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Growth rates of rainbow smelt in Lake Champlain: effects of density and diet.
- Source :
-
Ecology of Freshwater Fish . Dec2011, Vol. 20 Issue 4, p503-512. 9p. - Publication Year :
- 2011
-
Abstract
- Stritzel Thomson JL, Parrish DL, Parker-Stetter SL, Rudstam LG, Sullivan PJ. Growth rates of rainbow smelt in Lake Champlain: effects of density and diet. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract - We estimated the densities of rainbow smelt ( Osmerus mordax) using hydroacoustics and obtained specimens for diet analysis and groundtruthed acoustics data from mid-water trawl sampling in four areas of Lake Champlain, USA-Canada. Densities of rainbow smelt cohorts alternated during the 2-year study; age-0 rainbow smelt were very abundant in 2001 (up to 6 fish per m2) and age-1 and older were abundant (up to 1.2 fish per m2) in 2002. Growth rates and densities varied among areas and years. We used model selection on eight area-year-specific variables to investigate biologically plausible predictors of rainbow smelt growth rates. The best supported model of growth rates of age-0 smelt indicated a negative relationship with age-0 density, likely associated with intraspecific competition for zooplankton. The next best-fit model had age-1 density as a predictor of age-0 growth. The best supported models ( N = 4) of growth rates of age-1 fish indicated a positive relationship with availability of age-0 smelt and resulting levels of cannibalism. Other plausible models were contained variants of these parameters. Cannibalistic rainbow smelt consumed younger conspecifics that were up to 53% of their length. Prediction of population dynamics for rainbow smelt requires an understanding of the relationship between density and growth as age-0 fish outgrow their main predators (adult smelt) by autumn in years with fast growth rates, but not in years with slow growth rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 09066691
- Volume :
- 20
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Ecology of Freshwater Fish
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 66480265
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0633.2010.00472.x