Predicting Habitat Suitability and Range Dynamics of Three Ecologically Important Fish in East Asian Waters Under Projected Climate Change

The vulnerability of ecologically important fish species to climate change underscores the need to predict shifts in their distributions and habitat suitability under future climate scenarios. In this study, we modeled the potential distribution ranges of three ecologically important fish species (<i>Collichthys lucidus</i>, <i>Konosirus punctatus</i>, and <i>Clupanodon thrissa</i>) across East Asia using a species distribution modeling framework under both current and projected future climate scenarios. Occurrence data were obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), while environmental data were retrieved from the Bio-ORACLE database. Our models demonstrated high predictive performance (AUC > 0.88). Results showed that dissolved oxygen and salinity were the strongest bioclimatic predictors for <i>C. lucidus</i>, whereas chlorophyll and phosphate primarily shaped the distributions of <i>K. punctatus</i> and <i>C. thrissa</i>. Model projections indicated a decline in suitable habitats for <i>C. lucidus</i>, particularly under high-emission scenarios, and range expansions for <i>K. punctatus</i> and <i>C. thrissa</i> toward higher latitudes and nutrient-enriched waters. Highly suitable habitats were concentrated along coastlines within exclusive economic zones, exposing these species to significant anthropogenic pressures. Conservation gap analysis revealed that only 7%, 2%, and 6% of the distributional ranges of <i>C. lucidus</i>, <i>C. thrissa</i>, and <i>K. punctatus</i>, respectively, are currently encompassed by marine protected areas (MPAs). Our study further identified climatically stable regions that may act as climate refugia, particularly for <i>C. lucidus</i> in the Yellow and East China seas. Our findings highlight the urgent need for adaptive management, including the expansion and reconfiguration of MPAs, transboundary conservation initiatives, stronger regulation of exploitation, and increased public awareness to ensure the resilience of fisheries under future climate change.