Temporal and spatial variation of fish assemblages in Dianshan Lake, Shanghai, China

Using multi-mesh gillnets and trawls, the fish communities in Dianshan Lake at 6 stations from Oct. 2009 to Jul. 2010 were investigated seasonally to reveal the biodiversity and its spatial and temporal distribution patterns. The long-term changes in their structural characteristics were then analyzed to identify the main influencing factors and several measures for lake restoration were put forward. Thirty six species, belonging to 9 family and 30 genera, were collected, amongst which, the order Cypriniformes accounted for 61.1% of the total species number. In terms of importance value, Cypriniformes was the predominant group, Coilia nasus the dominant species, while Cyprinus carpio and Rhinogobius giurinus were the subdominant taxa. The community types did not differ among stations, but between seasons. There were no significant differences between seasons and among stations in species diversity, but richness differed both spatially and seasonally. Along with the process of eutrophication and the drastic reduction of the area colonized by macrophytes from 1959 to 2009-2010, the fish diversity declined markedly, and species numbers of herbivores and piscivores declined proportionately more than those of invertivores, omnivores, and planktivores. The decline of potamophilus and river-lake migratory fish was more marked than those of sedentary, river-sea migratory, and estuarine fishes. Eutrophication concomitant with sharp reduction of macrophyte area and overfishing may be the main reasons for the decline in fish diversity in Dianshan Lake.