Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2023, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (6): 127-136.doi: 10.11978/2022264CSTR: 32234.14.2022264

• Marine Biology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Study on species composition and distribution of fish eggs in Yongle Atoll and Dongdao Island by high-throughput sequencing technology

ZHAO Jinfa1(), LIU Yong1,2, LI Chunhou1, WANG Teng1,2(), SHI Juan1, XIAO Yayuan1, WU Peng1, SONG Xiaoyu1   

  1. 1. South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences; Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Observation and Research Station of Pearl River Estuary Ecosystem, Guangdong Province, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fishery Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510300, China
    2. Scientific Observation and Research Station of Xisha Island Reef Fishery Ecosystem of Hainan Province, Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization and Processing of Marine Fishery Resources of Hainan Province, Sanya Tropical Fisheries Research Institute, Sanya 572018, China
  • Received:2022-12-28 Revised:2023-02-22 Online:2023-11-10 Published:2023-02-27
  • Supported by:
    Hainan Natural Science Foundation(322CXTD530); Hainan Natural Science Foundation(322MS153); Special Financial Project of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs(NFZX2021); Basic and Applied Basic Research Project of Guangdong Province(2019B030302004-05); Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund, CAFS(2023TD16); Special Fund Project for Basic Scientific Research Business Expenses of Central Public Welfare Scientific Research Institutes of South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences(2021SD04); Special Fund Project for Basic Scientific Research Business Expenses of Central Public Welfare Scientific Research Institutes of South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences(2019TS28)

Abstract:

Coral reef, known as the tropical rainforest in the ocean, was an important spawning ground, nursery and feeding ground for marine fish. Yongle atoll and Dongdao Island were typical coral reef ecosystems of the Xisha Islands. In order to better manage and protect the fishery and germplasm resources of the Xisha Islands, this study collected fish eggs from the Yongle atoll and the Dongdao Island in April 2021. High-throughput sequencing technology is used to classify and identify them, and the differences in species composition and community structure between the two regions were analyzed. The results showed that only fish eggs were collected in both areas, and a total of 27 species were identified, belonging to 4 orders, 16 families and 25 genera. The perciformes was dominant, accounting for 95.45% in the Yongle atoll and 85.71% in the Dongdao Island. The similarity index of roe species composition between the Yongle atoll and the Dongdao Island was significantly different, among which the similarity of order, family, genus and species was 25.00%, 37.50%, 32.00% and 33.33%, respectively. The occurrence frequency of fish eggs was 100%. The average density of fish eggs was 0.984 ind·m-3 in the Yongle atoll and 0.453 ind·m-3 in the Dongdao Island. The dominant species (Y≥0.02) were Decapterus sp., Katsuwonus pelamis and Halichoeres trimaculatus in Yongle atoll and Scarus forsteni, Chlorurus sordidus and Parupeneus multifasciatus in the Dongdao Island, with significant differences in the dominant species. In addition, there was an undocumented species (Ambassis sp.) found in this investigation. The species richness index (D) showed that the Yongle atoll (2.46) was higher than the Dongdao Island (1.87), while Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H′) and evenness index (J′) showed that the Yongle atoll (1.08, 0.35) was lower than the Dongdao Island (1.32, 0.50). The composition of fish eggs in both regions was dominated by reef-associated fish, and the relative abundance of pelagic-oceanic fish in the Yongle atoll (88.02%) was higher than that in the Dongdao Island (0.44%). The research results showed that both the Yongle atoll and the Dongdao Island are spawning grounds for marine fish, and the Yongle atoll has an open lagoon, which is more suitable as spawning grounds for pelagic-oceanic fish (especially tuna) than the Dongdao Island. Moreover, high-throughput sequencing technology can fill the gap of traditional morphological methods in the identification of fish eggs, and could be used as a supplementary means for the investigation of fishery resources. This study provides a scientific basis for the conservation and management of fishery and germplasm resources in the Yongle atoll and the Dongdao Island.

Key words: coral reef, lagoon, Xisha Islands, spawning ground, tunas