Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Diversity and longitudinal distribution of fishes in the Soto La Marina River basin, Mexico, and relationship with environmental variables

  • Published:
Environmental Biology of Fishes Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The spatial and temporal heterogeneity of rivers largely determine both the richness and the variability of the fish assemblages; however, few studies have been carried out in the northern parts of Mexico. This study assesses the species diversity and longitudinal distribution of fish fauna in the Soto La Marina River (northeast Mexico) and how this relates to environmental variables in an area of biogeographic transition of the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. A total of 89 species (82 natives and seven exotic) belonging to 67 genera and 39 families were recorded. The fish fauna in this basin shows a clear biotic zonation represented by three different species assemblages related to the three physiographic zones of the river (mouth, plain, and mountain) with a replacement of species throughout a temperature and salinity gradient. A principal component analysis found that Astyanax mexicanus, Poecilia mexicana, and Herichthys cyanoguttatus were the most abundant species in the plain and mountain zones of the river but exhibited different high abundance hotspots throughout the basin. Salinity, conductivity, and total dissolved solids increased downstream, directly impacting fish composition and diversity. The mouth of the river was characterised by high salinity and conductivity values correlating with high species richness of marine derivation. Similarly, the richness of species negatively correlated with the longitudinal gradient of the river. An integral knowledge of the relationship between environmental and anthropogenic parameters in the Soto La Marina River basin will enable the design of conservation and management strategies for its fish resources and habitats.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The data that supports the findings of this study are available in the supplementary material of this article.

References

  • Álvarez del Villar J (1970) Peces mexicanos (claves). México, D.F.: Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Biológico Pesqueras, Comisión Nacional Consultiva de Pesca

  • Anselin L (1996) The Moran scatterplot as an ESDA tool to assess local instability in spatial association. In: Fischer M, Scholten HJ, Unwin D (eds) Spatial Analytical Perspectives on Gis. Taylor and Francis Group, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Anselin L (2020) GeoDa Workbook. An introduction to spatial data analysis. Global Spatial Autocorrelation. Available at https://geodacenter.github.io/workbook/5a_global_auto/lab5a.html. Accessed 25 Jun 2021

  • Askeyev A, Askeyev O, Yanybaev N, Askeyev I, Monakhov S, Marić S, Hulsman K (2017) River fish assemblages along an elevation gradient in the eastern extremity of Europe. Environ Biol Fish 100:585–596

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cantú-Ayala C, Uvalle-Sauceda J, González-Saldívar F, Herrera-Fernández B (2018) Evaluación del grado de conservación de las cuencas hidrográficas de Nuevo León, México. Revista Mexicana De Ciencias Forestales 9:140–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carvajal-Quintero JD, Escobar F, Alvarado F, Villa-Navarro FA, Jaramillo-Villa Ú, Maldonado-Ocampo JA (2015) Variation in freshwater fish assemblages along a regional elevation gradient in the northern Andes, Colombia. Ecol Evol 5:2608–2620

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Carraro L, Mächler E, Wüthrich R, Altermatt F (2020) Environmental DNA allowsupscaling spatial patterns of biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems. Nat Commun 11:3585

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Castro-Aguirre JL, Espinosa-Pérez H, Schmitter-Soto JJ (1999) Ictiofauna estuario-lagunar y vicaria de México. México, D.F.: Limusa

  • Clarke KR (1993) Non-parametric multivariate analyses of changes in community structure. Austral Ecol 18:117–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke KR, Warwick RM (2001) Change in marine communities: an approach to statistical analyses and interpretation. Plymouth, UK: PRIMER-E.

  • Clarke KR, Warwick RM (2005) PRIMER-6 computer program. Plymouth, UK: Natural Environment Research Council.

  • Clarke KR, Somerfield PJ, Gorley RN (2008) Testing of null hypotheses in exploratory community analyses: similarity profiles and biota-environment linkage. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 366:56–69

  • Contreras-Balderas S (1991) Conservation of Mexican freshwater fishes: some protected sites and species, and recent federal legislation. In: Minckley WL, Deacon JE (eds) Battle against extinction: native fish management in the American West. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, pp 191–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Contreras-Balderas S, Rivera-Teillery R (1973) Notropis aguirrepequeñoi, especie nueva endémica del Río Soto la Marina, Tamaulipas, México (Pisces: Cyprinidae). Publicaciones Biológicas, Instituto De Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma De Nuevo León 1:9–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Contreras-Balderas S, Edwards RJ, Lozano-Villano ML, García-Ramírez ME (2002) Fish biodiversity changes in the lower Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, 1953–1996. Rev Fish Biol Fish 12:219–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CONAGUA [Comisión Nacional del Agua] (2020) Sistema Nacional de Información del Agua Monitoreo de las Principales Presas de México In: http://sina.conagua.gob.mx/sina/almacenamientoPresas.php. Accessed 1 May 2020

  • Cop Ferreira F, Petrere M Jr (2009) The fish zonation of the Itanhaém river basin in the Atlantic forest of southeast Brazil. Hydrobiologia 636:11–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Darnell RM (1962) Fishes of the Río Tamesí and related coastal lagoons in east-central México. Publications of the Institute of Marine Science, University of Texas 8:300–361

    Google Scholar 

  • Darlington PJ (1957) Zoogeography: the geographical distribution of animals. John Wiley & Son, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards RJ, Contreras-Balderas S (1991) Historical changes in the ichthyofauna of the lower Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte), Texas and Mexico. Southwest Nat 36:201–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Englmaier GK, Hayes DS, Meulenbroek P, Terefe Y, Lakew A, Tesfaye G, Waidbacher H, Malicky H, Wubie A, Leitner P, Graf P (2020) Longitudinal river zonation in the tropics: examples of fish and caddisflies from the endorheic Awash River, Ethiopia. Hydrobiologia 847:4063–4090

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eschmeyer WN, Fricke R, van der Laan R (2020). Eschmeyer’s catalog of fishes: genera, species, references. (http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp). Electronic version accessed 23 November 2020

  • ESRI [Environmental Systems Research Institute] (2021) Hot Spot Analysis (Getis-Ord Gi*) (Spatial Statistics). Available at https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/tool-reference/spatial-statistics/hot-spot-analysis.htm. Accessed 25 Jun 2021

  • Evans JW, Noble RL (1979) The longitudinal distribution of fishes in an east Texas stream. Am Midl Nat 101:333–343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferro I, Navarro-Sigüenza AG, Morrone JJ (2017) Biogeographical transitions in the Sierra Madre Oriental, Mexico, shown by chorological and evolutionary biogeographical affinities of passerine birds (Aves: Passeriformes). J Biogeogr 44:2145–2160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu WJ, Jiang PK, Zhou GM, Zhao KL (2014) Using Moran’s I and GIS to study the spatial pattern of forest litter carbon density in a subtropical region of southeastern China. Biogeosciences 11:2401–2409. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-2401-2014

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fuller PL, Nico LG, Williams JD (1999) Non-indigenous fishes introduced into inland waters of the United States. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication, Bethesda, p 27

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • García-De León FJ (2007) Uso del agua en la Presa Vicente Guerreo, Tamaulipas. In Arredondo-Figueroa JL, Díaz-Zavaleta G., Ponce-Palafox JT (eds) Limnología de presas mexicanas: aspectos teóricos y prácticos. México, D.F.: Editorial AGT and UAM Iztapalapa, pp. 284–302

  • García-De León FJ, Gutiérrez-Tirado D, Hendrickson DA, Espinosa-Pérez H (2005) Fish of the continental water of Tamaulipas: diversity and conservation status. In: Carton JL, Ceballos G, Felger RS (eds) Biodiversity, ecosystem, and conservation in northern México. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 138–166

    Google Scholar 

  • García-De León FJ, Hernández-Sandoval AI, Contreras-Catala F, Sánchez-Velasco L, Ruiz-Campos G (2018) Distribution of fishes in the Río Guayalejo-Río Tamesí system and relationships with environmental factors in northeastern Mexico. Environ Biol Fish 101:167–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • García-De León FJ, Rodríguez Martínez RI, Hendrickson DA (2015) Genetic analysis and conservation status of native populations of largemouth bass in Northeastern Mexico. In: Tringali MD, Long JM, Birdsong TW, Allent MS (eds). Black bass diversity: Multidisciplinary science for conservation. Amer Fish Soc Simp 82:635–657

  • Ghodousi M, Sadeghi-Niaraki A, Rabiee F, Choi SM (2020) Spatial-temporal analysis of point distribution pattern of schools using spatial autocorrelation indices in Bojnourd city. Sustainability 12(18):7755. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187755

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorman OT, Karr JR (1978) Habitat structure and stream fish communities. Ecology 59:507–515

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grosmann GD, Ratajczak RE, Farr MD, Wagner MC, Petty JT (2010) Why there are fewer fish upstream. In: Gido KB, Jackson DA (eds) Community ecology of stream fishes: concepts, approaches, and techniques. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, pp 63–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammer Ø, Harper DAT, Ryan PD (2001) PAST: Paleontological Statistics Software Package for Education and Data Analysis. http://palaeo-electronica.org/2001_1/past/issue1_01.htm. Accessed on 14 January 2016

  • Hawkes HA (1975) River zonation and classification. In: Whitton BA (ed) River ecology. University of California Press, Berkeley, pp 312–374

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawkes CL, Miller DL, Layher WG (1986) Fish ecoregions of Kansas: stream fish assemblage patterns and associated environmental correlates. Environ Biol Fish 17:267–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horta e Costa B, Assis J, Franco G, Erzini K, Henriques M, Gonçalves EJ, Caselle JE (2014) Tropicalization of fish assemblages in temperate biogeographic transition zones. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 504:241–252. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps10749

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hubbs CL, Hubbs LC (1932) Apparent parthenogenesis in nature, in a form of fish of hybrid origin. Science 76(1983):628–630

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Huet M (1959) Profiles and biology of Western European streams as related to fish management. Trans Am Fish Soc 88:155–163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hughes RM, Gammon JR (1987) Longitudinal changes in fish assemblages and water quality in the Willamette River, Oregon. Trans Am Fish Soc 116:196–209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hughes RM, Rexstad E, Bond CE (1987) The relationship of aquatic ecoregions, river basins, and physiographic provinces to the ichthyo-geographic regions of Oregon. Copeia 1987:423–432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • INEGI [Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática] (1998) Cartas Topográficas. Ciudad Victoria F14–2, Linares G14–11. Escala 1: 250,000. México, D.F.: Secretaría de Programación y Presupuesto

  • Jenkins RE, Freeman CA (1972) Longitudinal distribution and habitat of the fishes of Mason Creek, an upper Roanoke River drainage tributary, Virginia. Va J Sci 23:194–202

    Google Scholar 

  • Lotrich VA (1973) Growth, production, and community composition of fishes inhabiting a first, second, and third-order stream of eastern Kentucky. Ecol Monogr 43:377–397

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matthews WJ (1998) Patterns in Freshwater Fish Ecology, 2nd edn. Chapman and Hall, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • McEachran JD, Fechhelm JD (1998) Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin

    Google Scholar 

  • Meek SE (1904) The Freshwater Fishes of North of Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Field Columbian Museum 5:1–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Mejía-Mojica H, Contreras-MacBeath R-C (2015) Relationship between envirormental and geographic factors and the distribution of exotic fishes in tributaries of the Balsas river basin, Mexico. Environ Biol Fish 98:611–621. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-014-0298-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mercado-Silva N, Lyons J, Díaz-Pardo E, Navarrete S, Gutiérrez-Hernández A (2012) Environmental factors associated with fish assemblage patterns in a high gradient river of the Gulf of Mexico slope. Revista Mexicana De Biodiversidad 83:117–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller RR (1966) Geographical distribution of Central American freshwater fishes. Copeia 1966:773–802

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller RR, Minckley WL, Norris SM (2005) Freshwater Fishes of Mexico. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Minshall GW (1988) Stream ecosystem theory: a global perspective. J North Am Benthol Soc 7:263–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moran PAP (1948) The interpretation of statistical maps. J Roy Stat Soc: Ser B (methodol) 10:243–251. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2517-6161.1948.tb00012.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moyle PB, Nichols RD (1973) Ecology of some native and introduced fishes of the Sierra Nevada foothills in Central California. Copeia 1973:478–489

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moyle PB, Herbold B (1987) Life-history patterns and community structure in stream fishes of western North America: comparisons with eastern North America and Europe. In: Matthews WJ, Heins DC (eds) Community and evolutionary ecology of North American stream fishes. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, pp 25–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Page ML, Burr MB (1991) A field guide to freshwater fishes. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Company.

  • Petry AC, Schulz UH (2006) Longitudinal changes and indicator species of the fish fauna in the subtropical Sinos River, Brazil. J Fish Biol 69:272–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poloczanska ES, Brown CJ, Sydeman WJ, Kiessling W, Schoeman DS, Moore PJ, Richardson AJ (2013) Global imprint of climate change on marine life. Nat Clim Chang 3:919–925. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1958

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Power ME, Stout RJ, Cushing CE, Harper PP, Hauer FR, Matthews WJ, Moyle PB, Statzner B, Wais De Badgen IR (1988) Biotic and abiotic controls in river and stream communities. J North Am Benthol Soc 7:456–479

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rivera-Teillery R (1971) Ictiofauna de los ríos San Fernando y Soto La Marina. Estados de Nuevo León y Tamaulipas, México. Bachelor thesis, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México

  • Rodríguez-Rodríguez H, García-Guevara N, Cantero-Medina D, Carreón-Pérez A, Andrade-Limas EC (2012) Pago por servicios ambientales en la cuenca del Río Guayalejo, Tamaulipas, México. Papeles De Geografía 55–56:167–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruiz-Campos G, Torres-Morales M., Contreras-Balderas S (1985). Peces del Río Alamo, Subcuenca del Bravo, México. II: Estructura y dinámica de la comunidad íctica. Publicaciones Biológicas, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León 2(1):55–75

  • Sánchez-Gonzáles S, Ruiz-Campos G, Herrera-Flores A, Lozano-Vilano ML, González-Acosta AF, Inzunza-Beltrán HM (2018) Composición taxonómica y abundancia espacio-temporal de la ictiofauna del Río Presidio, Sinaloa, México. Rev Biol Trop 66:848–862

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schartl M, Wilde B, Schlupp I, Parzefall J (1995) Evolutionary origin of a parthenoform, the Amazon molly Poecilia formosa, on the basis of a molecular genealogy. Evolution 49:827–835

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sheldon AL (1968) Species diversity and longitudinal succession in stream fishes. Ecology 49:193–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith LM, Miller RR (1986) The evolution of the Rio Grande basin as inferred from its fish fauna. In: Hocutt CH, Wiley EO (eds) The zoogeography of North American freshwater fishes. Wiley-Interscience, New York, pp 457–485

    Google Scholar 

  • Soltani A, Askari S (2017) Exploring spatial autocorrelation of traffic crashes based on severity. Injury 48:637–647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2017.01.032

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sooley DR, Luiker EA, Barnes MA (1998) Standard methods guide for freshwater fish and fish habitat surveys in Newfoundland and Labrador: rivers & streams. Fisheries and Oceans, St. John’s, NF

  • Tejerina-Garro FL, Maldonado M, Ibañez C, Pont D, Roset N, Oberdorff T (2005) Effects of natural and anthropogenic environmental changes on riverine fish assemblages: a framework for ecological assessment of rivers. Braz Arch Biol Technol 48:91–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torgersen CE, Baxter CV, Li HW, McIntosh BA  (2006) Landscape influences on longitudinal patterns of river fishes: spatially continuous analysis of fish-habitat relationships. Am Fish Soc Symp 48:473–492

    Google Scholar 

  • Troast B, Paperno R, Cook GS (2020) Multidecadal shifts in fish community diversity across a dynamic biogeographic transition zone. Divers Distrib 26:93–107. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13000

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vannote RL, Minshall GW, Cummins KW, Sedell JR, Cushing CE (1980) The river continuum concept. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 37:130–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verduzco-Martínez JA (1972) Ictiofauna del Río Pánuco, Noreste de México. Bachelor Tesis, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, México

  • Vrijenhoek RC, Dawley RM, Cole CJ, Bogart JP (1989) A list of known unisexual vertebrates. In: Dawley RM, Bogart JP (eds) Evolution and ecology of unisexual vertebrates. New York State Museum, Albany, pp 19–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang H, Yang SL, Fan W, Shi HM, Yuan SL (2021) Spatial analysis of the fishing behaviour of tuna purse seiners in the Western and Central Pacific based on vessel trajectory data. J Mar Sci Eng 9(3):322. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9030322

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank D. A. Hendrickson of the University of Texas in Austin; H. Espinosa-Pérez, L. Huidobro-Campos, D.A. Daza-Zepeda, and X. Valencia from the National Fish Collection (Colección Nacional de Peces) at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM); and S. Contreras-Balderas (in memoriam), M.L. Lozano-Vilano, and M.E. García-Ramírez from the Fish Collection of the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL), for their support in the taxonomic identification and verification of species, as well as for safekeeping of the specimens in their respective collections. Students at the Laboratory of Integrative Biology at the Technological Institute of Ciudad Victoria (ITCV) provided help with field collections. Our study was conducted at the Technological Institute of Ciudad Victoria (ITCV) in Tamaulipas, where despite the lack of any animal care protocol, the animals were all collected under standard care procedures.

Funding

This study was funded by the CONACYT-SIREYES-19980606034 project awarded to FJGD.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ichthyological Collection, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Ensenada, Baja California, México

    Gorgonio Ruiz-Campos

  2. Centro de Biotecnología Genómica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Reynosa, Tamaulipas, México

    Ana Verónica Martínez-Vázquez

  3. Laboratorio de Macroecología, Centro de Investigación Científica Y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California, Unidad La Paz, La Paz, Baja California Sur, México

    Fernando Contreras-Catala

  4. CONACyT—Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, México

    Rafael Hernández-Guzmán

  5. Laboratorio de Genética Para La Conservación, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C., La Paz, Baja California Sur, México

    Francisco Javier García-De León

Authors
  1. Gorgonio Ruiz-Campos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ana Verónica Martínez-Vázquez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fernando Contreras-Catala
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Rafael Hernández-Guzmán
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Francisco Javier García-De León
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

FJGD conceived and designed the study. FJGD and AVMV performed the fieldwork. FCC, RHG, FJGD, and GRC analysed the data. GRC and FJGD wrote the paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francisco Javier García-De León.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval

Our study was conducted at the Technological Institute of Ciudad Victoria (ITCV) in Tamaulipas, México, where despite the lack of any animal care protocol, the animals were all collected under standard care procedures. Authors are responsible for correctness of the statements provided in the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (XLSX 28.967 KB)

Supplementary file2 (XLSX 18 KB)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ruiz-Campos, G., Martínez-Vázquez, A.V., Contreras-Catala, F. et al. Diversity and longitudinal distribution of fishes in the Soto La Marina River basin, Mexico, and relationship with environmental variables. Environ Biol Fish 104, 1321–1339 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-021-01158-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-021-01158-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation