1. Movement types of an Arctic benthic fish, shorthorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius), during open-water periods in response to biotic and abiotic factors
- Author
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Landry, Justin J., Kessel, Steve T., McLean, Montana F., Ivanova, Silviya V., Hussey, Nigel E., O'Neill, Caitlin, Vagle, Svein, Dick, Terry A., and Fisk, Aaron T.
- Subjects
Arctic -- Natural history -- Environmental aspects ,Animal locomotion -- Environmental aspects ,Benthos (Aquatic organisms) -- Behavior -- Environmental aspects ,Gadidae -- Behavior -- Environmental aspects ,Predation (Biology) -- Environmental aspects ,Sculpins -- Behavior -- Environmental aspects ,Earth sciences - Abstract
Shorthorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius) are among the most numerous consumers in the Arctic nearshore marine habitats. Despite this, little is known about their movement ecology or predator-prey interactions, particularly with Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida), an important forage fish in the Arctic. Using acoustic telemetry, the movements of tagged sculpin and cod were quantified based on specific locations using a Vemco positioning system during open water when both species were present in the near shore. Movement trajectories of sculpin distinguish three unique types: foraging and feeding behaviour and large transiting movements. The relative time of each of these movement types were correlated to biotic (presence of large numbers of acoustically tagged Arctic cod) and abiotic factors (percent ice coverage and temperature). This study provides unique data on the movement, feeding ecology, and behaviour of an abundant Arctic benthic fish that demonstrates similar movement types to temperate fish. However, further study is needed to quantify specifically the trophic interactions of these important fish and impact on food webs in the rapidly changing Arctic. Meme si les chaboisseaux a epines courtes (Myoxocephalus scorpius) figurent parmi les consommateurs les plus nombreux dans les habitats marins littoraux de l'Arctique, les connaissances sur l'ecologie de leurs deplacements et leurs interactions predateurs-proies, particulierement avec la morue polaire (Boreogadus saida), un important poisson-proie dans l'Arctique, sont limitees. En utilisant la telemetrie acoustique, nous avons quantifie, sur la base d'emplacements precis, les deplacements de chaboisseaux et de morues etiquetes a l'aide d'un systeme de positionnement Vemco en periode d'eau libre, quand les deux especes etaient presentes pres des cotes. Les trajectoires de deplacement des chaboisseaux permettent de distinguer trois types de deplacements, soit des deplacements associes au comportement d'approvisionnement et d'alimentation et de grands deplacements de transit. Le moment relatif de chacun de ces types de deplacements a ete correle a des facteurs biotiques (presence d'un grand nombre de morues polaires dotees d'etiquettes acoustiques) et abiotiques (pour cent de couverture de glace et temperature). L'etude fournit des donnees singulieres sur les deplacements, l'ecologie de l'alimentation et le comportement d'un poisson benthique arctique abondant qui presente des types de deplacements semblables a ceux de poissons d'eaux temperees. D'autres travaux sont toutefois necessaires pour quantifier plus particulierement les interactions trophiques de cet important poisson et leur incidence sur les reseaux trophiques dans un milieu arctique en evolution rapide., Introduction The marine ecosystems of the High Arctic are dynamic, with large seasonal changes in light and temperature, which in turn influence the growth and abundance of primary producers (Walsh [...]
- Published
- 2019
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