Seasonal variation in growth, mortality and fat stores of roach and perch in Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland

The annual cycle for roach ( Rutilus rutilus ) and perch ( Perca fluviatilis ) in Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland can be divided into warm 'growing' and cold 'non-growing' seasons. Summer water temperatures declined between 1991–1993, as did the sizes of 0+ fish of both species. Small overwinter increases in length occurred after poor summers due, in roach, to size-selective mortality. Fat content was size-dependent and increased over the summer in both species. All sizes of roach but only small perch lost fat overwinter. Dead roach collected towards the end of the 1992/3 winter had significantly less fat than live individuals. The allocation of energy to growth (and ultimately reproduction) and to fat (and overwinter survival) was modelled as a tradeoff, assuming that fat has twice the energy density of protein and using observed summer and winter changes in body composition. The predicted allocation optima were close to observed values but, for roach, this entailed a substantial survivorship cost.     

Starving early juvenile sprat Sprattus sprattus (L.) in western Baltic coastal waters: evidence from combined field and laboratory observations in August and September 2003

Growth patterns inferred from otolith microstructure analysis were compared between sprat Sprattus sprattus early juveniles (26–42 mm total length, L _T) collected in August 2003 in shallow coastal waters of the Kiel Fjord, and sprat recruits (60–95 mm L _T) sampled in October during a pelagic trawl survey of the western Baltic Sea. At the end of August, a sudden and very rapid decline in otolith growth was observed in early juveniles but not in sprat recruits. Laboratory results indicated that the early juvenile fish were starving prior to capture. Specifically, when transferred to the laboratory, otolith growth rates immediately increased in fish provided ad libitum food rations, while otolith growth of starved fish continued to decline in the same manner observed prior to field collection. In addition, the vast majority of juvenile sprat had empty stomachs on the sampling day. Given that juveniles and recruits probably experienced similar temperature conditions, the rapid decline in juvenile growth rates presumably resulted from very poor feeding conditions in nearshore waters. Starvation during the early juvenile period has not been documented before, but may, at least in the case of Baltic sprat, comprise a density-dependent mechanism operating in coastal nursery areas in some years.     

Partial migration: growth varies between resident and migratory fish

Partial migration occurs in many taxa and ecosystems and may confer survival benefits. Here, we use otolith chemistry data to determine whether fish from a large estuarine system were resident or migratory, and then examine whether contingents display differences in modelled growth based on changes in width of otolith growth increments. Sixty-three per cent of fish were resident based on Ba : Ca of otoliths, with the remainder categorized as migratory, with both contingents distributed across most age/size classes and both sexes, suggesting population-level bet hedging. Migrant fish were in slightly better condition than resident fish based on Fulton''s K condition index. Migration type (resident versus migratory) was 56 times more likely to explain variation in growth than a model just incorporating year- and age-related growth trends. While average growth only varied slightly between resident and migratory fish, year-to-year variation was significant. Such dynamism in growth rates likely drives persistence of both life-history types. The complex relationships in growth between contingents suggest that management of species exhibiting partial migration is challenging, especially in a world subject to a changing climate.     

Variation in abundance and survival of fish larvae in shallow eutrophic lake Tjeukemeer

Synopsis Variations in abundance and survival of larvae of the major fish species, bream, roach, pikeperch, perch and smelt were studied in shallow eutrophic lake Tjeukemeer (1986–1988). Except for smelt, the size of the spawning stock and the abundance of larvae were not related. Both the timing of appearance of larvae and their growth rate were determined by water temperature as was shown by a growth model developed earlier for Tjeukemeer fishes. In cyprinids and percids the survival of the larvae was hypothesized to be negatively related to the duration of the earliest stages. Except in cyprinids, the abundance of 0+ juvenile fish could be explained by the number of larvae. In cyprinids 0+ juvenile abundance at the end of the year was not related to the number of larvae in May and June. The cyprinid juvenile survival rates are hypothesized to be related to the size of the main cyprinid predator, 0+ pikeperch.     

Bigger? Fatter? Or is faster growth better? Considerations on condition in larval and juvenile coral-reef fish

Abstract Analyses of condition data are conspicuous by their paucity in the extensive tropical reef-fish literature. Researchers typically quantify abundance at settlement, with little regard for the demonstrably variable quality of newly settled fishes. Condition may be functionally classified by indices of growth (e.g. the RNA-DNA index or peripheral growth increments of the otolith), starvation (e.g. height of midgut mucosal cells), storage (e.g. lipid content), or morphometry (e.g. dry weight/length’), all of which are variably correlated with each other. At present all indices are species-, stage-, technique- and therefore often investigation-specific, as laboratory-reared larvae for calibrating field-collected condition indices are often specific to the rearing procedure. RNA indices are particularly appropriate for estimating larval condition. In pelagic juveniles, or in recently settled juveniles, the width of peripheral growth increments of the otolith estimates average growth rate in length or dry weight during the previous few days, which discerns increasing from decreasing condition. Increment width changes in otoliths are particularly responsive to starvation events, and are correlated with RNA indices. Growth indices have great potential for determining which individuals were growing faster, thereby reducing their pelagic duration, and thus increasing their survival potential. The recent debate regarding whether bigger larvae have better survival could be re-addressed, by determining if larvae with faster growth indices have relatively enhanced survival.     

Close encounters with eddies: oceanographic features increase growth of larval reef fishes during their journey to the reef

Like most benthic marine organisms, coral reef fishes produce larvae that traverse open ocean waters before settling and metamorphosing into juveniles. Where larvae are transported and how they survive is a central question in marine and fisheries ecology. While there is increasing success in modelling potential larval trajectories, our knowledge of the physical and biological processes contributing to larval survivorship during dispersal remains relatively poor. Mesoscale eddies (MEs) are ubiquitous throughout the world''s oceans and their propagation is often accompanied by upwelling and increased productivity. Enhanced production suggests that eddies may serve as important habitat for the larval stages of marine organisms, yet there is a lack of empirical data on the growth rates of larvae associated with these eddies. During three cruises in the Straits of Florida, we sampled larval fishes inside and outside five cyclonic MEs. Otolith microstructure analysis revealed that four of five species of reef fish examined had consistently faster growth inside these eddies. Because increased larval growth often leads to higher survivorship, larvae that encounter MEs during transit are more likely to contribute to reef populations. Successful dispersal in oligotrophic waters may rely on larval encounter with such oceanographic features.     

Effects of entrapment and cooling water discharge by the Bergum Power Station on 0+ fish in the Bergumermeer

The numbers, distribution and size of 0+ fish in Bergumermeer and in the cooling water system of the Bergum Power Station were registered from 1978 to 1981. An exponentially decreased vulnerability to entrapment by the power station was found with increasing size of fish. Because of the large water intake in relation to the lake volume, entrainment mortality of fish larvae in May and June is large and probably of the same order of magnitude as the natural mortality. In the same period the Bergumermeer can be supplied with large amounts of fish larvae, immigrating passively with the water current. Impingement mortality later on in the season is insignificant compared with natural mortality. The heated effluents from the power station influence the distribution and the size of 0+ fish in the lake. Year-class strength of pikeperch may be improved due to the larger size of 0+ pikeperch. Less water intake as a possibility to minimize entrainment is discussed.     

Phenotypic variation in growth trajectories in the Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus

Animals with determinate growth have shown little variation in individual growth patterns, but similar analyses for animals with indeterminate growth have been lacking. We analysed the amount of phenotypic variation in growth patterns across ages among individuals of a hatchery-based population of Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus, Salmonidae, using the infinite-dimensional model and including the effects of group size structure. There was little phenotypic variation in growth trajectories: individuals that were small (in relation to the mean) early in life were among the smallest 2.5 years later. If the genetic variation reflects phenotypic variation, not much evolutionary change can be expected. Our results show that there are ecological conditions that determine the strong covariation of size across ages, most likely size-related dominance behaviour, which can mask the true variation of growth patterns. Thus, social interactions can have strong evolutionary effects on traits not directly involved in the behavioural interactions.     

Two size classes of 0+ year perch: is phenotypic plasticity based on food resources?

Perch Perca fluviatilis of age 0+ years were caught in a gravel pit lake in June (unimodal size distribution) and in July (bimodal size distribution) to analyse morphological differences between the two growth cohorts. Independent of size, 0+ year perch developed a deeper body and perch of the large size cohort had an even deeper body than perch of the small size cohort. This might have been adaptations to either piscivory or planktivory, but might also be a hint that 0+ year perch of the small size cohort were undernourished and that they developed on a different trajectory than individuals of the large size cohort. In a second step the study was extended with a mesocosm experiment. This part of the study was designed to provide preliminary evidence for the extent to which morphological variations may be due to the consumption of different food resources when other factors such as habitat use could be neglected. Two groups of 0+ year perch in four mesocosms were fed for 40 days with the same biomass of either plankton or cyprinids. Although the experimental groups at the end of the experiment did not differ in size, they differed in morphology. The mouth of the piscivorous 0+ year perch became larger, the pectoral fins and the centre of mass of the posterior abdomen were shifted backwards. These results provide further evidence that the type of food is important and might lead to further functional adaptations in morphology.     

A Sexual Preference in the Amazon Molly, Poecilia formosa

The Amazon molly, Poecilia formosa, is an all-female species that reproduces by gynogenesis, i.e., it relies on sperm of males of closely related species to trigger embryogenesis. Sperm is supplied by males of P. latipinna and P. mexicana. Amazon mollies live in sympatry with at least one of these species, a few populations live in sympatry with two sperm-donor species. As P. formosa is sperm dependent, it needs mechanisms for species and mate recognition. To investigate the effect of rearing conditions on sexual preferences of Amazon mollies, we raised Amazon mollies in sympatry with P. latipinna and P. mexicana males. We used simultaneous choice tests to determine the effect of age on female sexual preferences. Immature Amazon mollies do not exhibit a preference if given a choice between a P. latipinna and a P. mexicana male, whereas adult P. formosa do have a preference for the P. latipinna male. We used two different stimuli in this study, live males and videotapes of males.