Feeding of grey gurnard Eutrigla gurnardus (Triglidae) in the area of the Rockall Seamount

Specific features of feeding of grey gurnard Eutrigla gurnardus depending on vertical distribution and habitat conditions in the area of the Rockall Seamount in 2000 were considered. The intensity of feeding of grey gurnard from April to September decreased by several times. The main food of this species in spring are euphausiids and that in autumn are fish. Males feed slightly more intensively than females. The intensity of feeding, distribution, and behavior of grey gurnard in different seasons and at different depths near bottom and in the pelagial noticeably differ and depend on the composition of distribution and numbers of dominant food items (euphausiids, sand eel Ammodytes marinus, fish juveniles).     

A review of the hydrobiology of Lake Khubsugul (Mongolia)

Lake Khubsugul phytoplankton is dominated by Diatoms and Chlorococcales. Its algal flora is rather peculiar, but lacks Baikalian endemics.Primary production ranges from 2 to 5 mg C m^–3 d^–1. Total bacteria in the open water is 150–200 × 10³ cells ml^–1.Predominant in numbers and biomass throughout the year are two pelagial species of Copepoda — the endemic Mixodiaptomus kozhovi Step., and Cyclops abyssorum Sars.The bottom fauna consists of cold stenothermic invertebrates, mostly Chironomidae. In biomass, they rank only third, however, after Gammaridae and Mollusca. The average zoobenthos biomass of the lake is 5.5g m^–2.     

The Near-bottom Layer as an Ecological Boundary in Marine Ecosystems: Diversity, Taxonomic Composition and Community Definitions

The near-bottom layer of the ocean represents a boundary between two oceanic biotopes (pelagial and benthal), and as a result, the animal populations living in this habitat belong to various diverse ecological groups. There is a profusion of terms to designate the organisms which live near the sea bottom, both in relation to their behaviour and to boundary-layer hydrodynamics. Do the fauna living above the sea bottom form a true community? Should the fauna in this habitat be considered as a true community or a mixed assemblage comprised of benthic and pelagic organisms? Between 1988 and 1996, more than 500 suprabenthic hauls were taken with a modified Macer-GIROQ sledge at 15 sites in the English Channel and the Seine Estuary (5–70 m), at 13 sites on the southern edge of the Cap Ferret Canyon (Bay of Biscay, 350–1100 m), and at 8 sites on the Atlantic seamounts south of the Azores (260–2235 m). This intensive sampling permitted the collection of more than several hundred species and will serve to facilitate discussion concerning the biodiversity of the fauna collected near the sea bottom. This paper proposes that in the estuary, the near-bottom layer is colonized by a mixed assemblage of both pelagic and benthic organisms, while in the coastal and in the bathyal zones, the response to the gradual extinction of light and the decreasing benthic resuspension at near-bottom depths leads to an ecocline.     

Recruitment of stock of deepwater redfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sebastes mentella</Emphasis> (Scorpaeniformes,Scorpaenidae) in the pelagial of the Irminger Sea and adjacent waters

Results of comparative analysis of several ecologo-populational characteristics and fauna of parasites of deepwater redfish Sebastes mentella from the pelagial of the Irminger Sea and slopes of Greenland are provided. It was established that the nursery area of the species in this part of the northern Atlantic is located in the shelf and shallow-water sites of the Greenland slopes. Near the nursery area, at deepwater sites of the Greenland slope, aggregations of mainly immature specimens (68–86%) with an average length of 35–38 cm are located, and, in the oceanic pelagial, there are mainly mature specimens (91–95%) with a length of more than 30 cm. Considerable similarity and specific features of fauna of parasites of S. mentella from the southeastern slope of Greenland and the pelagial of the Irminger Sea indicate the belonging of fish aggregations in these areas to a single intraspecies group and the migration of maturing specimens from the slope to the pelagial. A conclusion is made that the aggregations of S. mentella in the pelagial of the Irminger and Labrador seas represent a pelagic ecological group formed by rapidly maturing specimens; a near-bottom ecological group at deepwater sites of the slope of Greenland is formed by slowly maturing specimens. No mass migration of the redfish from deepwater areas to shallow sites of the slope and to the oceanic pelagial of the northern Atlantic was recorded.     

The Structure of Microbial Community and Degradation of Diatoms in the Deep Near-Bottom Layer of Lake Baikal

Insight into the role of bacteria in degradation of diatoms is important for understanding the factors and components of silica turnover in aquatic ecosystems. Using microscopic methods, it has been shown that the degree of diatom preservation and the numbers of diatom-associated bacteria in the surface layer of bottom sediments decrease with depth; in the near-bottom water layer, the majority of bacteria are associated with diatom cells, being located either on the cell surface or within the cell. The structure of microbial community in the near-bottom water layer has been characterized by pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, which has revealed 149 208 unique sequences. According to the results of metagenomic analysis, the community is dominated by representatives of Proteobacteria (41.9%), Actinobacteria (16%); then follow Acidobacteria (6.9%), Cyanobacteria (5%), Bacteroidetes (4.7%), Firmicutes (2.8%), Nitrospira (1.6%), and Verrucomicrobia (1%); other phylotypes account for less than 1% each. For 18.7% of the sequences, taxonomic identification has been possible only to the Bacteria domain level. Many bacteria identified to the genus level have close relatives occurring in other aquatic ecosystems and soils. The metagenome of the bacterial community from the near-bottom water layer also contains 16S rRNA gene sequences found in previously isolated bacterial strains possessing hydrolytic enzyme activity. These data show that potential degraders of diatoms occur among the vast variety of microorganisms in the near-bottom water of Lake Baikal.     

Effects of the halocline on water quality and phytoplankton composition in a shallow brackish lake (Lake Obuchi, Japan)

The relationships of the halocline to both water quality and phytoplankton composition in Lake Obuchi, a shallow brackish lake in northern Japan, were investigated from April 2001 to December 2004. The halocline in this lake became stronger in summer (July–September, mean maximum density gradient 4.3–5.8 ρ_tm⁻¹) but weaker in spring, fall, and winter (1.9–3.3 ρ_tm⁻¹). Although the difference in water quality between the upper and lower layers separated by the halocline was high in summer, nutrients (PO₄³⁻-P and NH₄⁺-N) were eluted from the bottom sediment as levels of dissolved oxygen decreased in the bottom layer because of the strong stratification caused by the halocline formed over the long term. Moreover, phytoplankton taxa composition also differed between the upper and lower layers in summer, but was similar in other seasons. The dominant phytoplankton taxa in the upper layer in summer were Skeletonema costatum and Cyclotella spp., whereas in the lower layer, Gymnodinium spp. (Dinophyceae) and Chlorophyceae, which prefer eutrophic and low dissolved oxygen conditions, dominated. This suggests that the halocline was related to differentiations in both water quality and ecosystem components between the upper and lower layers in the brackish lake water.     

西藏南部羊卓雍错水鸟群落及斑头雁活动区域特征

2009年4月至2010年1月,对西藏南部羊卓雍错的水鸟资源状况进行了调查。采用定点观察的方法,沿湖选择了24个观察点,分别在繁殖前期、中期和后期,以及秋季和冬季进行了6次调查。采用核密度分析(Kernel analysis)的方法,对两只卫星跟踪斑头雁(Anser indicus)的活动区进行了分析。调查期间,记录到水鸟32种31044只,隶属于6目10科。雁鸭类和鸥类分别占水鸟总数73.9%和19.1%,主要是斑头雁、赤嘴潜鸭(Rhodonessa rufina)、赤麻鸭(Tadorna ferruginea)、棕头鸥(Larus brunnicephalus)等。水鸟多样性较高的季节是春秋迁徙季节。羊卓雍错夏季主要的繁殖种群是斑头雁和棕头鸥,也有少量黑颈鹤(Grus nigricollis)的繁殖个体;冬季主要物种是赤嘴潜鸭,经常聚集在融化的冰面上。春季斑头雁的数量增加趋势较为明显;进入繁殖期后,斑头雁处于孵卵阶段,繁殖种群的数量达到2000余只;繁殖后期,斑头雁换羽结束,成鸟带领幼鸟在鸟岛附近的湖边取食,此时观察到斑头雁的数量又有明显的增加;秋季斑头雁的南迁致使种群数量呈下降趋势;冬季许多斑头雁从北方如青海湖等地迁来越冬使得种群数量有所增加,多分布于湖西浪卡子县城附近的沼泽湿地和湖南部的绒波臧布河流的入口处。卫星跟踪结果表明,羊卓雍错是青海湖繁殖的斑头雁重要的越冬地之一,湖西部沼泽湿地和湖南部的河流入口处是其主要活动区域,而且该湖与雅鲁藏布江河谷之间通过斑头雁的往来移动存在着联系,因而是西藏南部禽流感监测的重要地点。     

Food and habitat partitioning among juveniles of three fish species in the pelagial of a mesotrophic lake

An analysis of the diet of 0⁺ perch, smelt and roach caught at night of the pelagial of a mesotrophic lake showed that their food was composed mainly of herbivorous and predatory cladocerans, copepods and Chaoborus larvae during summer, and of herbivorous cladocerans and copepods during October. An analysis of habitat use by juveniles revealed separation among the species: roach occurred in the upper, perch and smelt in the deeper water layers. Food and habitat were alternatively partitioned among the juveniles. In early summer the lowest food overlap between perch and smelt coincided with high habitat overlap. In October high food overlap between perch and smelt corresponded with low habitat overlap. Smelt and roach fry used common food resources throughout the season, but they were segregated in habitat.     

Halobacterial Community Analysis of Mierlei Saline Lake in Transylvania (Romania)

In this study a combination of both molecular and biochemical methods have been used to characterize the bacterial microbiota in water and sediment of a saline lake in Transylvania. The physicochemical characterization of the water samples from different lake depths indicated a stratification of the lake that affects the distribution of resident microorganisms, confirmed also by the significant differences in terms of functional diversity of the microbial communities in different water layers. The superficial bacterial community shows a good oxidative capability, degrading a wide range of organic substrates, yet the bottom layer community exhibits a major level of specialization. The membrane fatty acid analysis of the sediment bacterial community shows the prevalent presence of Gram negative bacteria, confirmed by the culturing techniques. Among the 24 collected isolates, 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis permitted to identify 10 different species, belonging to Bacillus, Halomonas, Idiomarina, Marinobacter, Pseudoalteromonas, Salinivibrio, Staphylococcus genera and prevalently classified as halophiles.     

Factors influencing the species composition,distribution and abundance of benthic invertebrates in the profundal zone of a eutrophic northern lake

Factors influencing the species composition, distribution and abundance of benthic invertebrates were determined in a eutrophic subarctic lake from April 1978 to April 1979. Collections were made at five stations located at depths of 4 to 13 m. The largest populations of up to 5 × 10³ animals m^–2 were found in the deepest part of the lake. of the 24 species recorded in this area, the chironomidsProcladius denticulatus, Dicrotendipes modestus, Chironomus decorus andGlyptotendipes barbipes were most common. The strong development of benthos in the profundal zone was attributed to a consistently large supply of food and warm (4 °C) winter temperatures on bottom. Slightly smaller populations (up to 4 × 10³ animals, m^–2), composed of 19–23 species, occurred in shallower water, a reflection of lower (1.5 °C) winter temperatures. In the anoxic northern part of the lake, only 4–8 species were found in low numbers (400–1 000 animals m^–2). This was likely due to low (<5% saturation) oxygen levels in water and high organic content (18.5%) of the sediments.     

Diurnal fluctuations within a littoral plankton community in oligotrophic Lake Pääjärvi, southern Finland

SUMMARY. The plankton community within an Equisetum fluviatile stand in oligotrophic Lake Pääjärvi had distinct diurnal fluctuations in the total cell volume and species composition of algae and in the abundance of microcrustaceans ( Bosmina coregoni ). Diurnal fluctuations in pH, oxygen saturation and temperature of the water were also recorded. Within the littoral region, daytime pH values > 9 were recorded, whereas in the pelagial region of the lake, values remained near pH 7. Diatoms and green algae dominated the littoral phytoplankton especially in the innermost parts of the macrophyte stand, with cryptophytes (dominant in the pelagial area) occurring only in small numbers. At the outer parts of the macrophyte stand, water movements between the pelagial and littoral areas might rapidly increase the contribution of cryptophytes in the phytoplankton. The fall in algal cell volume during the night may have resulted from settling out of cells in the absence of wind-induced water movements, perhaps together with increased grazing pressure from dense swarms of Bosmina (up to 3000 individuals per litre) which appeared during the night.     

Dissolved iron:phosphate ratio as an indicator of phosphate release to oxic water of the inner and outer coastal Baltic Sea

Pore water concentrations and benthic fluxes of dissolved Fe, P and N were measured at two coastal basins in the Gulf of Finland, northern Baltic Sea, during a seasonal cycle. The bioturbated inner coastal basin, where exchange of near-bottom water is efficient, had a better ability to retain P in sediments than the outer basin, where near-bottom water O₂ concentration decreases during summer. Under the presence of O₂ high pore water dissolved Fe:P ratio (>3.6 w:w) in surface layer of the sediment, measured especially in winter, indicated negligible or low P-release and high N:P ratio in the efflux. On the contrary, low Fe:P ratio (<3.6), measured in summer and autumn, indicated high efflux of P and low N:P flux ratio. The low dissolved Fe:P ratio suggested that there was not enough diffusing Fe to form Fe³⁺ oxide-rich layer in the oxic surface zone of the sediments or near-bottom water to bind the P diffusing from the sediment. However, in sediments bioturbated by the abundant bivalve Macoma baltica, small efflux of P were measured almost throughout the study period. Thus, the Fe:P ratio cannot alone explain the P-release in bioturbated sediments. The low N:P ratio in the efflux measured in summer and autumn partly explains the measured low N:P ratio in the near-bottom water and thus N limitation of primary production in the Gulf. Additionally, it is evident that the release of P in the Gulf itself is of great importance for the trophic state of the Gulf of Finland.     

Cryptic speciation in the cosmopolitan <Emphasis Type="Italic">Epiphanes senta</Emphasis> complex (Monogononta,Rotifera) with the description of new species

The phytoplankton species composition and seasonal succession were examined in Lake Kastoria during the period November 1998–October 1999. A total of 67 species and 19 functional groups were identified. Only 4 out of the 67 species, all Cyanobacteria, were dominant (Limnothrix redekei, Microcystis aeruginosa, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and Aphanizomenon gracile). Diatoms were rare, not only in terms of species number, but also in terms of biomass (contributing <5% to the total phytoplankton biomass) in relation to the rather low silicon concentrations throughout the year. The functional groups S1, S_N, M and H1 were found dominant in the lake. The species A. gracile (functional group H1) behaved like the species Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (functional group S_N) which is tolerant to mixing and poor light conditions. The phytoplankton seasonal succession showed similar patterns in all six sampling stations, both at the surface and the bottom water layer, with minor differences during Microcystis aeruginosa dominance. Two steady-state phases were identified within a year lasting for 4 months under relatively stable physical conditions. In these steady-states, the Limnothrix redekei persistent dominance under low light availability and low inorganic nitrogen has been explained by its specific ability such as buoyancy regulation to exploit resources in the water column. Moreover, high population densities over the winter and before the development of daphnids may contribute to the steady-state dominance of Limnothrix. Different niches separated vertically in the water column is one of the explanations for the Limnothrix–Microcystis steady-state when a replacement between the two species was observed in different water layers and areas of the lake. Long lasting steady-states of Cyanobacteria observed in Lake Kastoria and in other Mediterranean and tropical freshwaters may indicate influence of warm climate properties on phytoplankton dynamics. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available to authorized users in the online version of this article at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0360-4 Handling editor: K. Martens     

Isolation and Characterization of Organic Phosphorus-Mineralizing Bacteria in Sediment of a Chinese Large Shallow Eutrophic Lake (Lake Taihu)

The organic phosphorus mineralizing bacteria (OPB) play an important role in phosphorus cycling in lake sediment, to which less attention has been paid. Monthly sediment samples in 2009 ending in October, together with the samples from different seasons (May, July, October, and December) in 2008, were collected at 6 sites in a Chinese large shallow eutrophic lake (Lake Taihu). The sediment OPB numbers ranged from 2.2 × 10⁶ to 1.79 × 10⁸ cells g^?1 (dry weight) at different sampling sites and in different seasons, with the average being 3.88 × 10⁷ cells g^?1 (dry weight). Its number was highest at the most polluted site and peaked in spring and summer, which can be explained by the enrichment of organic matter in sediment. Furthermore, there existed a significant positive relationship between the OPB numbers and alkaline phosphatase activities in the sediment. The 6 OPB strains isolated from the sediment were distinct in terms of their colony morphology on the yolk agar, biochemical characteristics and phosphorus release abilities. According to the 16S rDNA sequences, these OPB belong to Bacillus cereus, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Stenotrophomonas sp., Bacillus cereus, Xanthomonas sp., Pseudomonas sp. They were distinguished from the OPB species recorded in a Chinese small shallow eutrophic lake whose sediment organic content was remarkably higher. Taken together, organic matter shaped the OPB community not only quantitatively but also qualitatively, which in concert facilitated the enzymatic hydrolysis of organic phosphorus in lake sediment.     

Differential response of invasive malacostracan species to lake level fluctuations

The water level of Lake Balaton (a large, shallow lake) was extremely low in 2003, after a dry period of several years. Due to the intensive precipitation in 2004, a regeneration period commenced. Stones of the littoral zone were sampled near the water surface and from the lake bottom four times in both years at four sampling stations. Malacostraca in the encrustation of the stones were represented by Ponto-Caspian immigrants: the invasive amphipods Chelicorophium curvispinum and Dikerogammarus spp. (D. haemobaphes and D. villosus), the mysid Limnomysis benedeni and the isopod Jaera istri. The amphipods dominated in both years. Species of the amphipod genus Dikerogammarus were relatively less abundant than the amphipod C. curvispinum in the regeneration period as compared to the drought period of 2003. Maximal density of Malacostraca (ind. m⁻² stone surface) was 69,953 in 2003 and 82,465 in 2004. Vertical stratification of animal numbers and specific taxa occurred in May 2003 and throughout the year in 2004, with some exceptions. Many more Malacostraca individuals were recorded at the lake bottom than near the water surface. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi: ) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

西北印度洋卡尔斯伯格脊卧蚕热液羽流影响区古菌群落动态变化特征

【目的】热液羽流在浮力上升和非浮力侧向迁移过程中与背景海水不断进行物质和能量的交换。因海底热液活动和洋流的流速流向均存在动态变化性,热液羽流的高度、物理化学参数和微生物群落也随时空发生演化。然而,由于缺乏热液羽流的长期监测和时序取样,微生物群落(尤其是古菌)的多样性及其时空演化尚不清楚。【方法】2018年7月-2019年6月,在卧蚕1号热液喷口东南300 m处放置了一套带有2个沉积物捕获器(分别距海底300 m和40 m)和一个浊度仪(距海底150 m)的锚系潜标,对热液羽流和热液羽流下方颗粒物沉降区的近底水样进行了为期18个月的观测和时序采样。本研究采用16S rRNA基因高通量测序技术研究了水样中古菌群落的多样性,以了解羽流层和近底沉降层古菌群落结构的特征与时空演化。【结果】热原体纲(Thermoplasmata)、甲烷八叠球菌纲(Methanosarcinia)和甲烷杆菌纲(Methanobacteria)等热液来源古菌,当浊度异常值较高时,它们的丰度也增加。从空间上看,热液羽流区和近底沉降区古菌群落结构在门和纲水平上具有相似性,但在目水平上表现出差异性,而且各主要类群的相对丰度也存在差异,其中热原体纲在羽流层中的丰度普遍高于近底沉降层,而氨氧化古菌和甲烷八叠球菌纲在沉降层的丰度较高。【结论】卧蚕热液区东南300 m热液羽流层和近底沉降层均受到了热液的影响,羽流层受热液影响的程度相对更显著,而近底沉降层除了受到一定程度的热液影响外,还可能受到了再悬浮沉积物的影响。热液贡献大小的动态变化和底层沉积物再悬浮可能是造成热液区近端水体古菌群落时空异质性的主要因素。本研究深化了对热液影响区古生菌群落结构及其月际尺度时空分布特征的认识。     

Spatial and temporal variations of the water–sediment thermal structure in shallow ice-covered Lake Vendyurskoe (Northwestern Russia)

The thermal structures in the vicinity of the ice–water and water–sediment boundaries of a shallow lake, L. Vendyurskoe (Northwestern Russia) during four winter seasons are described. The heat flux at the water-ice boundary was 0.1–0.2 W m⁻² during winter. The maximal heat flux at the water–sediment boundary was 4.5 W m⁻² at the beginning and 0.5 W m⁻² at the end of winter. The daily average value of the solar radiation penetrating into the water was 0.5 W m⁻² during main part of winter and 2–50 W m⁻² during April. During winter, temperature showed an oscillation in the vicinity of the sediment-water interface. Most periods corresponding to the main oscillation frequencies in the near-bottom water layer (0–0.4 m) and upper layer sediment (0–0.35 m), identified by FFT analysis, fall within the scale of synoptic variations (3–10 days), and in a number of cases were equal to 1 day. The theoretical periods of the first baroclinic seiche mode of Lake Vendyurskoe are 4.5–8.5 days that compares well with identified temperature oscillation periods. The comparison between the rate of heat content change in a water column and the difference of vertical heat fluxes from sediment to water and from water to ice show that the horizontal heat transport takes place in the lake during winter as a result of heat advection along the bottom.     

安徽省某酸性矿山废水坑湖中细菌群落的垂向分布特征及其影响因素

【目的】探究酸性矿山废水(acid mine drainage,AMD)坑湖中细菌群落沿垂向不同水深的分布规律及与环境因子之间的相互作用。【方法】采用16SrRNA基因高通量测序技术,对安徽省某AMD坑湖中6条采样垂线不同水深深度的细菌群落进行调查,同时测定水质理化指标,使用统计学软件分析细菌和地化参数间的联系。【结果】AMD坑湖中水质特征及细菌群落结构出现明显分层现象,自上而下溶解氧降低而pH和多种金属离子浓度增加,微生物群落结构发生变化,多样性和部分物种的丰度增大。细菌群落组成上,表层水域以Proteobacteria (Alpha、Gammaproteobacteria)和Acidobacteria占据主导地位;中下层水域则由Firmicutes、Acidobacteria、Actinobacteria、Gammaproteobacteria和Patescibacteria等共同主导。统计分析结果表明,TN、DO、ORP、pH、Fe、Mn、Al和Zn与嗜酸细菌丰度显著相关,是细菌空间分布的主要限制因素。【结论】AMD坑湖中水质理化特征和细菌群落分布在垂向空间上存在显著差异,群落的...     

Influence of near-bottom environmental conditions on the structure of bathyal macrobenthic crustacean assemblages from the Capbreton canyon (Bay of Biscay,NE Atlantic)

Sled and box-corer samplings were performed at two sites in the Capbreton canyon in order to appreciate the influence of near-bottom environmental conditions on the structure of their macrobenthic communities (crustaceans). Although located at similar depths (ca. 1 000 m), these two sites were characterised by different physicochemical conditions at the sediment-water interface, probably related with the morphology of the submarine valley (reduced environment, oxygen depletion and stagnation of bottom water at site A; normal oceanic conditions on the near-bottom environment of site B). The analysis of the collected fauna revealed a low similarity between the two sites, mainly due to the unusual dominance of three epibenthic species in sled samples from site A: the amphipod Bonnierella abyssorum, the tanaid Apseudes spinosus and the isopod Arcturopsis giardi. Due to their apparent rarity or absence in adjacent non-canyon communities, such epibenthic crustaceans may be considered as `canyon indicator species' able to exhibit abundant populations within the peculiar confinement area of this canyon.     

Near-bottom depletion of zooplankton over coral reefs: III: vertical gradient of predation pressure

Many diurnal planktivorous fish in coral reefs efficiently consume zooplankton drifting in the overlying water column. Our survey, carried out at two coral reefs in the Red Sea, showed that most of the diurnal planktivorous fish foraged near the bottom, close to the shelters from piscivores. The planktivorous fish were order of magnitude more abundant near (<1.5 m) the bottom than higher in the water column. The predation pressure exerted by these fish was assessed by measuring the consumption of brine shrimps tethered at different heights above the bottom on a vertical line which was pulled over the reef. Below 1.5 m above bottom, the shrimps survival probability sharply decreased toward the bottom. Higher in the water column, survivorship was nearly 100% with little vertical variation. Our results indicate that near-bottom depletion of zooplankton in coral reefs is likely due to intense predation at that boundary layer. Risk of predation by piscivorous fish apparently restricts planktivorous fish to forage near the bottom, with a distribution pattern greatly deviating from ideal-free distribution.