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Environmental correlates of the abundance and distribution of Belonesox belizanus in a novel environment

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Abstract

Environmental factors, such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and pH may influence the population dynamics of an introduced species by imposing limits to its distribution and abundance. In 1957, the non-indigenous pike killifish, Belonesox belizanus Kner, was released into a Miami-Dade County, Florida, canal, from which it has since spread across most of south Florida. The main goal of this study was to characterize patterns of covariation between B. belizanus density and temporal, spatial, and physicochemical variables, and attempt to identify which physicochemical variables may explain variation in densities of this species. Results of AICc model selection indicated that patterns of physicochemical variables such as pH, salinity, and temperature correlated with annual change in B. belizanus density, and that these physicochemical-density patterns were mesohabitat specific. For the southern most sites, the interaction between temperature and salinity provide the best model to explain B. belizanus density, whereas variability in pH provides the best model at northern sites. These patterns of covariance between density and specific physicochemical variables suggests that specific mesohabitat characteristics may play a role in mediating the physiological, behavioral, and/or ecological performance of this introduced species in Florida and elsewhere. Future studies will test hypotheses on the direct and indirect effects of these physicochemical variables within the context of specific mesohabitats on the behavior and physiology of B. belizanus in its novel environment in South Florida.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to give a special thanks to Joel Trexler (FIU) and William Loftus (USGS) for the use of their datasets and their availability for consultation and insight throughout the development of this study. A special thank you is also extended to Robert M. Kobza (SFWMD) for his help in retrieving the environmental datasets used in this study. An overwhelming debt is owed to Jake Schaefer for his help in performing the AICc analyses. Finally, the authors would like to thank J. Trexler, W. Loftus, R. Maliao, M. Wittenrich, the editor and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript.

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  1. James R. Kerfoot Jr.

    Present address: Union University, Biological Sciences, 1050 Union University Drive, Jackson, TN, 38305, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, USA

    James R. Kerfoot Jr. & Ralph G. Turingan

  2. National Audubon Society, Tavernier Science Center, Tavernier, FL, USA

    Jerome J. Lorenz

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Kerfoot, J.R., Lorenz, J.J. & Turingan, R.G. Environmental correlates of the abundance and distribution of Belonesox belizanus in a novel environment. Environ Biol Fish 92, 125–139 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-011-9822-2

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