Behavioral Responses of Migratory Fish to Environmental Cues: Evidence from the Heishui River
Hydropower infrastructure has profoundly altered riverine connectivity, posing challenges to the migratory behavior of aquatic species. This study examined the post-passage migration efficiency of <i>Schizothorax wangchiachii</i> in a regulated river system, focusing on upstream and down...
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2025-06-01
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| Series: | Fishes |
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| author | Jiawei Xu Yilin Jiao Shan-e-hyder Soomro Xiaozhang Hu Dongqing Li Jianping Wang Bingjun Liu Chenyu Lin Senfan Ke Yujiao Wu Xiaotao Shi |
| author_facet | Jiawei Xu Yilin Jiao Shan-e-hyder Soomro Xiaozhang Hu Dongqing Li Jianping Wang Bingjun Liu Chenyu Lin Senfan Ke Yujiao Wu Xiaotao Shi |
| author_sort | Jiawei Xu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Hydropower infrastructure has profoundly altered riverine connectivity, posing challenges to the migratory behavior of aquatic species. This study examined the post-passage migration efficiency of <i>Schizothorax wangchiachii</i> in a regulated river system, focusing on upstream and downstream reaches of the Songxin Hydropower Station on the Heishui River, a tributary of the Jinsha River. We used radio-frequency identification (RFID) tagging to track individuals after fishway passage and coupled this with environmental monitoring data. A Cox proportional hazards model was applied to identify key abiotic drivers of migration success and to develop a predictive framework. The upstream success rate was notably low (15.6%), with a mean passage time of 438 h, while downstream success reached 81.1%, with an average of 142 h. Fish exhibited distinct diel migration patterns; upstream movements were largely nocturnal, whereas downstream migration mainly occurred during daylight. Water temperature (HR = 0.535, <i>p</i> = 0.028), discharge (HR = 0.801, <i>p</i> = 0.050), water level (HR = 0.922, <i>p</i> = 0.040), and diel timing (HR = 0.445, <i>p</i> = 0.088) emerged as significant factors shaping the upstream movement. Our findings highlight that fishways alone may not ensure functional connectivity restoration. Instead, coordinated habitat interventions in upstream tributaries, alongside improved passage infrastructure, are crucial. A combined telemetry and modeling approach offers valuable insights for river management in fragmented systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b6c186a331b8459eb649fffc6162fa08 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2410-3888 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Fishes |
| spelling | doaj-art-b6c186a331b8459eb649fffc6162fa082025-08-20T03:08:05ZengMDPI AGFishes2410-38882025-06-0110731010.3390/fishes10070310Behavioral Responses of Migratory Fish to Environmental Cues: Evidence from the Heishui RiverJiawei Xu0Yilin Jiao1Shan-e-hyder Soomro2Xiaozhang Hu3Dongqing Li4Jianping Wang5Bingjun Liu6Chenyu Lin7Senfan Ke8Yujiao Wu9Xiaotao Shi10Pearl River Water Resources Research Institute, Pearl River Water Resources Commission, Guangzhou 510611, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, ChinaHubei International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Fish Passage, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, ChinaPearl River Water Resources Research Institute, Pearl River Water Resources Commission, Guangzhou 510611, ChinaHubei International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Fish Passage, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, ChinaPearl River Water Resources Research Institute, Pearl River Water Resources Commission, Guangzhou 510611, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, ChinaHubei International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Fish Passage, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, ChinaHubei International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Fish Passage, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, ChinaHubei International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Fish Passage, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, ChinaHubei International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Fish Passage, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, ChinaHydropower infrastructure has profoundly altered riverine connectivity, posing challenges to the migratory behavior of aquatic species. This study examined the post-passage migration efficiency of <i>Schizothorax wangchiachii</i> in a regulated river system, focusing on upstream and downstream reaches of the Songxin Hydropower Station on the Heishui River, a tributary of the Jinsha River. We used radio-frequency identification (RFID) tagging to track individuals after fishway passage and coupled this with environmental monitoring data. A Cox proportional hazards model was applied to identify key abiotic drivers of migration success and to develop a predictive framework. The upstream success rate was notably low (15.6%), with a mean passage time of 438 h, while downstream success reached 81.1%, with an average of 142 h. Fish exhibited distinct diel migration patterns; upstream movements were largely nocturnal, whereas downstream migration mainly occurred during daylight. Water temperature (HR = 0.535, <i>p</i> = 0.028), discharge (HR = 0.801, <i>p</i> = 0.050), water level (HR = 0.922, <i>p</i> = 0.040), and diel timing (HR = 0.445, <i>p</i> = 0.088) emerged as significant factors shaping the upstream movement. Our findings highlight that fishways alone may not ensure functional connectivity restoration. Instead, coordinated habitat interventions in upstream tributaries, alongside improved passage infrastructure, are crucial. A combined telemetry and modeling approach offers valuable insights for river management in fragmented systems.https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/10/7/310fish migrationmonitoring and assessmentpassage effectivenesspost-passage behaviorabiotic environmental factors |
| spellingShingle | Jiawei Xu Yilin Jiao Shan-e-hyder Soomro Xiaozhang Hu Dongqing Li Jianping Wang Bingjun Liu Chenyu Lin Senfan Ke Yujiao Wu Xiaotao Shi Behavioral Responses of Migratory Fish to Environmental Cues: Evidence from the Heishui River Fishes fish migration monitoring and assessment passage effectiveness post-passage behavior abiotic environmental factors |
| title | Behavioral Responses of Migratory Fish to Environmental Cues: Evidence from the Heishui River |
| title_full | Behavioral Responses of Migratory Fish to Environmental Cues: Evidence from the Heishui River |
| title_fullStr | Behavioral Responses of Migratory Fish to Environmental Cues: Evidence from the Heishui River |
| title_full_unstemmed | Behavioral Responses of Migratory Fish to Environmental Cues: Evidence from the Heishui River |
| title_short | Behavioral Responses of Migratory Fish to Environmental Cues: Evidence from the Heishui River |
| title_sort | behavioral responses of migratory fish to environmental cues evidence from the heishui river |
| topic | fish migration monitoring and assessment passage effectiveness post-passage behavior abiotic environmental factors |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/10/7/310 |
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