Inventory and Ecological Characterization of Ichthyofauna of Nine Lakes in the Adamawa Region (Northern Cameroon, Central Africa)
, Arnold R. Bitja Nyom 1,2,*, Antoine Pariselle 3,4 and Charles F. Bilong Bilong 5
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The subject of this manuscript is very interesting and the analyses are well tailored to the research questions. However, there are too few details in the data descriptions to accurately assess the analysis, there are a number of English language changes required and I would appreciate edits to figure 3. The readers require additional data diagnostics to understand if the analyses are appropriate. For example, a RDA (redundancy analysis) would be the most appropriate canonical model if both datasets are linear (instead of a CCA). While a CCA is the most appropriate when species data are bimodal and the environmental data are linear. Those details are currently missing. I would also like to see the significant species vectors plotted on the NMDS (figure 3) or a statement explaining that none were significant.
Author Response
Dear Referee,
I am pleased to submit our revised manuscript Diversity_1867444 entitled “Inventory and ecological characterization of ichthyofauna of nine lakes in the Adamawa region (Northern-Cameroon, Central Africa)”. The authors (A) have considered the suggestions done by the referee (R1) and incorporated the requested changes. The principal changes made to the manuscript are described below.
Authors responses to R1 comments:
R1: “…there are a number of English language changes required…”
A: All changes asked were done to improve underlined phrases; we bring some English language changes; we hope that they are useful.
R1: “I would appreciate edits to figure 3. The readers require additional data diagnostics to understand if the analyses are appropriate. For example, a RDA (redundancy analysis) would be the most appropriate canonical model if both datasets are linear (instead of a CCA). While a CCA is the most appropriate when species data are bimodal and the environmental data are linear. Those details are currently missing. I would also like to see the significant species vectors plotted on the NMDS (figure 3) or a statement explaining that none were significant”.
A: We plotted a CCA because some species data are bimodal while the environmental data are linear. To avoid any statistical issue, fish abundances from lakes and environmental variables were log (x + 1)-transformed as described in Data analysis (section 2.3). This method has already performed by Dandong et al. (2019) and Mamilov et al. (2022).
Dandong C.; Xiaotian Z. ; Jinxi S. ; Haotian S. ; Shaoqing W. ; Haifeng B. ; Qi L. Quantifying the Distribution and Diversity of Fish Species Along Elevational Gradients in theWeihe River Basin, Northwest China, Sustainability, 2019, 11, 6177
Mamilov, N.; Sharakhmetov, S.; Amirbekova, F.; Bekkozhayeva, D.; Sapargaliyeva, N.; Kegenova, G.; Tanybayeva, A.; Abilkasimov, K. Past, Current and Future of Fish Diversity in the Alakol Lakes (Central Asia: Kazakhstan). Diversity 2022, 14, 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/d14010011
The Canonical correspondence analysis performed (figure 4) shows correlations of significant species vectors with environmental variables. We didn’t plot significant species vectors on the NMDS (Figure 3) because they are not done by the software used, probably because they are not significant. Moreover, no publications examined were performed NMDS with these vectors (e.g Huang et al, 2016; Dandong et al. (2019; Fondo et al., 2022).
Liangliang Huang1, Delian Huang1, Zhiqiang Wu1, 2,*, Bin Kang3, Zhongbing Chen, 2016. Temporal Variation of Fish Diversity and Assemblages and their Associations to Environmental Variables in the Mangrove of Qinzhou Harbor, Guangxi Province, China. Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 16: 297-310 (2016).
Dandong C. ; Xiaotian Z. ; Jinxi S. ; Haotian S. ; Shaoqing W. ; Haifeng B. ; Qi L. Quantifying the Distribution and Diversity of Fish Species Along Elevational Gradients in theWeihe River Basin, Northwest China, Sustainability, 2019, 11, 6177.
Fondo, E.N.; Omukoto, J.O.; Wambiji, N.; Okemwa, G.M.; Thoya, P.; Maina, G.W.; Kimani, E.N. Diversity of Shallow-Water Species in Prawn Trawling: A Case Study of Malindi–Ungwana Bay, Kenya. Diversity 2022, 14, 199. https:// doi.org/10.3390/d14030199.
Thank you,
The authors.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
The manuscript presents a sound and interesting ecological analysis of the fish communities of a lake system in Cameroon, an area where no previous studies were available. This makes the research very valuable and relevant, as it stablishes a complete biological baseline to understand the fish ecology in these freshwater systems. The manuscript is clear and direct, and it is easily understood. The English is generally okay, but it should be revised and edited to correct some mistakes and improve some phrases. The specific comments and suggestions are noted in the attached pdf, while here I provide a general overview of the manuscript:
I think it is necessary to add more information about the origin and distribution of the fish species found in the lakes. Even if this information is not available or it is not solid, you should make this clear. You are taking about fish communities where some species are native, endemic or introduced, but you don’t discuss the implications for conservation of these mixed communities. I think that the most interesting thing of a research like this is the applicability of the data for management purposes, so it is important to think and write about it. You mention the relevance of these ecosystems in the abstract, but there is no other mention to it on the rest of the manuscript. Why are these ecosystems important for conservation? All of them should be conserved? What are the menaces of the introduced species? How do they affect local fish fauna?
To better understand the results, it is mandatory to include more specific information about the lakes. To understand the distribution and the assemblages, it is key to complete the information about their connectivity with other freshwater systems (rivers that flow in and out of the lakes). This may help to interpret some facts like the differences in species richness in different seasons. Furthermore, the human presence and uses of the lakes should be clearly stated, which could also help interpreting the results. Is fishing activity important in the lakes? How many people live around them? Were some of the species introduced for fishing purposes? Are there anthropogenic impacts affecting the lakes?
Complementing the paper with the forementioned ideas could help to enhance the results and the discussion, taking the ecological analysis from the merely descriptive to open new debates and foster future research.
Author Response
Diversity_1867444
August 18th, 2022
Author responses to Reviewer 2
Dear Referee,
I am pleased to submit our revised manuscript Diversity_1867444 entitled “Inventory and ecological characterization of ichthyofauna of nine lakes in the Adamawa region (Northern-Cameroon, Central Africa)”.
The authors (A) have considered all of the suggestions done by the referee R2 and incorporated the requested changes. The principal changes made to the manuscript are described below.
Authors responses to R2 general comments:
R2: “The English is generally okay, but it should be revised and edited to correct some mistakes and improve some phrases”.
A: All changes asked were done to improve underlined phrases; we bring some English language changes; we hope that they are useful.
R1: “I would appreciate edits to figure 3. The readers require additional data diagnostics to understand if the analyses are appropriate. For example, a RDA (redundancy analysis) would be the most appropriate canonical model if both datasets are linear (instead of a CCA). While a CCA is the most appropriate when species data are bimodal and the environmental data are linear. Those details are currently missing. I would also like to see the significant species vectors plotted on the NMDS (figure 3) or a statement explaining that none were significant”.
A: We plotted a CCA because some species data are bimodal while the environmental data are linear. To avoid any statistical issue, fish abundances from lakes and environmental variables were log (x + 1)-transformed as described in Data analysis (section 2.3). This method has already performed by Dandong et al. (2019) and Mamilov et al. (2022).
Dandong C.; Xiaotian Z. ; Jinxi S. ; Haotian S. ; Shaoqing W. ; Haifeng B. ; Qi L. Quantifying the Distribution and Diversity of Fish Species Along Elevational Gradients in theWeihe River Basin, Northwest China, Sustainability, 2019, 11, 6177
Mamilov, N.; Sharakhmetov, S.; Amirbekova, F.; Bekkozhayeva, D.; Sapargaliyeva, N.; Kegenova, G.; Tanybayeva, A.; Abilkasimov, K. Past, Current and Future of Fish Diversity in the Alakol Lakes (Central Asia: Kazakhstan). Diversity 2022, 14, 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/d14010011
The Canonical correspondence analysis performed (figure 4) shows correlations of significant species vectors with environmental variables. We didn’t plot significant species vectors on the NMDS (Figure 3) because they are not done by the software used, probably because they are not significant. Moreover, no publications examined were performed NMDS with these vectors (e.g Huang et al, 2016; Dandong et al. (2019; Fondo et al., 2022).
Liangliang Huang1, Delian Huang1, Zhiqiang Wu1, 2,*, Bin Kang3, Zhongbing Chen, 2016. Temporal Variation of Fish Diversity and Assemblages and their Associations to Environmental Variables in the Mangrove of Qinzhou Harbor, Guangxi Province, China. Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 16: 297-310 (2016).
Dandong C. ; Xiaotian Z. ; Jinxi S. ; Haotian S. ; Shaoqing W. ; Haifeng B. ; Qi L. Quantifying the Distribution and Diversity of Fish Species Along Elevational Gradients in theWeihe River Basin, Northwest China, Sustainability, 2019, 11, 6177.
Fondo, E.N.; Omukoto, J.O.; Wambiji, N.; Okemwa, G.M.; Thoya, P.; Maina, G.W.; Kimani, E.N. Diversity of Shallow-Water Species in Prawn Trawling: A Case Study of Malindi–Ungwana Bay, Kenya. Diversity 2022, 14, 199. https:// doi.org/10.3390/d14030199.
R2: “To better understand the results, it is mandatory to include more specific information about the lakes. To understand the distribution and the assemblages, it is key to complete the information about their connectivity with other freshwater systems (rivers that flow in and out of the lakes). This may help to interpret some facts like the differences in species richness in different seasons. I think it is necessary to add more information about the origin and distribution of the fish species found in the lakes. Even if this information is not available or it is not solid, you should make this clear. Furthermore, the human presence and uses of the lakes should be clearly stated, which could also help interpreting the results: Is fishing activity important in the lakes? How many people live around them? Were some of the species introduced for fishing purposes? Are there anthropogenic impacts affecting the lakes?”.
A: several specific information about the lakes (connectivity through outlet/inlet with neighboring rivers, origin of the ichthyofauna, distribution, human presence and activities like fishing, pastoralism and agriculture, threats, etc.) are added in the introduction and discussion.
R2: “You are taking about fish communities where some species are native, endemic or introduced, but you don’t discuss the implications for conservation of these mixed communities. I think that the most interesting thing of a research like this is the applicability of the data for management purposes, so it is important to think and write about it. You mention the relevance of these ecosystems in the abstract, but there is no other mention to it on the rest of the manuscript. Why are these ecosystems important for conservation? All of them should be conserved? What are the menaces of the introduced species? How do they affect local fish fauna? Complementing the paper with the forementioned ideas could help to enhance the results and the discussion, taking the ecological analysis from the merely descriptive to open new debates and foster future research”.
A: The discussion is more performed about native, endemic and introduced species, and the implications for conservation of these mixed communities (natives versus introduced) is more discussed (see comment below).
Authors responses to R2 specific comments:
Line 30 of the first draft: I may say that those lakes outstand as hotspots for conservation due to the uniqueness of their ichthyofauna.
A: Ok. Corrected
Line 31: As this key-word is included in the title, I may suggest using a different one, "limnology" may be more useful and complementary.
A: Ok, corrected. Cameroun is replaced By Ngaoundéré, the Chief town of the Adamawa region.
Line 45: I may be interesting to explain the causes of this overexploitation, is it due commercial fisheries, subsistence fishing and increasing population.
A: Ok, added. The references cited [5,6] mentioned that this due to commercial fisheries, overfishing fishing and increasing population.
Line 52: Delete "In" or add a comma after region
A: Ok, comma is added after region.
Line 52-61: More information about the origin of fish in the lakes, distribution and speciation processes is missing; Also, some information around fish knowledge and conservation threats in Cameroon.
A: Ok, several information has been added in the introduction about the origin of fish in the well-known lakes, distribution and speciation processes, fish knowledge and conservation threats. The lakes are divided in three main groups: The Southwestern lakes located in low-altitude (Ë‚500m) containing fish species flock, the Northwestern lakes found in high-altitude (> 1000 m) without fish species flock, and those of the Adamawa (generally >1000m) examined in this study.
Line 64-65: May to August (should be in caps) of year 2018?
A: Ok, corrected.
Lines 65-66: I may start with this and speak about the seasons afterwards, or at least add a comma after "wet season" You should tell here what lakes are part of the Chad basin and what lakes belong to the Sanaga basin.
A: Ok, comma is added after “wet season”, and lakes in brackets are grouped by basin.
Line 68: The town and the basin should be represented in the map
A: Since the entire contour of the two basins (Chad, Sanaga) cannot be represented, each of them has been represented in the map by its river which drains the localities of the lakes studied, and that is précised in the text.
Line 68-69: Can you tell more about the lake? Human activities, ecosystem integrity...
A: Ok, information available is added.
Lines 70-71: The town and the basin should be represented in the map
Ok, corrected (see above).
Line 71: What do you mean with significant? It is well conserved? It is the main land cover?
A: Ok, significant is removed; we considered that savanna vegetation is the main land cover on its shores.
Line 72: There, where? In the savanna shores? In the water? Make it clear
A: Ok, precision is added: in the water.
Line 72: What scale or intensity?
A: Ok, we precise that these activities are uncontrolled, so we have not evaluated intensity during our visit.
Line 73: This means that it is a reservoir? Can you make it more clear?
A: Ok. We have brought precision that the origin of lake Bini is undocumented (we think that it is probably a natural depression or a man-made lake) and the origin of lake Dang is poorly documented (only precised by Daiwe et Ngounou Ngatcha (2010) as natural depression).
Lines 75-76: And what is exactly the relation between the less dense vegetation and the road?
A: Ok, we have mentioned that the N°1 national road facilitates access to the site.
Line 76: And they are of human origin? What kind of activities may cause them? Because sometimes they can be natural
A: Ok, we added heavy metals are originated from anthropic activities practiced around the lake.
Line 77: Leaching of what? I can't understand what do you mean with it
A: Ok, for better sound, we replaced “leachning” by clothes/car wash.
Line 77-88:
-Tell more about the lake: human presence and activities
-You should add more information about natural or antrophic features of all the lakes. These may help interpreting the results later and discussing about conservation priorities and potential
A: Ok, more information available in the literature or collected in the field is added.
Connectivity of the lakes should be clearly stablished, as it is crucial to understand diversity patterns such as changes between dry and wet season
A: Ok, connectivity of the lakes is précised. The both lakes Bini and Dang discharge their water in the outlets which drain in the map by Bini River system (Lac Chad basin). The other lakes, when having outlet/inlet discharge water in the Djerem river system (Sanaga basin).
Figure 1: I suggest using less zoom in this small map, so that shows where in Africa you are in a wider scale. And you may use a high-quality image, because now it is blurry and the text can't be read
A: Ok, image quality is corrected with a new map performed; it shows situation of Cameroun in Central Africa, compared to its neighboring countries, and locates some divisions and subdivisions including the Adamawa region.
Table 1: And the rest of the depth measures are for wet season? Make this clear
A: Ok, corrected. Opposite to the author [31] that we initially cited as mentioning 3-4 m of depth during dry season, we have corrected retaining maximum depth of 3-4 m as later mentioned by the author [32] who don't give any other precision about season precision about season.
Line 93: This citation makes the table confusing. Is there any other way to include the references?
A: Ok, corrected. We have included the references directly in the table.
Line 96 : Where they measured in the shore or where?
A: Ok, corrected. The physico-chemical parameters of the surface water were measured in situ at several points in the lake including the shore and offshore areas, and the averages were considered for each parameter.
Line 100-101 : I'm confused about the sampling campaigns and the years. You should clarify this and the dates given before.
A: Ok, corrected. The dates/frequencies are harmonized. Sampling was performed from 2017 to 2018, yearly twice campaigns in the dry season (December and March) and twice in the rainy season (May and august).
Line 101 : Caps august,
A: Ok, corrected and August.
Line 102 : Who long were the nets?
A: Each gill net measures 10 m long and 2 m depth; it is added.
Line 104 : What kind of traps?
A: We added that these traps used are those traditional ones made by local fishermen.
Line 104 : How big was it and of what mesh size?
A: We added that this seine net was 30 m length and 0.5 mm mesh size.
Line : 105 The seine net was used also during this time period?
A: Not, we corrected that only gillnets and traps were set in the evening and visited in the next morning while seine net was used actively during our presence in the field in the shore zones.
Line 107 : I guess that the night fishing uses gillnets and traps, and the day fishing seine nets? This should be expressed clearly
A: Ok. It added that gillnets and traps were used a 24-hour day fishing per lake per campaign while seine net was used a couple of hours during the day.
Table 2: This is a huge change in pH. Can you explain it?
A: Yes, it is. We added a comment about it in the results (lines aa-bb) and proposed an explanation in the discussion (lines xx-yy).
Line 158: I don't understand the use of letters and why sometimes you use two or three of them
A: Here we bring an explanation of how results in table 2 should be read as done in many other publications (e.g. Igbokwe et al., 2021; Woldeab et al., 2018).
Igbokwe, S.O.; Ogueri, C.;Ajima, M.N.O.Seasonal variation in physicochemical characteristics of Agulu Lake, South Eastern Nigeria, International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies 2021, 9 (2): 91-97.
Woldeab, B.; Beyene, A.; Ambelu, A.; Buffam, I.; Mereta, S. T. Seasonal and spatial variation of reservoir water quality in the southwest of Ethiopia, Environ Monit Assess. 2018,190-163. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6527-4
For each parameter (example: temperature), the same letter (example: a) is used for all couples compared:
As-D = As-W; As-D= Ge-D; As-D= Ma-D; As-D= Ma-W; As-D =Mb-W; As-D =Ng W; As-D= Pi-D; As-D= Pi W; As-D= Ti-W.
As-W= Ge-D; As-W= Ge W; As-W= Ma D; As-W= Ma-W; As-W= Mb-W; As-W= Ng-W; As-W= Pi D; As-W= Ti-W.
As-D≠ Da-D; As-D≠ Bi-D; As-D≠ Bi-W; As-D≠ Mb-D; As-D≠ Ng-D; As-D≠ Ti-D. Etc.
So, the statistical software used compares all seasonal couples by column for each water parameter considered. Consequently, one two or three letters can be reserved for one seasonal sample depending of number of times this sample is different or equal to others.
Line 177: You didn't use this term in relation to the lakes before, so I am confused about what do you mean with it. Are you referring to human made lakes? This should be clarified. This information is also useful to analize the results, so it can be included in the tables, marking the human made lakes, the craters and the rest differently
Line 177: And even in the description of the lakes, I should assume that when you don't say that is is human made, for example for lake Massote, it is natural?
A: Ok, corrected the word ‘’subsistence’’ have been replaced by natural depression or man-made lake. All the lakes listed in table 1 are classified in three categories: 1) crater lakes, 2) natural depression, and 3) undocumented origin, probably natural depression or man-made lake.
Line 181 : What statistical method did you use in this analysis? You should mention and justify it
A: Ok, corrected see section 2.3 paragraph 2. The Hierarchical cluster analysis (or hierarchical clustering) was performed to see similarities between the lakes based on their physico-chemical parameters [46,47]; then this analysis seeks to identify groups of lakes that may be similar in their species composition.
composition between lakes or lakes groups.
Line 202 : You said that Piou was a man-made lake, I don´t understand why you group it with the crater lakes. Moreover, I don't know what do you mean with "diversified ichthyofauna". I guess that you are talking about the richness, but even so, I don`t have this statemet clear, because la Mbalang is said to be a crater lake and it has 6 species. Many things are getting more confusing each step you take, because some basic features are blurry in the description of the lakes.
A: Corrected. We observed that all the four crater lakes considered (Mbalang, Ngaoundaba, Gegouba and Tizong) and one undocumented (Lake Piou) which may be a natural depression or a man-made lake were the less rich in species composition.
Line 203-205: I think this could be written in a more clear way
A: Ok, this phrase is rewritten as follow: no species colonized all the nine lakes considered; the number of fish species that colonized 1 to 8 lakes decreased drastically: 13 (50 %) only in one lake, 6 (23.1) in two lakes, 2 (7.7 %) in three lakes and 3 (11.5 %) in four lakes. remarkably, H. camerounensis and O. niloticus were sampled in 7 and 8 lakes respectively, they are the more ubiquitous species in the lakes.
Line 213: And what about the Chad basin ichthyofauna?
A: Ok, corrected. We added ‘while no Chad basin endemic species was found in the lakes concerned’’; this observation was already mentioned in the conclusion.
Line 218-219: What does this doubtful of undetermined status mean? It is concerning their origin and distribution? Make it clear
A: We added that this resemblance is morphological. Garra cf ornata is morphologically close to G. ornata (Nichols & Griscom, 1917), but with a wider body and a dorsal fin closer to the head while Garra cf dembeensis resembles G. dembeensis (Rüppell, 1835), but it shows a narrower body and more scales.
Line 223: What does the X mean in the table?
A: It is already mentioned in the table legend that “X= missing or non-existent data’' for undetermined or undescribed species.
Line 229 : Why don't you give abundance data? This could be much more interesting than only presence/absence
A: This table is already large, adding abundance using two or three digits will result in further expanding this table, so we preferred to keep it with presence-absence as showed in other publications (e.g. Dandong et al., 2019).
Dandong C.; Xiaotian Z. ; Jinxi S. ; Haotian S. ; Shaoqing W. ; Haifeng B. ; Qi L. Quantifying the Distribution and Diversity of Fish Species Along Elevational Gradients in theWeihe River Basin, Northwest China, Sustainability, 2019, 11, 6177
Table 3 : You may change the table so you have the labels in one line
A: Ok, labels are adjusted in one line of the table.
Line 252: ENS or NES? You should use only one of the terms
A: Ok, corrected. ENS have been replaced by NES.
Line 260: This table could be easily transformed in a graph, making it more intuitive to analyze
A: We tried to performed the graph below, but it is not easy to analyzed. So we proposed to maintain the table.
Line 321: I may expect that conductivity and TDS are related to more primary production and more turbidity, therefore, less transparency. Do you have and explanation to this inverse relation you detected?
A: Yes, it is theoretically correct. But we find some specificities with these crater lakes. Their high transparency is not surprising, their primary production evaluated through concentration of chlorophyl a is generally very low (Kling, 1988). We also argued that there is an evident relationship between particular conditions in these crater lakes (craters with bedrocks formed by magmatic rocks, greater depth and smaller surface, absence or seasonal presence of a functional outlet) when compared with others.
Line 324: I don't understand the use of this word in this context
A: Ok, deleted.
Line 331-333: This is too general and obvious. Can you use some local examples to compare relations of your fish and hydrochemical variables in other African freshwater systems?
A: Ok, it is done in the discussion.
Line 360: Caps
A: Ok, corrected Caps have been Added to During.
Lines 400: I miss more information around the origin of the fish in these lakes, and a discussion about fish communities on volcanic, man-made and the other types of lakes. You could even mention if some of the species are usually fished or cultivated, something that may be related to their artificial distribution and threats to conservation of native fish.
A: Although their high altitude, the better way to understand the origin of native fish species in the Adamawa crater lakes is to postulate that, currently without outlets or with seasonal outlets, these lakes were probably permanently connected to surrounding rivers in the past, while natural depressions or man-made lakes retained their connections to surrounding rivers at through which exchanges continuous. Recent observations showed that the insulation of Lake Tizong may have exerted an evolutionary pressure on its H. camerounensis population, which responds by a tendency to size reduction of fish, illustrated by the dominance of small-sized individuals in the catches, compared to the both populations of the same species in Lakes Dang and Bini [30]. According to [82], the Adamawa lakes seem younger than those of the south west and north west Cameroon, this could imply that their fish faunas have not yet save much time to speciate. The alien species inventoried in all the lakes were probably introduced by human activities as fisheries.
Line 400: I miss some discussion about why the fish diversity changes in wet and dry season. It is related to the connectivity with rivers and migration? May be explained by sampling efficiency?
A : Ok, added in section 4.2
Line 400: I think that some words around fish conservation status should be included, reflecting around the non-native species and their invasive potential that may be threatening endemic species
A: Ok, added in section 4.4
Conclusion: I think that conclusions should be more concise and precise.
A: Further precisions are added to be more concise and precise (see the conclusion).
Thank you,
The authors.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
Dear authors,
I appreciate your efforts to follow my suggestions and answer my questions.
The manuscript is clear and sound now. The ecological interpretation and discussion can be better understood thanks to the new information regarding the origin and distribution of the fish in the lakes.
However, there are still some mistakes to be corrected, and the English needs to be checked by a native speaker.
I'm sending attached a pdf with some comments that may help you fine-tuning the manuscript.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
Diversity_1867444
September 02th, 2022
Author responses to Reviewer 2 (round 2)
Dear Referee,
I am pleased to resubmit our revised manuscript Diversity_1867444 entitled “Inventory and ecological characterization of ichthyofauna of nine lakes in the Adamawa region (Northern-Cameroon, Central Africa)” with minor revisions.
Authors responses to R2 general comments:
However, there are still some mistakes to be corrected, and the English needs to be checked by a native speaker. I'm sending attached a pdf with some comments that may help you fine-tuning the manuscript.
The authors (A) have considered all of the suggestions done by the referee R2 and incorporated the requested changes.
Authors responses to R2 specific comments:
Line 66: Brackets should be revised here
A: Ok, they are deleted.
Line 70: Replace with. or:
A: Ok, the comma is replaced by “:”.
Line 71: Delete
A: Ok, deleted.
Line 71: Delete
A: Ok, deleted.
Line 119-220: I don't understand this idea. Higher iron intake that other lakes? What does it mean? Is it relevant in the study?
A: Ok, really pertinent. This information is not relevant in the study. So, it is deleted.
Line 142: was Ok,
A: “is” is replaced by “was”.
Line 188: Why are you including two maps that are almost the same? One of them should be enough. What do you consider a town and what a big city? You should state this in the legend. What does "Divisions" indicate? Watershed limits?
A: The previous map was already deleted during first revision of the manuscript, but it was still available on track change. Only the second map is saved and some additional precisions added in the legend (big city=Regional headquarters; Town= Divisional headquarters; Division=Administrative divisions).
Line 212: nets
A: Ok, we added “s” to net.
Line 330-335: I had to read this four times to understand it. Maybe, separating the information using dots can help to make it clearer
A: Ok, it is done.
Lines 342-344: You may say that four taxa couldn't be determined/identified to species level
A: Ok, it is corrected.
Line 344-347: This should be explained before speaking about the "other four species"
A: Ok, corrected.
Line 350-352: You may keep the same order in the legend and in the table: BC, TG, RG, IUCN
A: Ok, corrected. The order in the legend is now: BC, TG, RG, IUCN.
Lines 380: NES?
A: Ok, corrected.
Line 517: Can you give the numbers instead of "large amount"?
A: This sentence is fully rewritten to be better understood and useful for comparison of fish diversity of the three lake regions (Adamawa vs Northwest vs Southwest). The number “35” replaces "large amount".
Line 547: on?
A: Ok, corrected. “of” is maintained and “endemic species’ is added.
Line 553: delete "s"
A: Ok, deleted.
Line 553: mostly?
A: Ok, Corrected.
Lines 354-355: As the colonization of the lakes was
A: Ok, corrected.
Line 561: losing
A: Ok, corrected.
Line 562: Do you mean that these outlets are only present seasonally?
A: Yes, it means that these outlets are only present in the rainy season as described in the study site section.
Line 563-564: maybe you mean: making possible the free flow and exchange of organisms?
A: Ok, added.
Line 567: delete
A: Ok, deleted.
Line 569-570: you mean something like: are too young to show speciation processes?
A: Ok, replaced by “are too young to show speciation processes”.
Line 580: comma
A: Ok, added.
Line 581: Should be in caps
A: Ok, corrected “Basin”.
Line 583: When naming lakes, rivers, basins... The name of the place should be in caps, and also Lake, River, Basin. Revise the rest of the names.
A: Ok, names are corrected through the rest of the manuscript.
Line 586: Caps
A: Ok, corrected.
Line 595: Caps .
A: Ok corrected.
Line 597: Caps. I'm not indicating this anymore. Revise all the document to correct this mistake
A: Ok, corrected.
Line 601: I feel this idea quite isolated. It may be important to explain this better as I imagine it is relevant information
A: Ok, rewritten to be better understood. These two species are sensitive to pollution, overfishing and invasive species, so they lost their habitat in the reservoir of the Mbakaou man-made lake impacted by these human activities. Lake Assom is relatively more conserved, these species continuous to occur there.
Line 608: Before this, you were not using the names of the authors when referring to a reference. Can you revise if this is correct?
A: Ok, revised.
Line 630-631: You made this idea very clear here.
A: Ok, thank you.
Many thanks,
The authors.
