Distribution of migratory fishes and shrimps along multivariate gradients in tropical island streams

Among the 16 species of fishes and shrimps studied at 51 sites along severa l small streams at Basse Terre, Guadeloupe. Lesser Antilles. more than 60% showed a spatial distribution significantly influenced by environmental con ditions. These included altitude, basin size, terrestrial vegetation and la nd use. However, the range of the species habitat was generally high, excep t for three species limited to the downstream stretches (two fishes and one shrimp). The habitat characteristics of fish and shrimp species tended to differ, but the difference was not significant (P <0(.)05). On the contrary , the habitat characteristics of amphidromous and catadromous species clear ly differed, with a lower occurrence at the most elevated sites of catadrom ous species than amphidromous species. (C) The Fisheries Society of the Bri tish Isles.