Journal profile · Marine & Freshwater Biology
Hydrobiologia
ISSN 0018-8158 · eISSN 1573-5117 · Springer International Publishing · NETHERLANDS · Semimonthly · Founded 1948
Hydrobiologia: CAS Zone 3 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.43; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,490; median 165 days to acceptance (137 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 306 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Hydrobiologia is published by Springer International Publishing and is in Zone 3 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics, Fish Ecology and Management Studies and Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and Behavior, together about 35.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Oceanography. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Hydrobiologia publishes original research, reviews and opinions investigating the biology of freshwater and marine environments, including the impact of human activities. We welcome molecular-, organism-, community- and ecosystem-level studies in contributions dealing with limnology and oceanography, including systematics and aquatic ecology. Hypothesis-driven research is preferred, but conceptual papers or articles with large descriptive content will also be considered. In all cases, the investigation has to be clearly embedded in a theoretical framework and be relevant to a broad hydrobiological audience. Applied aspects will be considered if firmly embedded in an ecological context. Hydrobiologia is no longer a preferred publication avenue for purely physical, chemical or toxicological studies, unless a clear link to biological aspects can be demonstrated. Special issues on timely topics shall be considered through invitation by the editor. Identical standards of acceptance are rigidly applied for both special and regular issues.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Marine & Freshwater Biology
Editor-in-chief Koen MartensPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 4%); most named Italy 11, Brazil 10, United States 7, Spain 7, Argentina 6 (81 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton DynamicsEnvironmental Science14.9%
- Fish Ecology and Management StudiesEnvironmental Science11.8%
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and BehaviorEnvironmental Science9.2%
- Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecologyEnvironmental Science7.5%
- Marine and coastal ecosystemsEarth and Planetary Sciences7.4%
- Marine Biology and Ecology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences6.6%
- Marine and fisheries researchEnvironmental Science3.4%
- Soil and Water Nutrient DynamicsEnvironmental Science3.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Marine & Freshwater Biology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Marine & Freshwater Biology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Marine & Freshwater Biology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
CASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Astrophysics Data System, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 2.43LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.4Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.8LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.92LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.23LetPub ·
- h-index
- 125LetPub ·
- h-index
- 219OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 15,809OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.2OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 36.21%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 296LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 1,600,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 23,614 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 308 | 172 | 67 |
| 2025 | 306 | 158 | 570 |
| 2024 | 344 | 150 | 1,475 |
| 2023 | 319 | 161 | 2,711 |
| 2022 | 341 | 126 | 4,459 |
| 2021 | 304 | 124 | 4,452 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
165 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 124 days – 228 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 22 days (137 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 198 days
- Sample
- 137 articles with submission and acceptance dates (681 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 5.3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 12 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 2,490 / EUR 3,890 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Other fees
- No other fees
- Page charges
- No page charges
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers3, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–200 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted5
- editorialSubmitted manuscripts will first be checked for language, presentation, and style. Scientists who use English as a foreign language are strongly recommended to …Length not stated
- opinion papersOpinion papers reflect authors' points of view on hot topics in aquatic sciences.Length not stated
- primary research papersPrimary research papers generally comprise up to 25 printed pages (including tables, figures and references) and constitute the bulk of the output of the journa…Length not stated
- review papersReview papers and Taxonomic revisions are long papers; prospective authors should consult with the editor before submitting such a long manuscript, either direc…Length not stated
- themed section papersThemed section papers. Occasionally, regular volumes contain a special section devoted to topical collections of papersLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
LLMs cannot be authors Model summary
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Data availability statement required for all original research Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Hydrobiologia, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Reviewer suggestions allowed Model summary
Authors are welcome to suggest suitable reviewers and/or request the exclusion of certain individuals when they submit their manuscripts.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer International Publishing
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Semimonthly
- Founded
- 1948
- ISSN
- 0018-8158
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-5117
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 853, Issue 19 (November 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Hydrobiologia
What CAS zone is Hydrobiologia in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Hydrobiologia is in Zone 3 of Biology, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Marine & Freshwater Biology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Hydrobiologia?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.43; CiteScore 5.8, h-index 219.
How long does peer review take at Hydrobiologia?
Based on the dates recorded on 137 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 165 days (interquartile range 124–228 days); authors report an average review time of about 5.3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Hydrobiologia?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–200 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Hydrobiologia based?
Of the 81 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Italy (11), Brazil (10) and United States (7). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Hydrobiologia?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Hydrobiologia is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Hydrobiologia open access, and what is the APC?
Hydrobiologia is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,490.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .