Prey selection by age-0 walleye pollock, Theragra chalcogramma, in nearshore waters of the Gulf of Alaska

Juvenile walleye pollock, Theragra chalcogramma, is the dominant forage fish on the continental shelf of the Gulf of Alaska, yet little is known about the feeding habits of this important interval of pollock life history. The taxonomic composition and size of prey found in the stomachs of age-0 juveniles collected at three nearshore locations in the Gulf of Alaska in September 1990 were compared to the composition and size of zooplankton collected in concurrent plankton tows. The maximum length of prey consumed increased dramatically over the length range of pollock examined (58–110 mm) from approximately 7 mm to 30 mm, due mainly to the consumption of large euphausiids and chaetognaths by the bigger individuals. The maximum width of prey changed little over this size range although there was a general increase in prey width with increasing predator size. The minimum prey length and width did not change with increasing fish size. Juvenile pollock generally selected the larger prey sizes relative to what was available. Juvenile pollock showed a marked preference for adult euphausiids and decapod larvae and an avoidance of copepods and chaetognaths relative to the numbers collected in net tows. These results are discussed relative to the feeding ecology of these juvenile fishes. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Relative significance of direct and indirect effects of predation by planktivorous fish on zooplankton

One of the most obvious features of tropical lakes and reservoirs is the small body size of their zooplankton taxa. It is believed that this is the result of high and persistent predation by abundant planktivorous fish, which select large-bodied zooplankton prey thus making them more vulnerable to extinction in tropical as compared to temperate habitats. Do these extinctions result directly from fish predation? Could the high predation-induced mortality alone be responsible for an extermination of the population from a habitat? Or could indirect effects of predation be responsible? Some important indirect effects can be seen at the demographic level; these include reduced reproduction in the population resulting from higher vulnerability of ovigerous females to predation by visually oriented planktivores. Other important indirect effects can be observed at the individual level; these include shifts in behavior (from foraging to predator avoidance) and adjustments in physiology (from high to low feeding rate) in those planktonic animals which detect danger from their predators by sensing either the ‘predator odor’ or an ‘alarm substance’ originating from injured conspecific prey. Although a zooplankton species density may mostly result from the brutal force of direct predator impact on the population (mortality), it is more likely that its distribution in time and space could be attributed to a combination of indirect effects of predation on individual behavior and physiology. An example of periodicity in density and depth distribution patterns of Cahora Bassa zooplankton species and their periodic exterminations seems to confirm the role of indirect effects of predation by planktivorous fish.     

Abiotic and biotic processes in lakes recovering from acidification: the relative roles of metal toxicity and fish predation as barriers to zooplankton re‐establishment

1. Recovery of acidified aquatic systems may be affected by both abiotic and biotic processes. However, the relative roles of these factors in regulating recovery may be difficult to determine. Lakes around the smelting complexes near Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, formerly affected by acidification and metal exploration, provide an excellent opportunity to examine the factors regulating the recovery of aquatic communities. 2. Substantial recovery of zooplankton communities has occurred in these lakes following declines in acidity and metal concentrations, although toxicity by residual metals still appears to limit survival for many species. Metal bioavailability, not simply total metal concentrations, was very important in determining effects on zooplankton and was associated with a decrease in the relative abundance of cyclopoids and Daphnia spp., resulting in communities dominated by Holopedium gibberum. 3. As chemical habitat quality has improved and fish, initially yellow perch and later piscivores (e.g. smallmouth bass, walleye), have invaded, biotic effects on the zooplankton are also becoming apparent. Simple fish assemblages dominated by perch appear to limit the survival of some zooplankton species, particularly Daphnia mendotae. 4. Both abiotic (residual metal contamination) and biotic (predation from planktivorous fish) processes have very important effects on zooplankton recovery. The re‐establishment of the zooplankton in lakes recovering from stress will require both improvements in habitat quality and the restoration of aquatic food webs.     

Zooplankton feeding in the fish Trichogaster pectoralis Regan

The traditional culture method of Trichogaster pectoralis, using zooplankton produced from fermenting aquatic weeds as a source of food for the fry, leads to productions of ca 1 000 kg ha^–1 a^–1. If chicken manure is applied at a rate of ca 450 kg ha^–1 month^–1 instead, much more zooplankton is produced more rapidly, and fish production increases to ca 2 000 kg ha^–1 a^–1. This results from a higher survival rate of the fry, which feeds on rotifers, ciliates, copepods and cladocera until a size of ca 15.0 mm, when plant material also becomes important in the diet.     

The influence of a predatory ostracod,Australocypris insularis,on zooplankton abundace and species composition in a saline lake

The influence of the predatory ostracod Australocypris insularis on zooplankton abundances and species composition in an Australian saline lake was monitored over 8 months in aquaria and tank microcosms. Control, Predator (double A. insularis Control densities) and No Predator (all A. insularis removed) treatments were set up in small 11.5l aquaria and large 883.5l tanks. Microcosm salinities were manipulated to accord with seasonal lake salinities and ranged from 35 to 110 gl^-1. Densities of the calanoid copepods Calamoecia clitetellata and C. salina, the small ostracods Diacypris compacta and D. dietzi, and juvenile ostracods (excluding A. insularis) were significantly reduced by A. insularis predation in the aquaria experiments. Daphniopsis sp. was only present (in low numbers) in the No Predator aquaria. Results from the large tank experiments were not as clear-cut, due to difficulties in the manipulation of predator numbers. Differing salinity tolerances of predator and prey may confound the predation impact of A. insularis.     

Selective feeding of Arctodiaptomus salinus (Copepoda, Calanoida) on co-occurring sibling rotifer species

1. Using two‐ and three‐dimensional video recordings, we examined the steps involved in predation that lead to the differential vulnerability of three sympatric rotifer sibling species (Brachionus plicatilis, B. ibericus and B. rotundiformis) to a co‐occurring, predatory, calanoid copepod (Arctodiaptomus salinus). 2. Brachionus rotundiformis, the smallest prey tested, was the most vulnerable with the highest encounter rate, probability of attack, capture and ingestion, and the lowest handling time. 3. Comparison of our results with those of a previous study shows that A. salinus is a more efficient predator than a co‐occurring cyclopoid copepod (Diacyclops bicuspidatus odessanus) feeding on these same rotifer species. However, despite its higher capture rates, A. salinus seems to be less selective than D. b. odessanus based on attack distances and prey handling times. 4. The differential vulnerability to both calanoid and cyclopoid copepod predation can help explain the coexistence and seasonal succession of these co‐occurring rotifer species.     

Fishes and fisheries of Lake Nubia,Sudan

Developing lake conditions in Lake Nubia were found to offer good commercial fisheries potential. This prospect initiated fishery research since 1967.In this study, 26 fish species belonging to 10 families were recorded. Compared with previous studies the total number has decreased and some of the species that were commercially important during the early years of the lake formation, are now negligible in occurrence (Distichodus, Citharinus, Bagrus). The species widely distributed in the lake are Labeo niloticus, Lates niloticus, Sarotherodon niloticus, Hydrocynus forskallii, Alestes baremose and Eutropius niloticus. Their highest production occurs during two periods: February to May and July to September. The dominant fish species feed on different items in a balanced equilibrium with the ecological and biological conditions.     

Are alien fish a reliable indicator of river health?

1. The ability of many introduced fish species to thrive in degraded aquatic habitats and their potential to impact on aquatic ecosystem structure and function suggest that introduced fish may represent both a symptom and a cause of decline in river health and the integrity of native aquatic communities. 2. The varying sensitivities of many commonly introduced fish species to degraded stream conditions, the mechanism and reason for their introduction and the differential susceptibility of local stream habitats to invasion because of the environmental and biological characteristics of the receiving water body, are all confounding factors that may obscure the interpretation of patterns of introduced fish species distribution and abundance and therefore their reliability as indicators of river health. 3. In the present study, we address the question of whether alien fish (i.e. those species introduced from other countries) are a reliable indicator of the health of streams and rivers in south‐eastern Queensland, Australia. We examine the relationships of alien fish species distributions and indices of abundance and biomass with the natural environmental features, the biotic characteristics of the local native fish assemblages and indicators of anthropogenic disturbance at a large number of sites subject to varying sources and intensities of human impact. 4. Alien fish species were found to be widespread and often abundant in south‐eastern Queensland rivers and streams, and the five species collected were considered to be relatively tolerant to river degradation, making them good candidate indicators of river health. Variation in alien species indices was unrelated to the size of the study sites, the sampling effort expended or natural environmental gradients. The biological resistance of the native fish fauna was not concluded to be an important factor mediating invasion success by alien species. Variation in alien fish indices was, however, strongly related to indicators of disturbance intensity describing local in‐stream habitat and riparian degradation, water quality and surrounding land use, particularly the amount of urban development in the catchment. 5. Potential confounding factors that may influence the likelihood of introduction and successful establishment of an alien species and the implications of these factors for river bioassessment are discussed. We conclude that the potentially strong impact that many alien fish species can have on the biological integrity of natural aquatic ecosystems, together with their potential to be used as an initial basis to find out other forms of human disturbance impacts, suggest that some alien species (particularly species from the family Poeciliidae) can represent a reliable ‘first cut’ indicator of river health.     

The history of the minnow Phoxinus phoxinus (L.) in Norway: from harmless species to pest

The causes, effects and extent of minnow Phoxinus phoxinus introductions in Norway are reviewed to assess why the introductions have had severe effects, especially where brown trout Salmo trutta is the only fish species present. The natural distribution of minnow in Norway was mainly restricted to low altitude localities in the south-eastern part of the country and in some northern areas. The distribution area expanded considerably throughout the 1900s, especially in mountain areas, due in part to the use of minnows as live bait for angling. Although minnow densities do not seem unusually high in the relatively complex fish communities of its native range, the species can achieve very high population densities when introduced to communities with few fish species, such as in the numerous recently invaded lakes where brown trout was the only fish species present. The dense minnow populations in these lakes appear to have led to reduced recruitment and growth rates in the brown trout, with abundances on average 35% lower in lakes where minnow has been introduced. The success of minnow in harsh habitats demonstrates their phenotypic and ecological plasticity, but also implies that their original distribution in Norway was restricted by early immigration history and not by environmental limitations. This suggests that human-assisted spread of the species could have strong adverse effects in Scandinavia lakes of low fish species richness.     

Carp (Cyprinus carpio) as a powerful invader in Australian waterways

1. The invasion of carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) in Australia illustrates how quickly an introduced fish species can spread and dominate fish communities. This species has become the most abundant large freshwater fish in south‐east Australia, now distributed over more than 1 million km². 2. Carp exhibit most of the traits predicted for a successful invasive fish species. In addition, degradation of aquatic environments in south‐east Australia has given them a relative advantage over native species. 3. Derivation of relative measures of 13 species‐specific attributes allowed a quantitative comparison between carp and abundant native fish species across five major Australian drainage divisions. In four of six geographical regions analysed, carp differed clearly from native species in their behaviour, resource use and population dynamics. 4. Climate matching was used to predict future range expansion of carp in Australia. All Australian surface waters appear to be climatically suitable for carp. 5. This assessment strongly reinforces the need for immediate management of carp in Australia to include targeted control of human‐assisted dispersal, such as use of carp as bait by anglers, distribution to new locations by anglers and the use of the ‘Koi’ strain in the aquarium industry. 6. Given their historical spread, dispersal mechanisms and ecological requirements, the expansion of carp across most of the remainder of Australia is to be expected.     

Generalists as sequential specialists: diets and prey switching in juvenile silver perch

Diets of silver perch, Bidyanus bidyanus, in organically fertilised aquaculture ponds were dominated by chironomid larvae, Daphnia and calanoid copepods. Insects and crustaceans contributed approximately 80% and 20% by weight to the diet respectively. Classification of the stomach contents of individual fish revealed 8 diet groups, 4 of which were dominated by planktonic crustaceans and 4 by insects. Each diet group was strongly dominated by a different prey type. Fish from the same sample tended to belong to the same diet group and there was a non-random distribution of diet groups across ponds. Perch diets were influenced by the method of pond fertilisation (livestock effluent or pellet feed). Shifts in the representation of groups indicated that fish switched from one diet group to another over a 2–4 week period. The selection of planktonic prey by perch was related to prey densities in the ponds. Fish preferred Daphnia when these prey were common, but switched to calanoids and insects when Daphnia were scarce. A perfect rank correlation between the mean body size of planktonic prey and their contribution to the diet suggested that prey choice involved comparative decisions based on prey size. These findings indicate that, while classified as dietary generalists, silver perch exhibit consumption patterns which at the individual level are highly specialised at any given time. These patterns can be predicted, given information on prey densities in the environment.