Multidimensional Drivers of Fish Community Assembly Across Seasonal and Hydrographic Gradients in the Yangtze River Estuary and Adjacent East China Sea: Insights from eDNA Analyses.

ABSTRACT: Marine fish communities in the Yangtze River Estuary and Adjacent East China Sea (YRE-ECS) are subject to complex environmental gradients; however, their multidimensional assembly mechanisms remain insufficiently resolved. Here, we integrated environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding, co-occurrence network analysis, and environmental profiling to examine fish community structure across vertical layers, hydrographic zones, and seasons. Vertically, surface communities dominated by pelagic-associated Perciformes and Clupeiformes showed more variable assembly patterns, whereas bottom communities enriched in Gobiiformes and Pleuronectiformes were more strongly associated with temperature and dissolved oxygen. Horizontally, among three zones delineated by salinity and hydrographic characteristics,

SUBMITTER: Tang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12938413 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature