Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Movement response of Orange-Vaal largemouth yellowfish (Labeobarbus kimberleyensis) to water quality and habitat features in the Vaal River, South Africa

  • Published:
Environmental Biology of Fishes Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Many threatened fish species that utilize riverine habitats are faced with habitat degradation and subsequent deterioration in their ecological surroundings. Habitat degradation is a consequence of water quality parameters associated with anthropogenic activities including mining, industrial, agricultural and urban activities. We examined how the movement behaviour of radio-tracked Orange-Vaal largemouth yellowfish (Labeobarbus kimberleyensis) responded to a suite of water quality chemical parameters and habitat features in the Vaal River, South Africa. We found that the probability of their movement increased with a decrease in water clarity, presence of emergent and overhanging marginal vegetation and fast flowing rapids. High mobility in conditions of low water clarity was probably related to low prey capture success of this piscivorous fish. High movement of largemouth yellowfish in emergent and overhanging marginal vegetation areas and rapid habitat biotopes were attributed to accessibility of prey within these important cover features. When water quality parameters were considered, the probability of largemouth yellowfish movement increased with increasing levels of dissolved chloride (Cl) and silicon (Si), whereas movement decreased with high phosphate (PO4) concentrations and increased with alkalinity levels in the river. High nutrient levels associated with eutrophication caused reductions in the movement of largemouth yellowfish. The association of increased movement of largemouth yellowfish with increasing Cl and Si is indicative of degraded habitat condition in the Vaal River system. Our study showed the importance of monitoring fish behavioural movement patterns to multiple environmental parameters, as these fish are important ecological indicators when appropriate conservation and management plans of freshwater ecosystems are required.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akbarimehr M, Hosseini SA, Shariati F, Hodjati SM (2016) Impact of season and road on stream crossings and river water quality in Darabkola, Hyrcanian forest. Water Resour 43:369–376

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aksnes DL, Utne ACW (1997) A revised model of visual range in fish. Sarsia 82:137–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Albanese B, Angermeier PL, Dorai-Raj S (2004) Ecological correlates of fish movement in a network of Virginia streams. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 61:857–869

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson DM, Glibert PM, Burkholder JM (2002) Harmful algal blooms and eutrophication: nutrient sources, composition, and consequences. Estuaries 25:704–726

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aparicio E, Sostoa DA (1999) Pattern of movements of adult Barbus haasi in a small Mediterranean stream. J Fish Biol 55:1086–1095

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barton BA (2002) Stress in fishes: a diversity of responses with particular reference to changes in circulating corticosteroids. Integr Comp Biol 42:517–525

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bartoń K (2013) MuMIn: multi-model inference, R package version 1.9.13. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=MuMIn. Accessed 6 October 2014

  • Bates D, Maechler M, Bolker B, Walker S (2014) lme4: linear mixed-effects models using Eigen and S4. R package version 1.1–7. Retrieved July 19, 2014, from http://cran.r-project.org/package=lme4

  • Bertasso A (2004) Ecological parameters of selective helminth species in Labeobarbus aeneus and Labeobarbus kimberleyensis in the Vaal Dam, and an evaluation of their influence on indicators of environmental health. M.Sc. Thesis, Rand Afrikaans University, Johannesburg, South Africa. Pp 96

  • Bervoets L, Blust R (2003) Metal concentrations in water, sediment and gudgeon (Gobio gobio) from a pollution gradient: relationship with fish condition factor. Environ Poll 126:9–19

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boss SM, Richardson JS (2002) Effects of food and cover on the growth, survival, and movement of cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki) in coastal streams. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 59:1044–1053

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bovee KD (1986) Development and evaluation of habitat suitability criteria for use in the instream flow incremental methodology (No. FWS/OBS-86/7). USDI Fish and Wildlife Service

  • Braun E, Rogers KH (1987) The Vaal River catchment: problems and research needs. South African national scientific programmes report No.143. Pretoria

  • Bridger CJ, Booth RK (2003) The effects of biotelemetry transmitter presence and attachment procedures on fish physiology and behavior. Rev Fish Sci 11:13–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brind'Amour A, Lobry J (2009) Assessment of the ecological status of coastal areas and estuaries in France, using multiple fish-based indicators: a comparative analysis on the Vilaine estuary. Aquat Living Resour 22:559–572

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burnham KP, Anderson DR (1998) Introduction. In model selection and inference. Springer, New York, p 355

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Burnham KP, Anderson DR (2002) Model selection and multimodel inference: APractical information-theoretic approach. Springer, USA, p 488

    Google Scholar 

  • Calcagno V, de Mazancourt C (2010) Glmulti: an R package for easy automated model selection with (generalized) linear models. J Stat Soft 34:1–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman D (1996) Water quality assessments - a guide to use of biota, Sediments and Water in Environmental Monitoring. Published on behalf of UNESCO/WHO/UNEP. University Press, Cambridge. Pp 651

  • Collen B, Whitton F, Dyer EE, Baillie JE, Cumberlidge N, Darwall WR, Pollock C, Richman NI, Soulsby AM, Böhm M (2014) Global patterns of freshwater species diversity, threat and endemism. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 23:40–51

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Conley DJ, Schelske CL, Stoermer EF (1993) Modification of the biogeochemical cycle of silica with eutrophication. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 101:179–192

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cooch E, White G (2005) Program mark: a gentle introduction. http://www.phidot.org/software/mark/docs/book (accessed 05.09.12)

  • Cooke SJ, Cowx IG (2004) The role of recreational fishing in global fish crises. Bioscience 54:857–859

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooke SJ, Graeb BDS, Suski CD, Ostrand KG (2003) Effects of suture material on incision healing, growth and survival of juvenile largemouth bass implanted with miniature radio transmitters: case study of a novice and experienced fish surgeon. J Fish Biol 62:1366–1380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooke SJ, Paukert C, Hogan Z (2012) Endangered river fish: factors hindering conservation and restoration. Endan Spec Res 17:179–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dallas HF, Day JA (2004) The effect of water quality variables on aquatic ecosystems: a review. Water Research Commission, Pretoria

    Google Scholar 

  • De Robertis A, Ryer CH, Veloza A, Brodeur RD (2003) Differential effects of turbidity on prey consumption of piscivorous and planktivorous fish. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 60:1517–1526

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Villiers P, Ellender B (2007) Status of the Orange-Vaal largemouth yellowfish, Labeobarbus kimberleyensis (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1913). Technical Report on the State of Yellowfishes in South Africa. WRC Report No. KV 212/08, Water Research Commission, Pretoria, South Africa

  • De Villiers P, Ellender B (2008) Status of the Orange-Vaal largemouth yellowfish, Labeobarbus kimberleyensis (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1913). In: Impson ND, Bills IR, Wolhuter L, Eds. Technical report on the state of yellowfishes in South Africa. Technical report no. KV 212/08. Water Research Commission, Pretoria

  • Department of Water Affairs (DWA) (2010) River health assessment on the Vaal River: downstream of the Rietspruit and Vaal River confluence to the Erina spa bridge and Vaal River crossing. DWA project WP9672. Carried out by Jeffares and Green (Pty) Ltd. and the University of Johannesburg on behalf of the Department of Water Affairs, Sasol and Rand Water, South Africa

  • Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) (1996) South African water quality guidelines. Volume 7: aquatic ecosystems. In: ISBN 0-7988-5338-7. Department of Water Affairs, South Africa

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellender BR, Weyl OLF, Winker H (2012) Age and growth and maturity of southern Africa's largest cyprinid fish, the largemouth yellowfish Labeobarbus kimberleyensis. J Fish Biol 81:1271–1284

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elliott M, Whitfield AK, Potter IC, Blaber SJ, Cyrus DP, Nordlie FG, Harrison TD (2007) The guild approach to categorizing estuarine fish assemblages: a global review. Fish Fish 8:241–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fausch KD, Torgersen CE, Baxter CV, Li HW (2002) Landscapes to riverscapes: bridging the gap between research and conservation of stream fishes a continuous view of the river is needed to understand how processes interacting among scales set the context for stream fishes and their habitat. Bioscience 52:483–498

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fee EJ, Hecky RE, Kasian SEM, Cruikshank DR (1996) Effects of lake size, water clarity, and climatic variability on mixing depths in Canadian shield lakes. Limnol Oceanogr 41:912–920

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Figueiredo BR, Mormul RP, Thomaz SM (2015) Swimming and hiding regardless of the habitat: prey fish do not choose between a native and a non-native macrophyte species as a refuge. Hydrobiol 746:285–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geisler ME, Rennie MD, Gillis DM, Higgins SN (2016) A predictive model for water clarity following dreissenid invasion. Biolog Invas:1–18

  • Gerhardt A (2007) Aquatic behavioral ecotoxicology-prospects and limitations. Hum Ecol Risk Assess 13:481–491

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilliam JF, Fraser DF (2001) Movement in corridors: enhancement by predation threat, disturbance, and habitat structure. Ecology 82:258–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gowan C (2007) Short-term cues used by foraging trout in a California stream. Environ Biol Fish 78:317–331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gowan C, Fausch KD (2002) Why do foraging stream salmonids move during summer? In: Ecology, behaviour and conservation of the charrs, genus Salvelinus. Springer, Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

  • Gowan C, Young MK, Fausch KD, Riley SC (1994) Restricted movement in resident stream salmonids: a paradigm lost? Can J Fish Aquat Sci 51:2626–2637

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graham LD, Wilcox LW (2000) Algae. Prentice-Hall: Upper Saddle River, N.J

  • Graham MH (2003) Confronting multicollinearity in ecological multiple regression. Ecology 84:2809–2815

  • Gregg WW, Rose FL (1985) Influences of aquatic macrophytes on invertebrate community structure, guild structure, and microdistribution in streams. Hydrobiol 128:45–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gregory RS, Levings CD (1996) The effects of turbidity and vegetation on the risk of juvenile salmonids, Oncorhynchus spp., to predation by adult cutthroat trout, O. clarkii. Environ Biol Fish 47:279–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gutiérrez-Cánovas C, Velasco J, Millán A (2009) Effects of dilution stress on the functioning of a saline Mediterranean stream. Hydrobiol 619:119–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Habit E, Belk MC, Parra O (2007) Response of the riverine fish community to the construction and operation of a diversion hydropower plant in Central Chile. Aquatic Conserve Mar Fresh Ecosys 17:37–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison TD, Whitfield AK (2004) A multi-metric fish index to assess the environmental condition of estuaries. J Fish Biol 65:683–710

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison TD, Whitfield AK (2006) Temperature and salinity as primary determinants influencing the biogeography of fishes in South African estuaries. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 66:335–345

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey BC, Nakamoto RJ, White JL (1999) Influence of large woody debris and a bankfull flood on movement of adult resident coastal cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki) during fall and winter. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 56:2161–2166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hellawell JM (1986) Biological indicators of freshwater pollution and environmental management. 1st ed. Pollution monitoring series. Mellanby, K., (Series Editor) Elsevier Applied Science Publishers, London. Pp 546

  • Herbert NA, Steffensen JF (2005) The response of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, to progressive hypoxia: fish swimming speed and physiological stress. Mar Biol 147:1403–1412

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirschowitz PM, Birkhead AL, James CS (2007) Hydraulic modelling for ecological studies for South African rivers. WRC Report No. K5/105. Water Research Commission, Pretoria, South Africa

  • Impson D, Swartz E (2007) Labeobarbus kimberleyensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2007:e.T63292A12638641. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63292A12638641.en. Downloaded on 17 August 2016

  • Impson ND, Bills IR, Wolhuter L (2008) Technical report on the state of Yellowfishes in South Africa 2007. WRC report KV212/08. Water Research Commission, Pretoria

  • King AJ, Ward KA, O’connor P, Green D, Tonkin Z, Mahoney J (2010) Adaptive management of an environmental watering event to enhance native fish spawning and recruitment. Fresh Biol 55:17–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirk JTO, Akhurst EGJ (1984) Turbidity and suspensoids. Limnological criteria for management of water quality in the southern hemisphere. South African national scientific programmes report 93:32–63

  • Lucas MC, Johnstone AD, Priede IG (1993) Use of physiological telemetry as a method of estimating metabolism of fish in the natural environment. Transact Amer Fish Soc 122:822–833

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maitland PS (1995) The conservation of freshwater fish: past and present experience. Biol Conserv 72:259–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mallin MA, Paerl HW, Rudek J, Bates PW (1993) Regulation of estuarine primary production by watershed rainfall and river flow. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 93:199–203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matthews WJ (1998) Patterns in freshwater fish ecology. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Norwell, Massachusetts, p 756

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Mazumder A, Taylor WD (1994) Thermal structure of lakes varying in size and water clarity. Limnol Oceanogr 39:968–976

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCarthy TS, Pretorius K (2009) Coal mining on the Highveld and its implications for future water quality in the Vaal River system. In: International Mine Water Conference (pp. 19–23). South Africa

  • McCarthy TS, Arnold V, Venter J, Ellery WN (2007) The collapse of Johannesburg's Klip River wetland. S Afr J Sci 103:391–397

    Google Scholar 

  • Merciai R, Guasch H, Kumar A, Sabater S, García-Berthou E (2014) Trace metal concentration and fish size: variation among fish species in a Mediterranean river. Ecotoxicol Environ Safety 107:154–161

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Monette MY, McCormick SD (2008) Impacts of short-term acid and aluminum exposure on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) physiology: a direct comparison of parr and smolts. Aquatic Toxicol 86:216–226

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mulder PFS (1973) Aspects on the ecology of Barbus Kimberleyensis and Barbus holubi in the Vaal River. Zool Afr 8:1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newcombe CP, MacDonald DD (1991) Effects of suspended sediments on aquatic ecosystems. N Am J Fish Manage 11:72–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nhapi I, Tirivarombo S (2004) Sewage discharges and nutrient levels in Marimba River, Zimbabwe. Water SA 30:107–113

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nilsson C, Reidy CA, Dynesius M, Revenga C (2005) Fragmentation and flow regulation of the world's large river systems. Science 308:405–408

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien G, De Villiers P (2011) Aspects of the biology and ecology of the orange-vaal largemouth and smallmouth yellowfish in the Vaal River. WRC Report TT 508/11. Water Research Commission, Pretoria

  • O’Brien G, Nel L, De Villers P, Jacobs F, Hoffman A (2011) Home ranges, habitat use, migrations and general behaviour. In: O’Brien G, De Villiers P, 2011. Aspects of the biology and ecology of the orange-vaal largemouth and smallmouth yellowfish in the Vaal River. WRC Report TT 508/11. Water Research Commission, Pretoria

  • O’Brien GC, Bulfin JB, Husted A, Smit NJ (2012a) Comparative behavioural assessment of an established and a new tigerfish Hydrocynus vittatus population in two man-made lakes in the Limpopo River catchment, southern Africa. Afr J Aquatic Sci 37:253–263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien GC, Bulfin JB, Husted A, Smit NJ (2012b) A Comparative behavioural assessment of an established and new tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus) population in two artificial impoundments in the Limpopo catchment, southern Africa. Afr J Aquatic Sci 37:253–263

  • O’Brien GC, Jacobs F, Cronje L, Wepener V, Smit NJ (2013a) Habitat preferences and movement of adult yellowfishes in the Vaal River, South Africa. S Afr J Sci 109:01–08, 1

  • O’Brien GC, Jacobs F, Burnette M, Krüger P, Botha IF, Cordier JA (2013b) Remote and manual radio telemetry methods to monitor and use fish behaviour in South Africa’s inland waters. WRC Report 2111/1/13. Water Research Commission, Pretoria

  • Palmer MA, Bernhardt ES, Allan JD, Lake PS, Alexander G, Brooks S, Galat DL (2005) Standards for ecologically successful river restoration. J Appl Ecol 42:208–217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peretyatko A, Teissier S, Symoens JJ, Triest L (2007) Phytoplankton biomass and environmental factors over a gradient of clear to turbid peri-urban ponds. Aquatic Conserv Mar Fresh Ecosys 17:584–601

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petty JT, Grossman GD (2004) Restricted movement by mottled sculpin (Pisces: Cottidae) in a southern Appalachian stream. Fresh Biol 49:631–645

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R Development Core Team (2014) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. Retrieved April 10, 2014, from http://www.r-project.org/

  • Rahel FJ, Keleher CJ, Anderson JL (1996) Potential habitat loss and population fragmentation for cold water fish in the North Platte River drainage of the Rocky Mountains: response to climate warming. Limnol Oceanogr 41:1116–1123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Revenga C, Campbell I, Abell R, de Villiers P, Bryer M (2005) Prospects for monitoring freshwater ecosystems towards the 2010 targets. Philos Transac R Soc B: Biol Sci 360:397–413

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts JH, Angermeier PL (2007) Spatiotemporal variability of stream habitat and movement of three species of fish. Oecologia 151:417–430

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers KB, White GC (2007) Analysis of movement and habitat use from telemetry data. In: Brown M, Guy C (eds) Analysis and interpretation of freshwater fisheries data. American Fisheries Society Bethesda, MD

    Google Scholar 

  • Schreck CB, Olla BL, Davis MW (1997) Behavioral responses to stress. In: Iwama GK, Pickering AD, Sumpter JP, Schreck CB (eds) Fish stress and health in aquaculture. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Schriever TA, Bogan MT, Boersma KS, Cañedo-Argüelles M, Kl J, Olden JD, Lytle DA (2015) Hydrology shapes taxonomic and functional structure of desert stream invertebrate communities. Freshwater Sci 34:399–409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schultz R, Dibble E (2012) Effects of invasive macrophytes on freshwater fish and macroinvertebrate communities: the role of invasive plant traits. Hydrobiol 684:1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schurmann H, Steffensen JF (1994) Spontaneous swimming activity of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua exposed to graded hypoxia at three temperatures. J Exp Biol 197:129–142

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Skelton P, Bills R (2007) An introduction to African yellowfish. Technical report on the state of yellowfishes in South Africa, Water Research Commission, Pretoria, South Africa

  • Tallberg P (2000) Silicon and its impacts on phosphorus in eutrophic Freshwater Lakes. University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Academic Dissertation in Limnology

    Google Scholar 

  • Uieda VS, Motta RL (2007) Trophic organization and food web structure of south eastern Brazilian streams: a review. Acta Limnol Brasil 19:15–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Urbanek S (2010) rJava: low-level R to java interface. R package version 0.8–8. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=rJava. Accessed 5 October 2014

  • Venables WN, Ripley BD (2002) Modern applied statistics with S, 4th edn. Springer, New York, p 498

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Vidal-Abarca MR, Sánchez-Montoya MM, Guerrero C, Gómez R, Arce MI, García-García V, Suárez ML (2013) Effects of intermittent stream flow on macroinvertebrate community composition and biological traits in a naturally saline Mediterranean stream. J Arid Environ 99:28–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Villiers SD, Thiart C (2007) The nutrient status of South African rivers: concentrations, trends and fluxes from the 1970s to 2005. S Afr J Sci 103:343–349

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogel JL, Beauchamp DA (1999) Effects of light, prey size, and turbidity on reaction distances of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) to salmonid prey. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 56:1293–1297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walmsley RD, Bruwer CA (1980) Water transparency characteristics of south African impoundments. J Limnol Soc S Afr 6:69–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Wannamaker CM, Rice JA (2000) Effects of hypoxia on movements and behavior of selected estuarine organisms from the southeastern United States. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 249:145–163

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wepener V, Van Dyk C, Bervoets L, O’Brien G, Covaci A, Cloete Y (2011) An assessment of the influence of multiple stressors on the Vaal River, South Africa. Phy Chem Earth Parts A/B/C 36:949–962

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang PD, Zhang XM, Li J, Gao TX (2009) Starvation resistance and metabolic response to food deprivation and recovery feeding in Fenneropenaeus chinensis juveniles. Aquacult Int 17:159–172

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang W, Cao ZD, Fu SJ (2012) The effects of dissolved oxygen levels on the metabolic interaction between digestion and locomotion in cyprinid fishes with different locomotive and digestive performances. J Comp Physiol B 182:641–650

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The study was co-funded by the Water Resource Commission (ZA), FlyCastaway Pty. Ltd., and the National Research Foundation (ZA). We acknowledge the contributions made by the Hoffman family from Wag ‘n Bietjie, K. Fourie from the Elgro River Lodge, and Rocky Ridge in Parys for logistic support. L. Cronje, F. Jacobs, H. Venter, R. Wyma and A. Husted assisted in the collection of behavioural data in the study. We thank the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal and National Research Foundation (ZA) for the financial support of TR under the Post-doctoral Research Programme to write this manuscript, and Science and Engineering Research Board, a statutory body of the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India under Ramanujan Fellowship scheme while revising the manuscript. We thank R. Kalle for valuable editorial inputs on the draft version, and the reviewers for their constructive comments..

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, 3209, South Africa

    T. Ramesh, Colleen T. Downs & Gordon C. O’Brien

  2. Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty Post, Coimbatore, 641108, India

    T. Ramesh

Authors
  1. T. Ramesh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Colleen T. Downs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gordon C. O’Brien
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

TR, GCO and CTD conceptualised the paper. GCO conducted the field work. TR analysed the data. TR wrote the manuscript; GCO and CTD provided editorial advice.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Colleen T. Downs.

Ethics declarations

Our research and animal tagging process was approved by the North West Ethics Committee (NWU-00095-12-A4).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ramesh, T., Downs, C.T. & O’Brien, G.C. Movement response of Orange-Vaal largemouth yellowfish (Labeobarbus kimberleyensis) to water quality and habitat features in the Vaal River, South Africa. Environ Biol Fish 101, 997–1009 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-018-0754-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-018-0754-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation