Fish larvae and recruitment patterns in floodplain lagoons of the Australian Wet Tropics

Floodplain lagoons in the Wet Tropics of Queensland serve as critical yet threatened habitats for fish, playing a pivotal role in the recruitment and life cycles of 15 native species. This study reveals that these lagoons support both freshwater-resident species and those requiring saline habitats for larval development, with their connectivity to rivers, proximity to the coast, and flood dynamics significantly influencing fish abundance, population structure, and recruitment patterns. The research highlights three distinct ecological strategies among fish species: small opportunists like Melanotaenia splendida, which thrive in wet and post-wet seasons; an equilibrium species, Glossamia aprion; and larger periodic strategists such as neosilurid catfishes. To sustain these essential functions, maintaining natural seasonal flow patterns and protecting lagoons from riparian and land-use disturbances is imperative.

Godfrey, P. C., Arthington, A. H., Pearson, R. G., Karim, F., & Wallace, J. (2016). Fish larvae and recruitment patterns in floodplain lagoons of the Australian Wet Tropics. Marine and Freshwater Research, 68(5), 964–979. https://doi.org/10.1071/mf15421