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Temporal movement of free-swimming fishes and their response to environmental variables in some of the rivers of Kruger National Park, South Africa

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Abstract

The increase in anthropogenic stress on river ecosystems is of growing concern globally as demand for water increases and freshwater ecosystem degradation occurs. Understanding how the species respond to these stressors is important to manage ecosystem functioning, the conservation of species and the ecosystem services they provide. We used radio telemetry to determine the temporal movement of 19 tigerfish Hydrocynus vittatus and 11 lowveld large-scale yellowfish Labeobarbus marequensis, and their responses to environmental factors in two river systems, the Crocodile and the Olifants-Letaba rivers in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, from September 2011 to January 2012 and May 2018 to December 2019, respectively. Remote telemetry techniques were used to collect data from activity sensors attached to fish. Activity (movement count per hour) from both species showed diurnal behaviour. The data analyses using generalised mixed models with random effects showed that both species responded similarly to environmental factors, with differing significance in this response. Flow was negatively correlated, and water temperature positively correlated to activity. Both variables consistently showed higher significant responses than the other environmental variables assessed. Both fish species’ relationship to changes in flow and temperature can contribute to managing anthropogenic stressors and regulating flows in rivers. Further studies of this would significantly contribute to conserving these and other fish species in Kruger National Park.

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Data for this study are available on request from the authors but belong to the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the University of KwaZulu-Natal (ZA) and the University of Mpumalanga (ZA) for their support. Further, the support from South African National Parks personal, Bruce Leslie and Danie Pienaar, for their valuable input on site selection and access is gratefully acknowledged.

Funding

We thank the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN, ZA), the Water Research Commission (ZA, WADER programme), IdeaWild (USA), the UKZN Centre for Water Resource Research (ZA), the UKZN Centre for Functional Biodiversity (ZA), Umgeni Water (ZA), the UKZN Durban Research Action Project (D’RAP) and the National Research Foundation (NRF, ZA, Grant 98404) and the NRF, BRICS - Multilateral Joint Science and Technology Research Collaboration study titled, ‘Global and local water quality monitoring by multimodal sensor systems’, (Grant 116022), for funding and support for the project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag X01 Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa

    Matthew J. Burnett, Gordon C. O’Brien, Bayanda Sonamzi & Colleen T. Downs

  2. School of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty ofAgriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Mpumalanga, Nelspruit, 1200, South Africa

    Gordon C. O’Brien

  3. Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Water Research Group, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa

    Victor Wepener

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  1. Matthew J. Burnett
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Contributions

All authors conceived the research idea. GOB, VW, and CTD sought funding. MB, BSS, and GOB collected the data. MB analysed the data. MB drafted the manuscript, and all authors provided comments and revisions to the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Colleen T. Downs.

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Ethics approval was granted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal Animal Research Ethics Committee (number: AREC 070 017D). Relevant permits were obtained from the conservation bodies.

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Burnett, M.J., O’Brien, G.C., Sonamzi, B. et al. Temporal movement of free-swimming fishes and their response to environmental variables in some of the rivers of Kruger National Park, South Africa. Environ Biol Fish 105, 19–35 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-021-01178-5

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