Freshwater Fish Fauna in Watersheds of Mt. Makiling …philjournalsci.dost.gov.ph/.../Freshwater_Fish_Fauna_in_Watersheds... · Paller et al.: Freshwater Fish Fauna in Watershed of

Philippine Journal of Science140 (2): 195-206, December 2011ISSN 0031 - 7683Date Received: 29 Apr 2010

Key Words: fish diversity, freshwater fish, Makiling Forest Reserve, similarity

*Corresponding author: [email protected]

195

Vachel Gay V. Paller1*, Bonifacio V. Labatos Jr.2, Beatriz M. Lontoc2,Olivio E. Matalog2, and Pablo P. Ocampo1,2

Freshwater Fish Fauna in Watersheds of Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve, Laguna, Philippines

1Animal Biology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences,College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños2UPLB Limnological Research Station, College of Arts and Sciences,

University of the Philippines Los Baños

Survey of freshwater fish fauna was conducted in watersheds of Makiling Forest Reserve (MFR), Laguna, Philippines. These watersheds were Molawin Creek, Dampalit Falls, and Cambantoc River, all in the Province of Laguna, Philippines and directly under the management of Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (MCME), University of the Philippines Los Baños. There were 10 families of fish found in MFR. Two native species, Rock goby (Glossogobius celebius) and Snakehead gudgeon (Giuris margaritacea), were found to be common in all the watersheds of Makiling Forest Reserve. Similarity index of the three watersheds was computed at 72 %. Diversity index of the study areas was 1.12, 1.15, and 0.85 for Dampalit Falls, Molawin Creek, and Cambantoc River, respectively. In terms of species richness, Molawin Creek had twelve species, four of which are native; Dampalit Falls had twelve but with five native and one endemic species; and Cambantoc River had nine with two native species. The study revealed that Makiling Forest Reserve harbors a diverse community of fish. However, diminutive species which are becoming prone to extinction, such as Glossogobius celebius and Hippichthys heptagonus, also found the place as a haven especially in those areas with least human interventions. The study also showed that there was no significant difference in the physico-chemical properties among the three sites. Conservation efforts must focus on protecting these areas to guarantee the continuous existence of these diminutive species which are very important components of our freshwater ecosystems. The survey also updated the list of freshwater fish fauna of Makiling Forest Reserve.

INTRODUCTIONThe Philippines is a globally important hotspot for biological diversity and center for endemism, but much of the studies are centered in terrestrial and marine biodiversity (Mallari et al. 2001; Ong et al. 2002). Little is known about the diversity and status of endemic freshwater fishes which are equally valuable as bio-indicators of ecosystem health and an integral part of our

country’s natural heritage (Vallejo 1986; Ng et al. 1998).

Many unique species of freshwater fishes, particularly gobies, pipefishes and halfbeaks are known to be restricted only to isolated lakes and rivers in major islands in the Philippines, but their current status in these beleaguered freshwater habitats is not known (Herre 1953; Butler 2006). Gobies represent the most diverse group among the freshwater fishes in the country, with about 16 species known to occur only in the Philippines (Froese and Pauly 2010; Eschmeyer 2011) that include Gobiopterus

Paller et al.: Freshwater Fish Fauna in Watershed of Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve

Philippine Journal of ScienceVol. 140 No. 2, December 2011

196

lacustris of Laguna de Bay (Herre 1927), G. stellatus of Lake Dapao, Lanigay, Polangui, Albay (Herre 1927) and Mistichthys luzonensis of Lake Buhi in Buhi, Camarines Sur (Smith 1902).

Taal Lake is the only habitat of the world’s only known freshwater sardine, Sardinella tawilis (Herre 1927). More interestingly, there are four endemic Gulaphallus species: G. bikolanus (Herre 1926), G. eximius (Herre 1925), G. falcifer (Manacop 1936) and G. mirabilis (Herre 1925) as well as four Neostethus species of the family Phallostethidae: N. ctenophorus (Aurich 1937), N. robertsi (Parenti 1989), N. thessa (Aurich 1937) and N. villadolidi (Herre 1942) that only inhabit the freshwaters of the Philippines. The country also has an endemic rice fish, Oryzias luzonensis (Herre and Ablan 1934) from the family Adrianichthyidae. There are about sixteen species of the family Cyprinidae with species known mostly from Lake Lanao in Mindanao and Lake Manguao in the island of Palawan namely, Cyclocheilichthys schoppeae (Cervancia and Kottelat 1997), Puntius amarus (Herre 1924), P. bantolanensis (Day 1914), P. cataractae (Fowler 1934), P. disa (Herre 1932), P. flavifuscus (Herre 1924), P. hemictenus (Jordan & Richardson 1908), P. herrei (Fowler 1934), P. katolo (Herre 1924), P. lanaoensis (Herre 1924), P. lindog (Herre 1924), P. manalak (Herre 1924), P. manguaoensis (Day 1914), P. sirang (Herre 1932), P. tumba (Herre 1924), and Rasbora philippina (Günther 1880).

There are few species described in the Philippines after the monumental work done by Herre (1924 and 1927), due mainly to the limited surveys conducted in the country after World War II. The most recently described species in the Philippines include the following freshwater fishes: Stenogobius kyphosus (Watson 1991), two new species of Stiphodon: olivaceus and surrufus (Watson and Kottelat 1995) from Leyte, Sicyopus cebuensis (Chen and Shao 1998) from the island of Cebu, Stigmatogobius elegans (Larson 2005) from Luzon, Cyclocheilichthys schoppeae (Cervancia and Kottelat 2007) from Palawan and Anguilla luzonensis (Watanabe et al. 2009) from Cagayan River.

At least 20 species of endemic non-commercial freshwater fishes are known to occur in Southern Luzon, and their possible sustainable use, socio-cultural and eco-tourism value to local communities have not been tapped (Gonzalez 2006; Froese and Pauly 2007). And much of the research done on freshwater ecosystems locally is focused on commercially important fishes (Samonte et al. 2004); however, the implications presented for equally valuable endemic species to ichthyology and environmental science were apparently overlooked (Santiago et al. 2001). Impending loss of these diminutive but integral components of the aquatic food web may have detrimental effects on the natural balance of freshwater

ecosystems, notwithstanding the economic potentials of these species in local fisheries – especially in the multi-million tropical fish industry (Guerrero 2002; Grist 2007). Continued threats from pollution, erosion and introduction of invasive species pose a level of uncertainty on the survival of these endemic fishes, coupled with the lack of local concern/education or stable protection (Bagarinao 2001; Diesmos et al. 2004; Cagauan 2007).

Development of strategies through habitat protection, captive-breeding and local education is vital to the conservation of these potentially endangered endemic fishes. Consequently, surveys done in other Southeast Asian countries led to the description of many new species, and subsequent surveys on selected lakes and rivers of the country may reveal similar new discoveries (Kottelat et al. 1993; Watson & Kottelat 2006).

The Makiling Forest Reserve (MFR) which is under the administration of the University of the Philippines Los Baños - Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (MCME), covering the municipalities of Los Baños, Bay, and Calamba in the province of Laguna and Sto. Tomas in the province of Batangas. Being a forest reserve under the direct supervision of an academic institution, a number of research works has already been initiated to study its rich biological diversity, its flora and fauna like mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds but little attention is given on the fishes of MFR. Except for the surveys conducted by Herre in 1927, 1931, 1936-1937, and 1940-1941, which merely listed the freshwater fishes he collected from Molawin Creek, no studies to date have examined the natural fish population of MFR; hence, this study was done to record and collect fish samples, determine species composition, and diversity to contribute to the better understanding of its faunal richness.

MATERIALS AND METHODSStudy SitesThe Makiling Forest Reserve (14° 08' N, 121° 11' E), which is under the administration of the University of the Philippines Los Baños - Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (UPLB-MCME) lies approximately within 65 km South of Metro Manila covering the municipalities of Los Baños, Bay, and Calamba in the province of Laguna and Sto. Tomas in the province of Batangas and has a total area of 4,244 ha. The MFR is divided into six major watershed zones: Zone 1- Molawin/Maralas Watershed, Zone 2 – Dampalit Watershed, Zone 3 – Puting Lupa/Tigbi Watershed, Zone 4 – Sipit/Sto. Tomas Watershed, Zone 5 – Cambantoc Watershed, and Zone 6- Maitim Watershed (Cruz 1992). A total of three major watersheds of Makiling Forest Reserve (Figure 1) were studied representing



197

two rivers and a cataract. Study areas include portion with primary forest growth, secondary forest growth, agroforestry areas, near and within human settlements that are subjected to various human disturbances. Some areas have riparian growth, others have none. These three watersheds drain into Laguna de Bay.

Sampling Reconnaissance surveys were conducted, with the assistance of local residents and in coordination with the Local Government Units, to choose appropriate and accessible routes to isolated watersheds of MFR.

The three study sites were inspected and the collection areas were randomly chosen within each site. Three sampling locations per kilometer run were surveyed. Fish samples were collected using various sampling techniques such as seine net, hand nets, fish trap, and the hook-and-line method. Additional method was employed for specific species of interest where basic sampling methods were difficult to use or not applicable (i.e., back-pack low voltage electro-fishing along transects to stun the fish). The survey was done on almost the same time of the day in which samples are collected to minimize, if not to eliminate temporal biases.

Seine net of ‘sinamay’ (1.2 mm x 1.2 mm) mesh standardized at 2.8 m wide x 8.44 m and 1.4 m long was used wherein three passes along the 30 m transect line

Figure 1. Study sites of the three major watersheds of Makiling Forest Reserve (modified after map from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount Makiling).

were done during sampling. Seine netting is effective on banks of lakes and rivers but hard to use in rocky areas. Hand-nets of ‘sinamay’ mesh were also used as traps during low voltage electro-fishing, wherein they were placed at the end of the transect line to catch the fishes that goes with the water flow. Hook-and-line method was used with earthworm as bait. This method was proven effective to lure rock gobies. All species caught regardless of collection method used were counted and initial identification recorded. Most of the captured fish were released alive back into the water. Among the sampled fish, voucher specimens were obtained and brought to the laboratory for accurate identification.

Documentation and identification of freshwater fishesField documentation of collected fish samples and fish species identification in the field and laboratory were facilitated using several fish identification materials including books and field guides (Herre 1953; Conlu 1986; Vidthayanon 2007). Fish identification was also done through standard morphometric measurements given in FishBase (1995), as noted in other systematic reviews and taxonomic references (Collete 1999; Tan & Lim 2002; McDowall 2003; Larson 2005; Chen & Tan 2005). Morphometric data was recorded for cataloguing and data encoding. Taxonomic nomenclature mainly follows the current systematic status presented in FishBase

121°90° E

16°120° N

16°110° N

16°100° N

16°90° N

16°80° N

16°70° N

16°60° N

16°110° N

16°100° N

16°90° N

16°80° N

16°70° N

16°60° N

16°120° N

16°110° N

16°100° N

16°90° N

16°80° N

16°70° N

16°60° N

121°90° E 121°100° E 121°110° E 121°120° E 121°130° E 121°140° E 121°160° E 121°170° E121°150° E

121°90° E 121°100° E 121°110° E 121°120° E 121°130° E 121°140° E 121°160° E 121°170° E121°150° E



198

(Froese and Pauly 2007). The collected voucher specimens were deposited in UPLB Limnological Research Station for further taxonomic analysis and identification. Fish specimens were compared with the existing literature and Pisces collection of UPLB Limnological Research Station for proper identification.

Water quality test and habitat informationHabitat information was also recorded at the sites including details of water quality. Dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, and water temperature were determined to describe the current habitat conditions. Dissolved oxygen, water, and air temperature were measured using an Oakton Instrument DO 300 Series hand held probe and the pH was measured using Oakton Instrument pH/Con 10 Series hand held probe submerged 15 cm below the water surface until values stabilized. Some important limnological data were also noted, including depth using stainless meter stick, and to determine the deepest area, a bamboo pole was used and measurement was based on where the water height reached on the probe while the water body width was measured using Tajima waterproof fiberglass measuring tape, and transparency was measured using Secchi disk. Other relevant key characters were noted such as substrate type, dominant aquatic vegetation, presence of introduced and invasive alien species. Degree of disturbance of the sites under study was estimated following the rating we devised to support description of current conditions of the study sites and impacts of human activities to the composition of freshwater communities.

Data analysesBiological indices were computed for each representative site. Species richness (D) was determined by the number of species present in a community. Diversity index was computed following the Shannon Index: H’ = -Ʃ [(ni/N) log (ni/N)] where; p is the proportion of individuals found in the ith species and ln is the natural logarithm (Shannon & Weaver 1949). Pielou’s Evenness Index (e) uses the Shannon’s Diversity Index and computed as: e = H’/logS where; S = total number of species (Pielou 1969). Species dominance was computed using the Simpson’s Dominance Index formula: c = Ʃ [ni (ni-1)/ N(N-2)] where; ni is the number of individuals in the ith species and N is the total number of individuals (Simpson 1949). The number of individual species per unit area, or the fish density, was calculated. Similarity (Cs) between communities using Sørensen similarity index (Smith and Smith 2004) which is based on species composition was also computed using the formula: Sim = 2Ʃnc/Ʃn1+Ʃn2 where; nc= common species between sites, n1 = the species of site 1 and, n2 = the species of site 2.

Analyses of the physico-chemical water parameters within

and among the three representative sites of MFR were done using one-way ANOVA and correlate it with the species abundance using Pearson’s correlation analysis.

RESULTSFish CompositionSixteen species (Table 1) from thirteen genera belonging to ten families were collected from the three major watersheds of the Makiling Forest Reserve. Two native species, Glossogobius celebius (Rock goby) and Giuris margaritacea (Snakehead gudgeon) were found in all the watersheds. A native species, Glossogobius giuris (White goby) was collected in Molawin Creek. Another native species (Rhinogobius sp.) was found near the mouth of Laguna de Bay. Hippichthys heptagonus (Belly pipefish) of the family Syngnathidae was collected from Dampalit and Molawin watersheds. An endemic species, Leiopotherapon plumbeus (Silver therapon) was also collected from Dampalit watershed near the mouth of the Lake.

A total of 4,920 species was collected from the three watershed areas. Dampalit Falls had 186 whereas Molawin and Cambantoc Watersheds had 3,215 and 1,519 respectively. Relative abundance of species collected from each study site is presented in Figure 2.

Fish Species DiversityDiversity index for each representative site is summarized in Table 2. Species richness was 12, 12, and 9 for Dampalit, Molawin, and Cambantoc Watersheds, respectively. Diversity index was found to be high in Molawin and Dampalit watersheds with 1.12 and 1.15 correspondingly and 0.85 for Cambantoc watershed.

SimilarityMolawin and Cambantoc Watersheds were somewhat more similar in terms of species composition at 76 %. Two native species are commonly found in the two sites namely, Glossogobius celebius and Giuris margaritacea. Five introduced species are also common in the two watersheds, Trichopodus trichopterus, Poecilia latippina, P. reticulata, Oreochromis niloticus, Clarias batrachus, and Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus. Dampalit and Molawin had 75 % similarity index wherein four native species, Glossogobius celebius, G. giuris, Giuris margaritacea, and Hippichthys heptagonus and five introduced species, Trichopodus trichopterus, Poecilia latippina, P. reticulata, Oreochromis niloticus, and Clarias batrachus are commonly found from the two sites. Cambantoc and Dampalit had a similarity index of 67 % wherein two native species, Glossogobius celebius and Giuris



199

Table 1. Checklist of fish species collected from the three representative sites of Makiling Forest Reserve.

Family Species Status1 Dampalit Falls Molawin Creek Cambantoc River

GobiidaeGlossogobius celebius Native + + +Glossogobius giuris Native + + -Rhinogobius sp. Native + - -

TerapontidaeLeiopotherapon plumbeus Endemic + - -

EleotridaeGiuris margaritacea Native + + +

SyngnathidaeHippichthys heptagonus Native + + -

OsphronemidaeTrichopodus pectoralis Introduced - + -Trichopodus trichopterus Introduced + + +

PoeciliidaePoecilia latippina Introduced + + +Poecilia reticulata Introduced + + +Xiphophorus helleri Introduced - + -

ChannidaeChanna striata Introduced - - +

CichlidaeOreochromis niloticus Introduced + + +Sarotherodon melanotheron Introduced + - -

ClariidaeClarias batrachus Introduced + + +

LoricariidaePterygoplichthys disjunctivus Introduced - + +

Total no. of species collected from each study site: 12 12 91 Status of the fish and currently accepted name of the species based on FishBase (Froese and Pauly 2010) and Catalogue of Fishes (Eschmeyer 2011).

Figure 2. Relative abundance of species collected from the three watersheds of Makiling Forest Reserve.



200

Table 2. Fish species diversity indices of the three representative sites of Makiling Forest Reserve.

Representative sites D H’ e c d

Dampalit Falls 12 1.12 0.4935 0.0939 4/10 m2

Molawin Creek 12 1.15 0.3279 0.1064 1/10 m2

Cambantoc River 9 0.85 0.2672 0.1658 3/10 m2

D = species richness (total number of species), H’ = species diversity, e = Pilou’s Evenness Index; c = Species dominance, d = Fish density.

margaritacea and five introduced species, Trichopodus trichopterus, Poecilia latippina, P. reticulata, O. niloticus, and Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus are common in the two sites. The average similarity index between the three sites was computed at 72 %.

Physico-chemical water parameters and Habitat disturbanceThe physico-chemical water parameters for the three sites surveyed are summarized in Table 3. In general, dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, air and water temperature showed no significant variation between the three representative sites of Makiling Forest Reserve.

DISCUSSIONThis study used various sampling techniques to gain the most comprehensive understanding of fish species present, their distribution and relative abundance in isolated watersheds of Makiling Forest Reserve. Multiple sampling techniques were employed for each sampling technique has its own limitations and different species prefer

Table 3. Physico-chemical properties of the three representative sites of Makiling Forest Reserve.

Watershed Parameters No. of sites Sum Mean Std. Error Std. Dev Variance P-value

DampalitDissolved

oxygen

13 82.21 6.3238 0.0221 0.0797 0.0064 0.775838P*

Molawin 22 138.79 6.3086 0.0184 0.0863 0.0074

Cambantoc 20 126.49 6.3245 0.0159 0.0709 0.0050

Dampalit

pH

13 110.90 8.5308 0.0571 0.2057 0.0423 0.964550*

Molawin 22 187.90 8.5409 0.0327 0.1533 0.0235

Cambantoc 20 170.90 8.5450 0.0211 0.0945 0.0089

DampalitWater

Temperature

13 333.30 25.6385 0.2766 2.9971 0.9942 0.000011**

Molawin 22 573.80 26.0818 0.1604 0.7525 0.5663

Cambantoc 20 542.80 27.1400 0.1890 0.8451 0.7141

Dampalit

Air Temperature

13 350.10 26.9308 0.2530 0.9123 0.8323 0.000001**

Molawin 22 607.70 27.6227 0.1902 0.8923 0.7961

Cambantoc 20 576.60 28.8300 0.2050 0.9166 0.8401

*Since P > 0.05 (level of significance), Ho is accepted that the means are equal.**Since P < 0.05 (level of significance), then Ho is rejected and Ha is accepted that atleast one of the water temperature means is different.

different types of habitat. Seine netting is more applicable in slow moving or still waters with sandy substrates but not on rocky substrates, which gobies naturally prefer. Hook-and-line is more applicable in fast moving waters where electro-fishing and seine netting could not possibly be done. The survey also collected supplementary information on water quality and habitat conditions that could help correlate changes in fish community structure.

The Makiling Forest Reserve watersheds showed a diverse array of freshwater fish fauna. Sixteen species from thirteen genera and ten families with a total of 4,920 individuals were recorded from the three watersheds of MFR. These include one endemic species, Leiopotherapon plumbeus; five native species, Glossogobius celebius, G. giuris, Rhinogobius sp., Giuris margaritacea, and Hippichthys heptagonus; and twelve introduced species, Trichopodus pectoralis, T. trichopterus, Poecilia latippina, P. reticulata, Xiphophorus helleri, Channa striata, Oreochromis niloticus, Sarotherodon melanotheron, Clarias batrachus, and Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus. The presence of both native and introduced fish species in the areas were also documented, because the occurrence of introduced species poses a threat to the stability of native ecosystems. Introduced species like Janitor fish (Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) are known to compete with available food and space, and prey on the eggs and juveniles of native species.

Meanwhile, two native species, Rock goby (Glossogobius celebius) and Snakehead gudgeon (Giuris margaritacea), were found to be common in all the watersheds of MFR. There were five introduced species common in all the watersheds that include Trichopodus trichopterus, Poecilia latippina, P. reticulata, Oreochromis niloticus,



201

Table 4. Mean value of the species collected from the three watersheds of Makiling Forest Reserve.

Watershed No. of sites No. of individuals Mean Std. Error Std. Dev Variance P-value

Dampalit 13 186 14.30769 3.1772 11.4556 131.2308 0.104473*

Molawin 22 3215 146.1364 57.4014 269.2367 72488.41

Cambantoc 20 1519 75.9500 16.5376 73.9584 5469.839

* Since P > 0.05 (level of significance), Ho is accepted that the species number means are equal.

and Clarias batrachus. Janitor fish (Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus), an invasive species which is considered a pest in Marikina River is alarmingly recorded from Molawin and Cambantoc watersheds.

Similarity index of the three watersheds was computed at 72 % in terms of species composition. In terms of species richness, Molawin Creek had 12 species, four of which are native; Dampalit Falls had 12 also but with more native species of five and one endemic species; and Cambantoc River had nine with two native species.

Based on the records of Herre’s Philippine Expeditions (1927, 1931, 1936-1937, and 1940-1941), eleven species (Table 4) were recorded in Molawin Creek, many times he referred to as Molawin Brook. Seven native and four endemic species were obtained by Herre. The present survey recorded 12 species, nine of which are new species records in Molawin Creek not previously reported by Herre during his many expeditions in the country. Of the twelve native species earlier recorded, only three were seen in the present survey together with eight new species records which are all introduced in the country. Interestingly, a native species (Hippichthys heptagonus) not previously recorded from Molawin Creek was found inhabiting certain portion of the river. The same species was also found in Dampalit River but were not seen in Cambantoc River. No previous studies were conducted from Dampalit and Cambantoc; thus, this study will serve as baseline information for the two watersheds.

The stock assessment of Palma et al. (1997) revealed that Scatophagus argus, a migratory species of marine origin was nowhere to be found in Laguna de Bay, this is also true in the current survey where it was not seen in Molawin Creek. Migration of migratory fishes towards Laguna de Bay is hindered by the construction of Napindan Hydraulic Control Structure (HCS) built in 1983 to minimize flooding in Metro Manila.

During his Molawin Creek expeditions in 1931 and 1940, Herre collected a halfbeak species, Dermogenys viviparus. Meisner (2001), after her thorough examination of the species collected by Herre found another species of halfbeak mixed with D. viviparus and she placed it under the genus Nomorhamphus. Accordingly, N.

pectoralis for having an elongated spiculus is most similar to N. manifesta, N. pinnamaculata, N. vivipara and N. philippina, all Philippine species. She furthered that it is distinguished from these species by the presence of dorsally offset spiculus comprised of 5-6 segments (vs. 7-10) and short terminal segment of spiculus which are rarely curved. In the same paper by Meisner, she revised the genus of D. viviparus and placed it under Nomorhamphus, and consequently revised its specific epithet to vivipara as new combination name hence, Nomorhamphus vivipara is the currently accepted name of the former.

Diversity Index was found to be high in Molawin Creek with 1.15 followed by Dampalit Falls with 1.12 and Cambantoc Creek had 0.85. Diversity is related to species richness and how individuals are evenly distributed among the species in a community (Smith and Smith 2003). They furthered that a community with a few individuals from many different species has higher diversity than a community of the same number of individuals with most of them belonging to few species.

Cambantoc River was heavily damaged by typhoon Milenyo in 2006 which drastically changed its natural landscape. The changed in the natural landscape is detrimental to the native inhabitants of the river which made the introduced species to persist in unfavorable environment coupled with many anthropogenic activities. Domestic wastes are being dump on the river causing temporary damming on some portion of the area. The presence of E. crassipes, an invasive macrophyte aggravated the situation. Siltation also made the river shallow and 450 m-long portion of the river in Brgy. Tranca was waterless during the conduct of the survey. In addition, secondary forest growth was minimal since the area surrounding the river system was converted to agroforestry area planted mainly with coconut and banana with no riparian zone to control soil erosion during heavy rains.

Species dominance of Cambantoc River at 0.1658 is relatively higher than Dampalit Falls’ 0.0939 and Molawin River’s 0.1064. Species diversity is inversely proportional to species dominance. Presence of a single species in large quantity relative to other species translates to higher species dominance index. Except for Dampalit Falls, the



202

most dominant species are Poecilia latippina followed by P. reticulata. The occurrence of fishes captured in the downstream connected to Laguna Lake contributed to the species richness of Dampalit Falls and Molawin Creek. Species such as Leiopotherapon plumbeus, Glossogobius giuris and Giuris margaritacea are known inhabitants of the lake which were also found from the two watershed areas. In the case of Cambantoc River, it has man-made structure which blocked the entry of species naturally live in Laguna de Bay. Species density of the three watersheds was computed at 4/ 10 m2, 1/10 m2, and 3/10 m2 for Dampalit, Molawin and Cambantoc watersheds, respectively.

The sustainability of freshwater fish is highly dependent on suitable habitat as species diversity and populations are closely linked to habitat conditions. The composition of the fish community is a living representation of the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the community they live in. In this study, differences in physico-chemical properties of the three watersheds were found to be statistically insignificant. Pearson’s

Table 5. Comparison of the inventory of fish species recorded from Molawin Creek by Herre and this study.

Family Scientific Name Current Name Statusa Current Survey Surveys of Herre

Hemiramphidae Dermogenys viviparus Nomorhamphus vivipara Endemic - +

Hemiramphidae Dermogenys pectoralis Nomorhamphus pectoralis Endemic - +

Gobiidae Glossogobius celebius G. celebius Native + +

Phallostethidae Gulaphallus mirabilis G. mirabilis Endemic - +

Zenarchopterinae Zenarchopterus philippinus Z. philippinus Endemic - +

Eleotridae Ophiocara aporos Giuris margaritacea Native + +

Gobiidae Ctenogobius criniger Yongeichthys criniger Native - +

Eleotridae Eleotris fusca E. fusca Native - +

Syngnathidae Oostethus manadensis Microphis manadensis Native - +

Scatophagidae Scatophagus argus S. argus Native - +

Gobiidae Glossogobius giurus G. giuris Native + +

Syngnathidae Hippichthys heptagonus H. heptagonus Native ++ -

Osphronemidae Trichopodus pectoralis T. pectoralis Introduced ++ -

Osphronemidae Trichopodus trichopterus T. trichopterus Introduced ++ -

Poeciliidae Poecilia latippina P. latippina Introduced ++ -

Poeciliidae Poecilia reticulata P. reticulata Introduced ++ -

Poeciliidae Xiphophorus helleri X. helleri Introduced ++ -

Clariidae Clarias batrachus C. batrachus Introduced ++ -

Loricariidae Pterygoplichthys disjunc-tivus P. disjunctivus Introduced ++ -

Cichliidae Oreochromis niloticus O. niloticus Introduced ++ -

Total number of species: 12 11

Note: (-) absent, (+) present, (++) new Molawin Creek records, (a) status of the fish and currently accepted name of the species based on FishBase (Froese and Pauly 2010) and Catalogue of Fishes (Eschmeyer 2011)

correlation analysis further revealed that species richness is not correlated with the water parameters.

Habitat loss, human intervention, pollution and introduction of alien species account for the major threats to country’s freshwater fish diversity (Guerrero 2002; Vidthayanon 2007). At least 42 introduced species from 14 alien families are now known to inhabit various aquatic environs in the Philippines (Casal 2006; Cagauan 2007). Alarmingly, those areas surveyed with abundant presence of introduced and invasive species, diminutive native species were nowhere to be found.

The expanding human settlements coupled with over exploitation of aquatic resources threaten many freshwater habitats (Guerrero 2005; Rosaganon 2001). Several geographically isolated freshwater systems are home to many native and endemic species of fishes. And probably, a number of these would remain unknown and some potentially face great threat from extinction (Herre 1953; Butler 2006).



203

CONCLUSIONThe Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve supports diverse and abundant populations of freshwater fishes that include one endemic species, five native species and ten introduced species. There was no significant difference in the physico-chemical properties of water among the three sites. Habitat disturbance, presence of introduced species, siltation and other environmental factors could have influence the species composition of the three study sites.

The freshwater ecosystem of the country is currently under pressure brought about by the rapid increase of human population and settlements, urbanization, pollution, habitat destruction, and introduction of alien invasive species. Hence, initiating a work similar to this associated with conservation and management measures that focus on endemic and native fishes is highly significant. Although the current scope of the study is limited to Makiling Forest Reserve, this survey can serve as a model for initiating further research on native and endemic Philippine freshwater fishes in other aquatic environments.

The fish survey is part of the program Fish Ark Philippines: Direction for the Conservation of Native and Endemic Philippine Freshwater Fishes to monitor freshwater fish fauna in Makiling Forest Reserve and to identify possible threatened native and endemic freshwater species. The sampling has been successful in obtaining a baseline dataset of the fish resources for the three watersheds monitored in MFR. Conservation efforts must focus on protecting these areas to guarantee the continuous existence of the fish species which are very important components of our freshwater ecosystems.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTThe authors would like to convey their sincerest gratitude and utmost appreciation to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for funding the project; Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (PCAMRD); Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (MCME); Makiling Botanic Garden (MBG); UPLB Museum of Natural History; Municipality of Bay and its Barangay: Sta. Cruz, Tranca, Masaya, Puypuy, Maitim, Calo, San Antonio and Sto. Domingo; Municipality of Los Baños and its Barangay: Lalakay, Bambang, San Antonio, and Maahas; Red Cross Youth of UPLB; Mr. Donald A. Luna, Mr. Dalton Erick S. Baltazar, Mr. Angel V. Magpantay, Mr. Rogelio R. Alvarez, Mrs. Nenita B. Salvador, Mr. Andrew R. Padalhin, Dr. Vivian C. Camacho, and Professor Juan Carlos T. Gonzalez of the Animal Biology Division, IBS, CAS, UPLB.

REFERENCESAURICH H. 1937. Die Phallostethiden (Unterordnung

Phallostethoidea Myers). Internationale Revue der Gesamten Hydrobiologie und Hydrographie, Leipzig 34(3/5).

BAGARINAO TU. 2001. The decline of native fishes and fisheries and the rise of aquaculture in lakes and rivers in the Philippines. In: Santiago CB, Cuvin-Aralar ML, Basiao ZU (eds.). Proceedings of the national seminar-workshop on the conservation and ecological management of Philippine lakes in relation to fisheries and aquaculture; 21-23 October 1997; SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department, Tigbauan, Iloilo: Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Philippines. 187 pp.

BUTLER R. 2006. List of freshwater fishes for Philippines. web page: http://www.fish.mongabay.com 1994-1995 generated from FishBase.org (Updated 17 November 2004).

CAGAUAN AG. 2007. Exotic Aquatic Species Introduction in the Philippines for Aquaculture – A Threat to Biodiversity or a Boom to the Economy? J Environ Sci Management 10(1):48-62.

CASAL CMV. 2006. Global documentation of Fish Introduction - the growing crisis and recommendations for action. Biological Invasions 8:3-11.

CERVANCIA M, KOTTELAT M. 2007. Cyclocheilichtys schoppeae, a new species of freshwater fish (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from northern Palawan, Philippines. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 55(1):141-145.

CHEN IS, SHAO KT. 1998. A new species of goby, Sicyopus cebuensis (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from Cebu Island, Philippines. Acta Zoologica Taiwanica v. 9 (no. 2): 97-103.

CHEN I, TAN HH. 2005. A New Species of Freshwater Goby (Teleostei: Gobiidae: Stiphodon) from Pulau Tioman, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 53(2):237-242.

COLLETTE BB. 1999. Hemiramphidae. Halfbeaks. In: Carpenter KE, Niem V. (eds.) FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes 4. Bony Fishes part 2 (Mugilidae to Carangidae), p. 2180-2196.

CONLU PV. 1986. Guide to Philippine Flora and Fauna. Vol. IX – Fishes. Manila, Philippines: National Resources Management Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, and University of the Philippines. 495p.

CRUZ RVO. 1992. Watershed Approach to the Management of Common Property: The Makiling



204

Forest Reserve Experience. A Paper presented during the 3rd Conference for the Study of Common Property; 17-20 September 1992, Washington, D.C., USA: through the support of the College of Forestry and the Institute of Environmental Science and Management, University of the Philippines at Los Baños, College, Laguna, Philippines. p. 1-28.

DAVIES J, PM MAGSALAY R, RIGOR A, MAPALO, GONZALES H. 1990. A Directory of Philippine Wetlands, Vo. II. Cebu City, Philippines: Asian Wetland Bureau (Philippines) and Haribon Foundation. 444p.

DAY AL. 1914. Two new cyprinoid fishes of the genus Barbus from Lake Manguao, Palawan, P. I. Philipp J Sci 9(2):187-192.

DIESMOS AC, MC LAGDA NF, TRESNADO, BROWN RM. 2004. The Snake from Taal. Haring Ibon (1st quarter, 2004): 8-12.

ESCHMEYER WN. (ed.). 2011. Catalog of Fishes electronic version (5 January 2011). http://research.calacademy.org/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp

FISHBASE. 1995. FishBase: a biological database on fish version 1.2. CD-ROM. Manila: International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management.

FROESE R, PAULY D. (eds.). 2007. List of Freshwater Fishes for Philippines, summarized from FishBase country checklist freshwater fishes web page: http://www.fishbase.org/Country/CountryChecklist.php?c_code=608&vhabitat=fresh (updated 9 October 2007), WorldFish Center.

FROESE R, PAULY D. (eds.). 2010. List of Freshwater Fishes for Philippines, summarized from FishBase country checklist freshwater fishes. world wide web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (11/2010).

FOWLER HW. 1934. Descriptions of new fishes obtained 1907 to 1910, chiefly in the Philippine Islands and adjacent seas. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 85: 233-367.

GONZALEZ JCT. 2006. Notes on the Freshwater Fish Fauna of Selected Rivers on Polillo Island, Philippines. Paper presented during the 11th Southern Luzon Zonal R&D Review. November 2007; Ateneo de Manila University: Philippine Council for Aquatic Marine Research and Development. 1-13p.

GRIST C. 2007. Status of Freshwater Fishes of the Philippines. Unpublished paper presented during the National Training Course on Freshwater Fish Identification, 18 October 2007; SEARCA, Los Baños: Zonal Center 2, UPLB Limnological Research Station, IBS-UPLB, PIBCFI, Chester Zoo and WorldFish. p. 1-8

GUERRERO RD III. 2002. Invasive Aquatic Animals in the Philippines. Special Report on their impacts and management. ASEAN Biodiversity (Oct-Dec 2002): 12-15.

GUERRERO RD III. 2005. Issues, Challenges, and Lessons Learned in Lake Resources Management in the Philippines. In: Cuvin-Aralar ML, Punongbayan RS, Santos-Borja A, Castillo LV, Manalili EV, Mendoza MM. (Eds.). Proceeding of the First National lake Congress on Philippine Lakes. Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines: Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graudate Study and Research in Agriculture.

GÜNTHER A. 1880. Report on the shore fishes procured during the voyage of H.M.S. ‘Challenger” in the years 1873-1876. Challenger Reproductive Zoology 1(6):1-48.

HERRE AWCT. 1924. Distribution of the true fresh-water fishes in the Philippines. I . The Philippine Cyprinidae. Philipp J Sci 24(3):249-307.

HERRE AWCT. 1924. Distribution of the true freshwater fishes in the Philippines II. Philipine Labyrinthici, Clariidae, and Siluridae. The Philippine Journal of Science 24(6):683-709.

HERRE AWCT. 1925. Two Strange New Fishes from Luzon. The Philippine Journal of Science 27(4):507-513.

HERRE AWCT. 1926. Four New Philippine Fishes. The Philippine Journal of Science 31(4):538-541.

HERRE AWCT. 1927. Gobies of the Philippines and the China Sea. Monograph 23. Manila: Bureau of Science. 391p.

HERRE AWCT.1927. Four new fishes from Taal Lake (Bombon) The Philippine Journal of Science 34(3):273-279.

HERRE AWCT. 1932. Five new Philippine fishes. Copeia 1932(3):139-142.

HERRE AWCT. 1934. Aplocheilus luzonensis, A new Philippine Cyprinodont. The Philippine Journal of Science 54(2):275-277.

HERRE AWCT. 1942. New and little known phallostethids, with keys to the genera and Philippine species. Stanford Ichthyological Bulletin 2:137-156.

HERRE AWCT. 1953. A Checklist of Philippine Fishes. Research Report Vol. 20. Washington, D.C: Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Department of Interior, Government Publishing Office. 977p.

HERRE AW, ABLAN GL. 1934. Aplocheilus luzonensis, a new Philippine cyprinodont. The Philippine Journal of Science 54(2):275-277.



205

JORDAN DS, RICHARDSON RE. 1908. Fishes from islands of the Philippine Archipelago. Bull Bureau of Fisheries 27: 233-287

KOTTELAT M, WHITTEN AJ, KARTIKASARI SN, WIRJOATMODJO S. 1993. Freshwater Fishes of Western Indonesia and Sulawesi. Periplus editions, Hongkong; p. 259.

LARSON HK. 2005. A Revision of the Gobiid Genus Stigmatogobius (Teleostei: Gobiidae), with Descriptions of Two New Species. Ichthyological Exploration Freshwaters Vol. 16, No. 4: 347-370.

MALLARI, NAD, TABARANZA BR JR, CROSBY MJ. 2001. Key Conservation Sites in the Philippines: A Haribon Foundation and Bird Life International Directory of Important Bird Areas. With contributions from M. Lepiten-Tabao and G.A. Gee, in collaboration with Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Bookmark, Inc., Makati City: 484 p.

MANACOP PR. 1936. A new phallostethid fish with notes on its development. Philipp J Sci 59(3):375-381.

MEISNER AM. 2001. Phylogenetic systematics of the viviparous halfbeak genera Dermogenys and Nomorhamphus (Teleostei: Hemiramphidae: Zenarchopterinae). Zool J Linn Soc 133:199-283.

NG PKL, TAN HH, LIM KKP, KOTTELAT M. 1998. Peat Swamp fishes of Southeast Asia: Diversity under threat. Unpublished web page: http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/articles/dbs/peat.html. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, Department of Biological Sciences, The National University of Singapore.

ODUM EP. 1971. Fundamentals of Ecology, 3rd Edition. Philadelphia, USA: W.B. Saunders Company 546 p.

ONG PS, AFUANG LE, ROSELL-AMBALL RG (eds.). 2002. Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Priorities, a 2nd iteration of the national biodiversity strategy and action plan: final report. Quezon City: Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Conservation International Philippines, Biodiversity Conservation Program, U.P. Center for Integrative and Development Studies. p. 1-113.

PALMA AL, DIAMANTE AS, POL RM 2002. An Assessment of Fishery Resources of Laguna de Bay. Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management 5(2): 139-146.

PARENTI LR. 1989. A Phylogenetic Revision of the Phallostethid Fishes (Atherinomorpha, Phallostethidae). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 46(11)243-277.

PIELOU EC. 1969. An Introduction to Mathematical Ecology. New York: Wiley-Interscience. 294p.

MCDOWALL. 2003. Hawaiian biogeography and the island's freshwater fish fauna. J Biogeography 30(5):703-710.

ROSAGARON RP. 2001. Lake Lanao: Its past and present status. In: Santiago CB, Cuvin-Aralar ML, Basiao ZU. (eds.). Proceedings of the national seminar-workshop on the conservation and ecological management of Philippine lakes in relation to fisheries and aquaculture. 21-23 October 1997; Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines: Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. p. 2-39.

SAMONTE IE, PAGULAYAN RC, MAYER WE. 2000. Molecular phylogeny of Philippine freshwater sardines based on mitochondrial DNA analysis. The American Genetic Association 91: 247-253.

SANTIAGO CB, CUVIN-ARALAR ML, ZU BASIAO (eds.). 2001. Conservation and Ecological Management of Philippine Lakes in Relation to Fisheries and Aquaculture. Proceedings of the National Seminar-Workshop held on 21-23 October 1997; INNOTECH, Commonwealth Ave., Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines: SEAFDEC, PCAMRD and BFAR. 187 p.

SHANNON CE, WEAVER W. 1949. The Mathematical Theory of Communication. Urbana, Chicago: Univ. Illinois Press. 117p.

SIMPSON EH.1949. Measurement of diversity. Nature 163:688

SMITH HM. 1902. The smallest known vertebrate. Science 15:366.

SMITH RL, SMITH TM. 2004. Elements of Ecology, 5th Edition. Quezon City, Philippines: Pearson Education South Asia Pte Ltd., Philippine Edition. p. 243-254.

TAN HH, LIM KKP. 2002. A New Species of Ellopostoma (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Balitoridae) from Peninsular Thailand. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 50 (2): 453-457.

UY WH. 2008. Coastal Biodiversity: Implications of the BRP Research on Impact, Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change. In: Ticsay MV, Arboleda LP (eds.). Realizing Challenges, Exploring Opportunities. Proceedings of International Conference-Workshop on Biodiversity and Climate Change in Southeast Asia: Adaptation and Mitigation. February 2008: Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Manila: South East Asian Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, ASEAN Center for Biodiversity, World Agroforesty Centre, Silliman University and Biodiversity International. 88p.



206

VALLEJO AN JR. 1986. Fishes of Laguna de Bay. Natural and Applied Science Bulletin 37(4):285-346.

VIDTHAYANON C. 2007. Overview on Freshwater Fishes of the Philippines. Unpublished Paper presented during the National Training Course on Freshwater Fish Identification, 18 October 2007; SEARCA, Los Baños: UPLB Limnological Research Station, Zonal Center 2, PCAMRD, IBS-UPLB, PIBCFI, Chester Zoo and WorldFish Philippine Center. 1-17p.

WATANABE S, AOYAMA J, TSUKAMOTO K. 2009. A new species of freshwater eel Anguilla luzonensis (Teleostei: Anguillidae) from Luzon Island of the Philippines. Fisheries Science (Tokyo) v. 75: 387-392.

WATSON RE. 1991. A provisional review of the genus Stenogobius with descriptions of a new subgenus and thirteen species. (Pisces:Teleostei:Gobiidae). Records of Western Australian Museum 15(3):627-710.

WATSON RE, KOTTELAT M. 1995. Gobies of the genus Stiphodon from Leyte, Philippines, with descriptions of two new species (Teleostei: Gobioidei: Sicydiinae). Ichthyological Exploration Freshwaters 6:1-16.

WATSON RE, KOTTELAT M. 2006. Two New Freshwater Gobies from Halmahera, Maluku, Indonesia (Teleostei: Gobioidei: Sicydiinae). Ichthyological Exploration Freshwaters 17(2):121-128.

Documents

Freshwater Fish Fauna in Watersheds of Mt. Makiling …philjournalsci.dost.gov.ph/.../Freshwater_Fish_Fauna_in_Watersheds... · Paller et al.: Freshwater Fish Fauna in Watershed of