Biodiversity and Conservation of Fish in the Beibu Gulf

The Beibu Gulf is one of the biodiversity hotspots in the global marine ecosystem, and an important fishing ground of East Asia. In the past several decade years, multiple pressures including overfishing, habitats destruction, pollution and eutrophication, and non-native species have seriously threaten the biodiversity of fish in the Beibu Gulf. However, the information about fish fauna in this region is very poorly which limiting the conservation of fish biodiversity and sustainability of the fishery. In this study, we calculated taxonomic features of fish in the Beibu Gulf based on the sampling and observational field data obtained from the competent authorities. Our results indicate that 1519 species were recorded, which belongs to 42 orders and 198 families. Compared with earlier studies, the species richness of fish in Beibu Gulf has decreased significantly, especially in large predatory fish and demersal fish. Now, overfishing, habitats destruction, pollution and eutrophication, and non-native species are important threat to native fish biodiversity. The results shed light on the importance of conservation and ecosystem -based fishery management. For better to protect fish biodiversity and fisheries resources, more international cooperation on protected areas, fishing ban, and scientific research should be implemented for effectively protecting fish biodiversity and fisheries resource sustainability.