egejfas Ege Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 2148-3140 Ege Üniversitesi 10.12714/egejfas.40.4.01 Freshwater Ecology Ecology (Other) Tatlı Su Ekolojisi Ekoloji (Diğer) Fish diversity and community structure of a wetland system of the western Mediterranean Basin of Türkiye: Lake Koca (Dalaman) Türkiye'nin Batı Akdeniz Havzası'ndaki bir sulak alan sisteminin balık çeşitliliği ve topluluk yapısı: Koca Göl (Dalaman) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9970-4467 Kaymak Nehir AKDENİZ ÜNİVERSİTESİ FEN FAKÜLTESİ https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4793-2262 Emre Yılmaz AKDENİZ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, FEN FAKÜLTESİ https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9047-1823 Emre Nesrin AKDENİZ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, EĞİTİM FAKÜLTESİ https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3851-4360 Akın Şenol YOZGAT BOZOK ÜNİVERSİTESİ 12 15 2023 40 4 235 243 07 04 2023 09 23 2023 Copyright © 1984, Su Ürünleri Dergisi 1984 Su Ürünleri Dergisi

Lake Koca (Dalaman), a wetland in the western Mediterranean basin of Türkiye, is an extraordinary lake with salty, fresh, and sulfurous waters and is home to high biodiversity. The present study examines the spatial and seasonal variation in fish communities and assesses the influence of environmental parameters on the community structure of Lake Koca. A total of 1.530 specimens were captured, representing seven families and 11 species (2 non-native, 1 introduced, and 8 native species). Total fish abundance and richness were higher at the littoral than at the limnetic zone, but no seasonal variation was observed. Non-native fish species, Coptodon zillii, was the most abundant in the littoral zone, followed by species of Mugilidae. The abundance of the two endemic fish species (Capoeta aydinensis and Ladigesocypris irideus) was relatively low in both habitats. Shannon-Wiener diversity index and evenness did not vary seasonally and spatially. Fish abundance and richness were significantly and positively correlated with chlorophyll-a and macrophyte coverage while negatively correlated with depth. Spearmen’s Correlation analysis revealed that native fish species show a relationship with the chemical parameters of the water, while C. zillii showed a distribution related to depth and macrophyte density. Both anthropogenic activities and the presence of non-native fish may affect the distribution and abundance of endemic fishes.

Türkiye’nin Batı Akdeniz havzasında bir sulak alan olan Koca Göl, tuzlu, tatlı ve kükürtlü suları ile sıradışı bir sistem olup, yüksek biyolojik çeşitliliğe ev sahipliği yapmaktadır. Bu çalışma, balık topluluklarındaki mekansal ve mevsimsel değişimi incelemekte ve çevresel parametrelerin Koca Gölü'nün balık toplulukları üzerindeki etkisini değerlendirmektedir. Çalışmada yedi familya ve 11 türü (2 yabancı, 1 taşınmış ve 8 yerli tür) temsil eden toplam 1.530 örnek yakalanmıştır. Toplam balık bolluğu ve zenginliği littoral bölgede limnetik bölgeye göre daha yüksek bulunmuş, ancak mevsimsel bir değişiklik göstermemiştir. Yabancı balık türlerinden, Coptodon zillii, littoral bölgede en bol bulunan türdür ve bunu Mugilidae’ye ait türler izlemiştir. İki endemik balık türünün (Capoeta aydinensis ve Ladigesocypris irideus) bolluğu her iki habitatta da nispeten düşük bulunmuştur. Shannon-Wiener çeşitlilik indeksi ve düzgünlüğü mevsimsel ve mekansal farklılık göstermemiştir. Balık bolluğu ve zenginliği, klorofil-a ve makrofit kapatıcılığı ile anlamlı ve pozitif bir şekilde ilişkiliyken, derinlik ile negatif bir şekilde ilişkilidir. Spearmen Korelasyon analizi, yerli balık türlerinin suyun kimyasal parametreleri ile ilişki olduğunu, C. zillii'nin ise derinlik ve makrofit yoğunluğuna bağlı bir dağılım gösterdiğini ortaya koymuştur. Bu sulak alanda hem antropojenik faaliyetler hem de yabancı balıkların varlığı, endemik balıkların dağılımını ve bolluğunu etkilemiş olabilir.

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