Linking the recruitment and survivorship of a freshwater stream-specialist fish species to flow metrics in Mediterranean climate temporary streams

Abstract

Novel modelling was utilised in the present study to reveal significant relationships between the abundance of the Australian freshwater stream-specialist fish Galaxias olidus and metrics defining flow regimes across a region dominated by temporary streams. It was revealed that increases in total abundance were linked to metrics (both 1- and 3-year periods) that indicate greater water availability and the persistence of water in pools across the year, namely the average duration of zero-flow days over the low-flow season (negatively) and total duration of bankfull flows across the year (positively). The analysis identified 3-year metrics as being more important to the abundance of 0+ fish rather than annual ones. Taken together, these findings describing the flow requirements of a stream specialist will help to guide implementation of environmental flows, but will also highlight the need for continued exploration of flow–ecology relationships.