical river. Intermittent rivers flowing through wet–dry tropical savanna habitats are under increasing threat globally and the results of the present study illustrate how flow variation may impact on biota and influence their continued survival and functional roles.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1211-1224 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Freshwater Biology |
| Volume | 66 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Early online date | 5 Apr 2021 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We gratefully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the country on which this work was undertaken; the Nyikina‐Mangala people of the Walalakoo region, Yanunijarra and Gooniyandi people, and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters, and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present, and emerging. We thank the Prescribed Body Corporates for the different native title groups, and representatives from Yungngora Community, for providing us with permission to undertake research on country. We thank the Indigenous Rangers and ranger co‐ordinators that assisted us with fieldwork and acknowledge the assistance of the Kimberley Land Council in project facilitation, particularly Karen Dayman. We thank the pastoral managers of Jubilee Downs, Myroodah, Mount Anderson, Millijidee, Noonkanbah, and Gogo Stations for their cooperation. We thank the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development for equipment storage. This project was supported through funding from the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program through the Northern Australia Environmental Resources Hub. Research was carried out under Fisheries exemptions #191‐2009‐27 and 2974, and The University of Western Australia's Animal Ethics permits RA/3/100/884 and RA/3/100/1536 (Animal Ethics Committee, The University of Western Australia). All researchers conducting field work had a valid Permission to Use Animals (PUA) licence to use animals for scientific purposes as per the Animal Welfare Act 2002 (Western Australia). All field procedures were performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations.
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© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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