Journal of Marine Sciences ›› 2021, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (1): 79-85.DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-909X.2021.01.009

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Study on the niche of macrozoobenthic dominant species in the rocky intertidal zone of islands off sourthern Zhejiang

PENG Xin1,2, ZHANG Huawei1,2, TANG Jiu1, QIU Jianbiao1,2, CHEN Shaobo1,2   

  1. 1. Zhejiang Mariculture Research Institute, Wenzhou 325005, China;
    2. Zhejiang KeyLaboratory of Exploitation and Preservation of Coastal Bio-resource, Wenzhou 325005, China
  • Received:2021-01-19 Online:2021-03-15 Published:2021-03-15

Abstract: To understand the trends of the dominant species of macrozoobenthos and their niches in the intertidal zone of islands off sourthern Zhejiang, the interannual changes and succession of macrozoobenthic community structure were analyzed based on the data collected from the November of 1990, 2006, 2010 and 2016 in Nanji Islands, Beilong-Beiji Islands and Dongtou Islands. The results showed that there were 15 dominant species of macrozoobenthos and the top four dominant species were Tetraclita japonica, Septifer virgatus, Thais clavigera and Nodilittorina exigua.The T. japonica had been gradually replaced by S. virgatusin the past 30 years. In terms of geography, the most dominant species in Beilong-Beiji Islands and Dongtou Islands was T. japonica, while in the Nanji Islands was S. virgatus. The niche breadth (Bi) of the dominant species was 0-0.97, and species with Bi greater than 0.70 were T. clavigera, Liolophura japonica, S. virgatus, N. exigua, Capitulum mitella and T. japonica, indicating that these species appeared at many resource sites and had strong adaptability to the environment. Species with Bi less than 0.4 were Trichomya hirsuta, Megabalanus volcano, Septiper excisus,Saccostrea kegaki,Mytilus coruscus and Chthamalus challengeri, indicating these species only appeared at very few resource sites and were weak in resource utilization. The niche overlap value(Oik) of the dominant species was 0-0.96. The species with Bi greater than 0.70 had higher Oik, and Oik were all greater than 0.53. The species with Bi between 0.4-0.7 had Oik among 0.34-0.66, while the species with Bi less than 0.4 had not necessarily lower Oik, and their Oik were among 0 and 0.69, indicating that the species with larger Bi had higher Oik, but species with small Bi may have high or low Oik.

Key words: macrozoobenthos, community structure, niche, interspecific competition

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