Loss of distinct functionality during fish community disassembly.

Human-induced environmental changes increase species turnover, typically characterized by native species extirpation and non-native species (NNS) invasions, leading to multiple functional consequences owing to varying species roles and whether losses from extirpation are compensated by newly established NNS. We analysed community functional roles among fish species that persisted, were extirpated or were newly established over 75 years (1940-2015) in 15 lakes in southwest China, using functional diversity indices and trait-based network analyses. While species extirpation rate increased strongly through time, earlier extirpations caused the greatest losses to novel functional diversity.

Structural characteristics of the epidermis in marine and freshwater finless porpoises adapted to distinct osmotic environments.

The Yangtze finless porpoise (, Pilleri & Gihr, 1972; YFP) is an exclusively freshwater cetacean species inhabiting the Yangtze River and its connecting large lakes. As the primary line of defense in maintaining physiological equilibrium, the epidermis of the porpoise is expected to have undergone structural adaptations due to the shift from the marine to the freshwater environment. This study compared the microstructural and ultrastructural features of the epidermis of YFP and its marine counterpart, the East Asian finless porpoise (, Pilleri & Gihr, 1975; EAFP).

Seasonal Breeding Alters Fecal Microbiota and Metabolome in the Male Captive Yangtze Finless Porpoise ().

The Yangtze finless porpoise (YFP) is a critically endangered freshwater cetacean endemic to China. Understanding seasonal breeding patterns is critical for the effective conservation of critically endangered species. The current study was designed to examine the function and taxonomic characteristics of fecal microbiota and their metabolites in male captive YFPs during both nonbreeding (NB) and breeding (B) seasons, analyzing 20 fecal samples using both UHPLC-MS/MS and 16S rRNA gene sequencing approaches.

The association of seasonal dietary shift with fecal metabolome and microbiota in the captive Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis).

The gut microbiota can act as a buffer against changes in energy and food availability and adapt plastically to fluctuations in the host's diet. However, it is unknown how changes in the gut microbiome with the seasons impact microbial metabolism and the accessibility of nutrients to hosts. The study utilized 16S rRNA and UHPLC-MS/MS approaches to examine seasonal fecal metabolome variations in the captive Yangtze finless porpoises (YFPs) to determine if these variations are linked to nutrient intake or gut microbiome composition changes.

Effect of calf separation on gut microbiome and fecal metabolome of mother in the captive Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis).

Social separation, or the absence of social support, can cause physical and psychological health issues. Social separation is crucial for the welfare of the Yangtze finless porpoise (YFP) in captivity because they face many challenges like frequent social separation, noise from visitors, and animal replacement, which can cause psychological and physiological stress. This research is aimed at assessing the potential negative impacts of social separation on the gut microbiome and metabolome of captive YFP, focusing on the potential imbalances caused by mother-calf separation.

Otolith reliability is context-dependent for estimating warming and CO acidification impacts on fish growth.

Otoliths are frequently used as proxies to examine the impacts of climate change on fish growth in marine and freshwater ecosystems worldwide. However, the large sensitivity differences in otolith growth responses to typical changing environmental factors (i.e.

Physiological function of gut microbiota and metabolome on successful pregnancy and lactation in the captive Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis)†.

Gestation period in captive Yangtze finless porpoise (YFP) is a well-coordinated and dynamic process, involving both systemic and local alterations. The gut microbiota and its connection to fecal metabolites are crucial in supporting fetal development and ensuring maternal health during reproductive stages. This study evaluates changes in the gut microbiota and their correlation with fecal metabolites in captive YFPs during different reproductive stages.

Diversity Patterns of Eukaryotic Phytoplankton in the Medog Section of the Yarlung Zangbo River.

As one of the important biodiversity conservation areas in China, the ecosystem in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River is fragile, and is particularly sensitive to global changes. To reveal the diversity pattern of phytoplankton, the metabarcode sequencing was employed in the Medog section of the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River during autumn 2019 in present study. The phytoplankton assemblies can be significantly divided into the main stem and the tributaries; there are significant differences in the phytoplankton biomass, alpha and beta diversity between the main stem and the tributaries.

Disentangling the effects of geographic distance, environment and history on beta diversity of freshwater fish at a biogeographical crossroads.

Examining assemblage turnover and variation along geographic and environmental distances is a useful approach to evaluate beta diversity patterns and associated driving mechanisms. However, such studies are relatively limited in freshwater systems. Here, we compared the relationships between freshwater fish beta diversity and geographic distances among 165 hydrological units (HUs) in four zoogeographical regions (PA, Palearctic Region; CA, High Central Asia; EA, East Asia, SA, South Asia) across China and adjacent areas.

A global dataset on species occurrences and functional traits of Schizothoracinae fish.

The Schizothoracinae fish are a natural group of cyprinids widely distributed in rivers and lakes in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and adjacent regions. These fish parallelly evolved with the QTP uplift and are thus important for uncovering geological history, the paleoclimatic environment, and the mechanisms of functional adaptation to environmental change. However, a dataset including species occurrences and functional traits, which are essential for resolving the above issues and guiding relevant conservation, remains unavailable.

Diversity and distribution of fish in the Qilian Mountain Basin.

The Qilian Mountain Basin, on the north-eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), supports a high diversity of native and endemic fish. However, the detailed species inventory and distribution patterns concerning fish in the whole Basin remain unknown, which hinders the conservation of biodiversity and assessment of ecological health. We compiled a comprehensive species richness and distribution database of freshwater fish in the Qilian Mountain Basin, based on field investigations and exhaustive data collection from 50 rivers or lakes.

Across the highest mountain on earth: discordant phylogeographic patterns and recent dispersal of Tibetan stone loaches (Triplophysa) in the Himalayas.

Phylogeographic congruence among co-distributed taxa is regarded as an inherent inference to vicariance events. Nonetheless, incongruent patterns of contemporary lineage divergence among taxa indicated that species differ in their response to common past events. To investigate the role of past events, ecological traits and lineage diversification time in shaping the contemporary phylogeographic patterns, comparative analyses were conducted for Tibetan stone loaches in the Himalayas using three gene markers and two ecological traits (depth of caudal peduncle in their length and presence/absence of posterior chamber of the air bladder).

Changes in the Suitable Habitats of Three Endemic Fishes to Climate Change in Tibet.

As one of the most sensitive regions to global climate change, Tibet is subject to remarkable changes in biota over the past decades, including endemic fish species. However, no study has attempted to predict the changes in the distribution of Tibetan fishes, leaving a great blank for aquatic conservation in Tibet. Based on the Maximum Entropy model (MaxEnt), this study predicted the changes in the suitable habitats of three endemic fish species, including two species mainly inhabiting the rivers (, ) and one species mainly inhabiting lakes () in Tibet under two representative concentration pathways (RCP2.

Boosting freshwater fish conservation with high-resolution distribution mapping across a large territory.

The lack of high-resolution distribution maps for freshwater species across large extents fundamentally challenges biodiversity conservation worldwide. We devised a simple framework to delineate the distributions of freshwater fishes in a high-resolution drainage map based on stacked species distribution models and expert information. We applied this framework to the entire Chinese freshwater fish fauna (>1600 species) to examine high-resolution biodiversity patterns and reveal potential conflicts between freshwater biodiversity and anthropogenic disturbances.

Phylogeography of (Nemacheilidae): Responded to the Mid-Pleistocene Climate Transition in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Pleistocene climatic oscillations have greatly influenced the evolutionary histories and distribution patterns of most extant species. In this study, the phylogeographic patterns and evolutionary history of were investigated. A total of 359 individuals from 19 locations covering the species' distribution range were collected, and two mitochondrial genes (COI and Cyt ) and the recombination activating protein 1 gene (Rag1) were analyzed.

A global-scale screening of non-native aquatic organisms to identify potentially invasive species under current and future climate conditions.

The threat posed by invasive non-native species worldwide requires a global approach to identify which introduced species are likely to pose an elevated risk of impact to native species and ecosystems. To inform policy, stakeholders and management decisions on global threats to aquatic ecosystems, 195 assessors representing 120 risk assessment areas across all six inhabited continents screened 819 non-native species from 15 groups of aquatic organisms (freshwater, brackish, marine plants and animals) using the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit. This multi-lingual decision-support tool for the risk screening of aquatic organisms provides assessors with risk scores for a species under current and future climate change conditions that, following a statistically based calibration, permits the accurate classification of species into high-, medium- and low-risk categories under current and predicted climate conditions.

Pelagic-benthic resource polymorphism in Herzenstein 1891 (Pisces, Cyprinidae) in a headwater lake in the Salween River system on the Tibetan Plateau.

Resource polymorphism is a ubiquitous phenomenon in vertebrates and may represent a critical intermediate stage in speciation. Freshwater lakes in high-altitude areas represent a natural system for understanding resource polymorphism in fishes benefiting from diverse lacustrine environments and species-poor fish assemblages. We report resource polymorphism in a cyprinid fish, , in Lake Amdo Tsonak Co, a headwater lake in the upper Salween River system.

Predicting impacts of future climate change and hydropower development towards habitats of native and non-native fishes.

Climate change and hydropower development are two primary stressors affecting riverine ecosystems and both stressors facilitate invasions by non-native species. However, little study has focused on how habitats of native and non-native fishes may be affected by independent or combined impacts of such stressors. Here we used the Jinsha River as an example to predict habitat change and distributional shift of native and non-native fishes with species distribution models.

Into Africa via docked India: a fossil climbing perch from the Oligocene of Tibet helps solve the anabantid biogeographical puzzle.

The northward drift of the Indian Plate and its collision with Eurasia have profoundly impacted the evolutionary history of the terrestrial organisms, especially the ones along the Indian Ocean rim. Climbing perches (Anabantidae) are primary freshwater fishes showing a disjunct south Asian-African distribution, but with an elusive paleobiogeographic history due to the lack of fossil evidence. Here, based on an updated time-calibrated anabantiform phylogeny integrating a number of relevant fossils, the divergence between Asian and African climbing perches is estimated to have occurred in the middle Eocene (ca.

Strong evidence for changing fish reproductive phenology under climate warming on the Tibetan Plateau.

Phenological responses to climate change have been widely observed and have profound and lasting effects on ecosystems and biodiversity. However, compared to terrestrial ecosystems, the long-term effects of climate change on species' phenology are poorly understood in aquatic ecosystems. Understanding the long-term changes in fish reproductive phenology is essential for predicting population dynamics and for informing management strategies, but is currently hampered by the requirement for intensive field observations and larval identification.

Phylogenetic association of with other schizothoracine fishes based on mitochondrial cytochrome B gene and control region.

Cytochrome B (Cyt B) gene and control region of mitochondrial DNA are considered important for evaluating phylogenetic association of a species. In this study, we sequenced Cyt B and control region of and constructed phylogenetic association tree of with 23 schizothoracine fishes. We found to be closely associated with , and with high-bootstraps values.

Phylogeographic studies of schizothoracine fishes on the central Qinghai-Tibet Plateau reveal the highest known glacial microrefugia.

Pleistocene climatic oscillations have greatly influenced the evolutionary history and distribution pattern of most extant species. However, their effects on species on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) are not well understood. To investigate the effects of past climatic shifts, particularly the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), on plateau fish, we analysed the phylogeographic structure and demographic history of five closely related taxa of the subfamily Schizothoracinae, a representative endemic taxon of the QTP, from nine endorheic lakes on the central QTP and three peripheral exorheic rivers using the mitochondrial control region (D-loop) sequence and 12 microsatellite (SSR) markers.

Morphological and genetic divergence between lake and river populations of Triplophysa in Ngangtse Co, Tibet.

Ngangtse Co (4535 m a.s.l.

Pareuchiloglanis hupingshanensis, a new species of the glyptosternine catfish (Siluriformes: Sisoridae) from the middle Yangtze River, China.

A new glyptosterniod catfish, Pareuchiloglanis hupingshanensis, is described on the basis of 29 specimens, which were collected from Hunan Hupingshan National Nature Reserve (HHNNR) in the Yangtze River basin, China. It can be distinguished from all congeners by morphology and sequences of the cytochrome b gene. Morphometric and molecular data show that the new species is closely related to P.

Comparative phylogeography and evolutionary history of schizothoracine fishes in the Changtang Plateau and their implications for the lake level and Pleistocene climate fluctuations.

The water level oscillation of endorheic lakes and extent change of glaciers associated with the Asian monsoon are known as prominent representatives of climatic and environmental events in the Tibetan Plateau during the Quaternary. However, details process in spatial and temporal changes are still debated. We use the schizothoracines as a palaeoclimatic proxy to test two hypotheses concerning the evolution of Quaternary glaciations and lakes of the Changtang Plateau: (1) the Tibetan glaciations generally tended to decrease since the middle Pleistocene; (2) the lakes expansion was driven by summer monsoon rainfall.