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MEPS 744:115-131 (2024)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14671

Spatio-seasonal variations in functional trait composition and diversity patterns of marine fish communities in coastal waters

Jiao Wang1,2,5, Binduo Xu1,3,4, Chongliang Zhang1,3,4, Yupeng Ji1,4, Ying Xue1,3,4, Yiping Ren1,3,4,*

1College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
2Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, 264003, PR China
3Function Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao Marine Science and Technology Center, Qingdao 266037, PR China
4Field Observation and Research Station of Haizhou Bay Fishery Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Qingdao 266003, PR China
5Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
*Corresponding author:

ABSTRACT: Despite the consensus that the distribution of functional traits within a community provides insights into community assembly and maintenance mechanisms, few studies have explored spatio-seasonal variations in the functional patterns of marine fish communities. Seven functional traits within the context of 2 distinct groups—habitat use and trophic niche—were selected to assess functional richness (FRic), functional evenness (FEve), and functional dispersion (FDis) across various spatio-seasonal scales. Community-weighted mean redundancy analysis (CWM-RDA) was used to identify the impact of environmental factors on dominant traits. We found seasonal and spatial variations in dominant traits of the fish community, notably influenced by the latitudinal-depth gradient (from shallower stations in the north to deeper stations in the south), east-west (longitudinal) dynamics, and temperature gradient. Latitude was negatively correlated with the CWM values of most functional trait categories. FRic showed more pronounced seasonal variations than other indices, with higher values observed in autumn. Fish assemblages displayed more similarity in functional traits in winter than in other seasons, with lower FRic, higher FEve, and lower FDis. Overall, our findings illustrate that fish assemblages undergo continuous formation and dissolution across different seasons and zones, resulting in various forms of functional diversity patterns.


KEY WORDS: Functional diversity · Trait composition · Spatio-seasonal variation · Marine fish · Yellow Sea · Bohai Sea


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Cite this article as: Wang J, Xu B, Zhang C, Ji Y, Xue Y, Ren Y (2024) Spatio-seasonal variations in functional trait composition and diversity patterns of marine fish communities in coastal waters. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 744:115-131. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14671

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