Author(s)

Liangliang Huang, Jianhua Li, Yuichi Kano, Tatsuro Sato, Jyunichi Kitamura, Yukihiro Shimatani, Zhiqiang Wu

Department of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Guangxi Scientific Experiment Center of Mining, Metallurgy and Environment, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, China.
Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Mie Prefectural Museum, Mie, Japan.

Fundamental ecological information on the Chinese kissing loach (Leptobotia tchangi) was collected in the North Tiaoxi River, China, in September 2010. The length-frequency distribution calculated using FiSAT software showed the population structure of this kissing loach could be classified into four age groups suggesting that the life span of the loach should be 3 - 4 years. A stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the density of this kissing loach was significantly and positively correlated with water velocity, while the body size was significantly and positively correlated with river bed pebble size. It suggested that water velocity and variation of pebble size play important roles in the full life history of this kissing loach. Thus, maintenance of the rapid current and variety of substrate are essential for the conservation of this species under the present conditions in the river, which also can support river restoration being in harmony with survival of this kissing loach.

Biodiversity Conservation, Fish Population, Riffle-Pool Structure, Microhabitat

Huang, L. , Li, J. , Kano, Y. , Sato, T. , Kitamura, J. , Shimatani, Y. and Wu, Z. (2014) Microhabitat Use and Population Structure of a Chinese Kissing Loach, Leptobotia tchangi, in the North Tiaoxi River, China. Open Journal of Ecology, 4, 337-345. doi: 10.4236/oje.2014.47031.