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Flyingfish (Exocoetidae) species diversity and habitats in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean

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Abstract

Flyingfishes are large enough to eat zooplankton, small enough to be consumed by top predators, and therefore form a central mid-trophic component of tropical epipelagic marine food webs. Characterizing patterns of flyingfish abundance, distribution, and habitat preference has important implications for understanding both localized and generalized functions of marine ecosystems. The eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) supports many flyingfish species and their predators, yet no studies to date have identified oceanographic factors that define flyingfish habitats or estimate species richness and diversity at broad taxonomic and geographic scales. In this study, we analyzed 11,125 flyingfish representing 25 species and all seven named genera, collected from the ETP over a 21-year period. We applied spatially explicit analysis methods (ARCGIS, DIVA-GIS, MAXENT) and compared specimen locality data to remotely sensed oceanographic data and previously described oceanographic partitions. Our results show that Exocoetus is the most abundant genus (49%) and E. monocirrhus the most abundant species (32%) of flyingfishes in the ETP. Mean sea surface temperature was most important for defining flyingfish habitats (19.2–41.7%) and species richness (highest in the North Equatorial Current). Additionally, flyingfish species diversity was found to be highest in coastal regions of the study area (Shannon indices > 1.5). Together, these results provide unprecedented characterizations of a mid-trophic epipelagic community in an economically valuable region during a time when sea surface temperatures are predicted to increase as a result of global climate change.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Robert Pitman for sharing his expertise and graciously donating flyingfish specimens and field collection data throughout the course of this study. Additionally, J. Cotton and J.C. Salinas assisted specimen collection efforts, although many others were involved in dipnetting flyingfishes. In particular, we thank the Protected Resources Division of the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center for allowing specimens to be collected during oceanographic studies. Specimen handling and preservation were facilitated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (H.J. Walker and P. Ajtai), the Royal Ontario Museum (E. Holm, F. Pardo, M. Burridge, and D. Stacey), and the University of Toronto at Scarborough (D. Xiao, M. Huang, and J. Gordon). Funding for this project was provided by an NSERC Discovery Grant (N. Lovejoy), University of Toronto Doctoral Completion Award (E. Lewallen), and NIH-NIAMS Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F32 AR68154; E. Lewallen). We also thank J. Redfern, T. Moore, and J. Knouft for advice regarding spatial analysis methods. Helpful comments on how to improve this manuscript were provided by P. Hastings, R. Winterbottom, A. Mason, C. Healy, and anonymous comments provided during journal peer review.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Eric A. Lewallen & Nathan R. Lovejoy

  2. Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Eric A. Lewallen & Andre J. van Wijnen

  3. University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN, USA

    Carolina A. Bonin

Authors
  1. Eric A. Lewallen
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  2. Andre J. van Wijnen
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  3. Carolina A. Bonin
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  4. Nathan R. Lovejoy
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Correspondence to Eric A. Lewallen or Nathan R. Lovejoy.

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All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

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Communicated by R. Serrao Santos

Appendix

Appendix

Table 4 A summary of research cruises involved in the collection of flyingfish specimens used in this study
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Lewallen, E.A., van Wijnen, A.J., Bonin, C.A. et al. Flyingfish (Exocoetidae) species diversity and habitats in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Mar Biodiv 48, 1755–1765 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-017-0666-7

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