Habitat patchiness affects distribution and microhabitat use of endangered Mira chub Squalius torgalensis (Actinopterygii, Cypriniformes)

Abstract

We hypothesized that distribution and microhabitat use by imperilled chub Squalius torgalensis in the Torgal stream, Portugal, during low flows, were related to spatial patchiness in physical resources and shifts in ontogenetic preferences. We mapped fish abundance and sampled microhabitat use and availability via snorkelling. We used the coefficient of dispersion in abundance, and spatial autocorrelation analyses to characterize chub distribution, and Hurdle models to relate chub presence and abundance to habitat characteristics. We showed that chub displayed an aggregated distribution, apparently in association with patchily distributed and autocorrelated physical resources, such as debris, roots and aquatic vegetation. Microhabitat use generally was unrelated to velocity, and ontogenetic differences in microhabitat use were not substantial. Nevertheless, sometimes small chub preferred low-velocity patches with coarse substrata, debris and roots, whereas large chub preferred deeper patches with roots and aquatic vegetation. Results suggest that, in low flow conditions, chub respond to resource patchiness by congregating in favourable microhabitats, and that maintenance of mosaics of patches with variable substrata, cover and depth may be important for the persistence of fish in Mediterranean streams.