Research
| Title： | Prevalence of fish migration related to fish species richness and sea level change |
|---|---|
| First author： | Magati, Tereza M.; Yu, Dan; Zhu, Lan; Liu, Huanzhang |
| Journal： | REVIEWS IN FISH BIOLOGY AND FISHERIES |
| Years： | 2025 |
| DOI： | 10.1007/s11160-025-09980-5 |
| Abstract： | Different hypotheses have been proposed to explain the origin of diadromous fish migration, including ecological interactions and environmental stressors, but no consistent conclusions have been reached. In the present study, by analyzing the molecular phylogenetic trees of 17 fish orders containing diadromous species, changes in habitats (leading to migration) were determined in historical time, and their relationships with sea level changes or fish species richness were tested. Our findings revealed significant positive correlations between fish migration and marine and freshwater fish species richness, suggesting that higher species richness facilitates migration between freshwater and marine environments. Furthermore, we observed that both fish migration and fish species richness are negatively related to sea level changes, indicating that lower sea levels promote greater fish migration and higher fish species richness, likely due to the expansion of river catchments and increased complexity of freshwater habitats, which enhance migration routes and spawning opportunities. Based on our findings, we propose a "Species Richness Dependent Fish Migration Hypothesis" to explain the prevalence of fish migration: higher species richness leads to the emergence of more migratory species. Since our findings indicate that fish species richness is negatively associated with sea level, projected future climate change and rising sea levels may threaten certain diadromous fish species. Our study underscores the need to strengthen measures aimed at mitigating these environmental changes. |
