Niche overlap in fish assemblages inferred from canonical correspondence analysis: A case study with the Totkabon River, North of Iran

Abstract

Twelve sites along the Totkabon River, north of Iran were sampled to study the relationship between fish assemblage and habitat variables, including elevation, water depth, river width, river slope, current velocity, number of large stone, average stone diameter, substrate index, potamal cover index and periphyton cover index. Canonical correspondence analysis was used to determine the relationship between fish assemblage and habitat variables. The results indicated that presence-absence and abundance of Alburnoides samiii were related to elevation, depth, number of large stone, stone diameter and velocity; presence-absence and abundance of Oxynoemacheilus bergianus, Cobitis keyvani, Barbus cyri, and Ponticola iranicus were related to number of large stone, stone diameter, velocity, elevation, and depth; and presence-absence and abundance Acanthobrama microlepis, Carassius auratus, and Pseurasbora parva are related with large stone, slope, elevation, and depth. The relationships between habitat variables and fish assemblage provide insight into their ecology and can aid effective fisheries management in the Sefidrud River basin.