Does drifting passage need to be linked to fish habitat assessment? Assessing environmental flow for multiple fish species with different spawning patterns with a framework integrating habitat connectivity

•We present an e-flow assessment method linking fish spawning and drifting egg needs.•The EBF identified by traditional models is lower than that obtained by our framework.•Improving the populations of fish with drifting eggs must consider drifting passage.•High recovery rate is reached at a certain spawning to hatching habitat benefit ratio.•Water temperature can offer signal nodes for e-flow design to protect fish diversity.