Abstract
A severe freshwater inflow during our long-term ichthyological study of the brackish Vaccarès lagoon (1993–1998) helped us to assess the impact of sudden environmental changes on the specific biomass composition of the gobiid population and the catches per unit effort of the black goby Gobius niger, the common goby Pomatoschistus microps and the sand goby P. minutus. In 1993, the composition of the Gobiid fish assemblage of the Vaccarès lagoon was dominated by the black goby (63%) and finally evolved to an assemblage dominated by the common goby (80%). The black goby disappeared from the Vaccarès lagoon 2 years after the inflow, whereas catches of the common goby increased significantly after the environmental changes and reached maximum values in 1998. Catches of sand goby did not seem to be affected by environmental changes and depended on the communication between sea and lagoon. This study showed that evolution of an ecosystem after environmental changes is linked to the reaction that species developed to face perturbations.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bouchereau, J.-L. & O. Guelorget, 1998. Comparison of three Gobiidae (Teleostei) life history strategies over their geographical range. Oceanol. Acta 21: 503–517.
Bouchereau, J.-L., J.-C. Joyeux & J.-P. Quignard, 1989. Structure de la population de Pomatoschistus microps (Krøyer, 1838) poisson, Gobiidé, lagune de Mauguio (France). Vie milieu 39: 19–28.
Bouchereau, J.-L., J.-P. Quignard, J.-A. Tomasini, J.-C. Joyeux & C. Capape, 1990. Cycle sexuel, condition, fécondité et ponte de Pomatoschistus minutus (Pallas, 1770) (Gobiidæ) du golfe du Lion, France. Cybium 14: 251–267.
Bouchereau, J.-L., J.-A. Tomasini, J.-P. Quignard & J.-C. Joyeux, 1991. Stratégies et tactiques de reproduction de Pomatoschistus microps (Krøyer, 1838) et de Pomatoschistus minutus (Pallas, 1770) (Pisces, Gobiidæ) dans le golfe du Lion. Nids, déterminisme de la sédentarité et de la migration. Cybium 15: 315–346.
Bourquard, C., 1985. Structure et mécanismes de mise en place, de maintien et d'évolution des peuplements ichthyiques lagunaires du golfe de Lion. Ph.D. thesis, University Montpellier II: 337 pp.
Chauvelon, P., 1998. A wetland managed for agriculture as an interface between the Rhône river and the Vaccarès lagoon (Camargue, France): transfers of water and nutrients. Hydrobiologia 373/374: 181–191.
Crivelli, A. J. & M.-C. Ximenes, 1992. Alterations to the functioning of Mediterranean lagoons and their effects on fisheries and aquaculture. In Finlayson, M., T. Hollis & T. Davis (eds), Managing Mediterranean Wetlands and their Birds. Proc. Symp Grado, Italy 1991, IWRB Spec Publ No 20, Slimbridge, U.K.: 134–140.
Edlund, A. M. & C. Magnhagen, 1981. Food segregation and consumption suppression in two coexisting fishes, Pomatoschistus minutus and P. microps: an experimental demonstration of competition. Oikos 36: 323–327.
Huvé, H., A. Kiener & R. Riouall, 1973. Modification de la flore et des populations ichthyologiques des étangs de Berre et de Vaine (Bouches du Rhône) en fonction des conditions hydrologiques créees par le déversement de la Durance. Bull. Mus. Hist. nat. Marseille 33: 123–134.
Joyeux, J.-C., J.-L. Bouchereau & J.-C. Tomasini, 1991a. Croissance et structure démographique de la population de Gobius niger Linné, 1758 (Poisson, Téléostéen) dans une lagune nordméditerranéenne. Cah. Biol. mar. 32: 415–437.
Joyeux, J.-C., J.-C. Tomasini & J.-L. Bouchereau, 1991b. Le régime alimentaire de Gobius niger Linné, 1758 (Teleostei, Gobiidæ) dans la lagune de Mauguio-France. Ann. Sci. Nat. Zool. 13: 57–69.
Klaffe, O., 1998. Watery grave: Floods can wipe out small fry, but other fish thrive. New Sci. 159: 16–16.
Maes, J., A. Tallieu, P. A. Van Damme, K. Cottenie & F. Ollevier, 1998. Seasonal patterns in the fish and crustacean community of a turbid temperate estuary (Zeeschelde estuary, Belgium). Estuar. coast. shelf Sci. 47: 143–151.
Magnhagen, C. & A. M. Wiederholm, 1982. Habitat and food preferences of Pomatoschistus minutus and P. microps (Gobiidæ) when alone and together: an experimental study. Oikos 39: 152–156.
Matthews, W. J., 1998. Patterns in Freshwater Fish Ecology. Chapman & Hall, New York.
Nellbring, S., 1993. Spawning of two Pomatoschistus species (Gobiidæ) in relation to nest availaibility and depth: a field experiment. Neth. J. Sea Res. 31: 173–179.
Pampoulie, C., 1999. Conséquences d'une arrivée massive d'eau douce sur la communauté de gobies (Téléostéens, Pisces) d'une lagune méditerranéenne: l'exemple de l'Etang du Vaccarès (Camargue, France). Ph.D. Thesis, University Montpellier II, France: 249 pp.
Pampoulie, C., A. Marques, E., Rosecchi, A. J. Crivelli & J.-L. Bouchereau, 1998. First record of Kudoa (Myxosporea) in Pomatoschistus microps in the Rhône delta, France. J. Fish Biol. 53: 893–896.
Pampoulie, C., F. Priour, J.-L. Bouchereau, E. Rosecchi & A. J. Crivelli, 1999a. Reproductive traits of Gobius niger (Teleostei, Pisces) following a salinity stress: is it really a sedentary lagoon species? J. mar. biol. Ass. U. K. 79: 961–962.
Pampoulie, C., E. Rosecchi, J.-L. Bouchereau & A. J. Crivelli, 1999b. Life history traits of Pomatoschistus minutus (Teleostei, Pisces) in the Rhône Delta, France. J. Fish Biol. 55: 892–896.
Pampoulie, C., Bouchereau, J. L., Rosecchi, E., G. Poizat & A. J. Crivelli, 2000. Annual variations in the reproductive traits of Pomatoschistus microps in a Mediterranean lagoon undergoing environmental changes: evidence of phenotypic plasticity. J. Fish Biol. 57: 1441–1452.
Pawson, M. G. & D. R. Eaton, 1999. The influence of a power station on the survival of juvenile sea bass in an estuarine nursery area. J. Fish Biol. 54: 1143–1160.
Penczak, T., L. Glowacki, W. Galicka & H. Koszalinski, 1998. A long-term study (1985–1995) of fish populations in the impounded Warta River, Poland. Hydrobiologia 368: 157–173.
Pollard, D. A. & J. C. Hannan, 1994. The ecological effects of structural flood mitigation works on fish habitats and fish communities in the lower Clarence river system of South Eastern Australia. Estuaries 17: 427–461.
Sinniger, R. & W. H. Hager, 1989. Constructions hydrauliques. Ecoulement stationnaires. Traité de Génie Civil de l'Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. Vol 15.
Thiel, R., A. Sepulva, R. Kafeman & W. Nellen, 1995. Environmental factors as forces structuring the fish community of the Elbe estuary. J. Fish Biol. 46: 47–69.
Travnichek, V. H., M. B. Bain & M. J. Maceina, 1995. Recovery of a warmwater fish assemblage after the initiation of a minimum-flow release downstream from a hydroelectric dam. Trans. am. Fish. Soc. 124: 836–844.
Vaas, K. F., A. G. Vlasblom & J. De Koeijer, 1975. Studies on the black goby, Gobius niger L., in the Veerse Meer; S. W. Netherlands. Neth. J. Sea Research 9: 56–68.
Wiederholm, A. M., 1987. Habitat selection and interactions between three marine fish (Gobiidæ). Oikos 48: 28–32.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pampoulie, C., Chauvelon, P., Rosecchi, E. et al. Environmental factors influencing the gobiid assemblage of a Mediterranean Lagoon: Empirical evidence from a long-term study. Hydrobiologia 445, 175–181 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017565715463
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017565715463