Identification of Keystone Species in Ecological Communities in the East China Sea

Keystone species are critical to preserving community stability and species diversity. Identifying key species and investigating their ecological regulation will help to prioritize important species and gain a better understanding of community stability mechanisms. It is based on this understanding that the present study tried to elucidate major keystone species in an important ecosystem in eastern Chinese waters. Therefore, data were collected from fisheries surveys conducted between 2016 and 2021 in the East China Sea. We identified Muraenesox cinereus, Leptochela gracilis, and Trichiurus lepturus as keystone species in the region based on the results of principal component analysis of ten network indices. The removal analysis performed suggested that the loss of keystone species might have a negative impact on the complexity and stability of the food web in the East China Sea. As a result, keystone species should be prioritized in marine ecosystems.