Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms by which the environment shapes the life history of fishes is critical for our ability to predict the responses of species or ecosystems under global environmental change. Although many studies focused on the intraspecific level have been conducted in several regions, rare or threatened fish fauna have been poorly studied because of the inability to obtain sufficient samples for multiple populations; as such, regions such as Asia remain underrepresented in global studies. Here, we explore the role of environmental drivers in shaping the life-history traits of endemic schizothoracine fishes at the interspecific level in the Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent areas. Eight life-history traits of 25 species of schizothoracine fishes and 17 environmental variables, including climatic, spatial and anthropogenic factors, were analysed in our study. Our analysis showed that maximum body length, lifespan, age and size at maturity and egg size were significantly explained by climatic and spatial variables. The key environmental factors for body length and lifespan were precipitation seasonality and annual precipitation for age at maturity. Temperature isothermality was the dominant factor for size at maturity and egg size, and latitude was the principal explanatory variable for egg size as well. Our findings provide empirical evidence that this endemic fauna is highly sensitive to environmental change, especially climate change. The effects of climate change, which are neglected in current conservation efforts, must be incorporated into systematic conservation plans for the Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent areas. Broad-scale interdisciplinary scientific studies should be developed as the first priority to fully clarify the ecological adaptation that has occurred. This study also highlighted that characterizing the role of the environment in determining life-history traits at the interspecific level for rare or threatened fauna is feasible when global environmental change concerns are addressed.
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