Fine-Scale Habitat and Co-Occurrence Patterns of Fish, Crayfish, and Mussels in the Muskegon River, Michigan, USA

Although the potential for species interaction at fine spatial scales is high, research on habitat and co-occurrence patterns for multifaunal groups at fine spatial scales is lacking. Video-recorded transect surveys provide the opportunity to examine abundance and distribution of multiple taxa at fine spatial scales to identify patterns in shared habitats. We examined habitat associations and patterns of species co-occurrence for fish, crayfish, and freshwater mussels by using video transect surveys at a site in the Muskegon River, Michigan, USA, in August 2020. Our results suggest that fine-scale habitat characteristics such as depth, substrate, estimated algal density, and siltation influence the distribution and abundance of fish, crayfish, and mussels at our site. Taxa co-occurrence was mostly random across transects, although there was some indication of segregated distribution of crayfish and mussels. Despite lack of strong patterns of transect-scale co-occurrence, we also found that several host fish species co-occurred with mussel species at our site, indicating that potential required life cycle interactions between mussels and host fish could still occur. Continued study of interactions and habitat requirements at fine spatial scales can inform restoration activities and elucidate the environmental and biological filters that influence the distribution of individual organisms and multifaunal communities.