Population responses of plant-associated invertebrates to foraging by largemouth bass fry (Micropterus salmoides)

The effect of foraging by largemouth bass fry (Micropterus salmoides) upon invertebrates associated with aquatic macrophytes was determined using six 4 m² exclosures in Cochran Lake, Michigan during June 1978. The cladoceranSida crystallina rapidly declined in exclosures with fry, but increased in control exclosures without fry. Chironomids and chydorids showed little change in the exclosures.Invertebrate populations and foraging by fry were also monitored in the lake during 1976 and 1979.Sida declined rapidly in June of both years. In 1979, a decline from 2.2 × 10³ to 0.3 × 10³ individuals per m² and a sharp drop in the proportion of adults between 19 and 22 June coincided with the entry of a large school of fry into the study site on 19 June. Chironomids also declined during June of both years, while chydorids became increasingly abundant in mid-summer and showed no evidence of depletion by the fish.These results suggest that populations of certain prey, which are found locally in high densities in the littoral zone, may be highly susceptible to brief episodes of intense predation by fish fry.     

Biotic and abiotic factors affecting survival of early life history intervals of a stream-dwelling sunfish

Synopsis Biotic interactions, such as competition and predation, and abiotic events, such as floods, both have important consequences for organisms inhabiting warmwater streams. Empirical studies can lead to better understanding of how these factors interact to affect distinct life history intervals of stream fishes. Survival of eggs, embryos and larvae in nests of longear sunfishLepomis megalotis was monitored in a section of Jordan Creek for four years. During two years characterized by low, relatively stable flow, nest failures could be attributed to biotic interactions. During two years with more variable flow, most brood losses occurred during floods. Flooding led to nest desertion and loss of offspring regardless of nest location. The number of nests constructed tended to be lower during years with more variable flow. The proportion of nests with successful broods did not differ between colonial and solitary nests. Variation in flow regime modifies the importance of biotic effects on survival of early life history intervals of longear sunfish.     

The effect of parthenogenic eggs in Daphnia magna on prey location by the bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus)

The distance at which the bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) can locate Daphnia magna with parthenogenic eggs is shown to be significantly greater than the reactive distance for non-gravid Daphnia of the same size. This difference is due to greater visibility of the gravid prey and not to different locomotor behavior, since there was no correlation between the number of eggs carried by a Daphnia and the antennal beat frequency. Based on this experiment and other observations, an explanation is given for selective predation of polymorphic cladoceran populations.     

Space use and feeding patterns of an offshore fish assemblage in a shallow mesotrophic lake

Synopsis Diel and spring/summer space-use and feeding patterns were investigated in an assemblage dominated by five fish species occupying the offshore waters of Lake Opinicon, a shallow mesotrophic lake in southeastern Ontario. We assessed fish distribution and diel movement in May and July through the use of gill nets set at various depths in 1.5–7.0 m depth contour zones, supplemented by observations of fish reaction to the nets. Golden shiners and alewives occupied the upper part of the water column, with the former concentrated at the littoral zone-open water interface, and the latter in the open water. Yellow perch occupied the lower part of the water column in all depth contours. Bluegills were abundant in the upper to midwater depths in all contour zones; black crappies were concentrated in the 2.5–3.5 m zones. All of these species showed either a diel or a spring-summer change in distribution pattern. Bluegills were more abundant in offshore locations in July, whereas golden shiners and yellow perch were more abundant onshore in May. Alewives and black crappies showed distinct diel movements in July, as they were largely absent from the study area during the day, but returned at night to feed. In general, there was more spatial separation among the five species in July than in May.Patterns of spatial distribution among the species generally corresponded with the type and variety of prey consumed, and with diel movement of prey in the case of water column feeders. Other factors that apparently affected spatial distribution and seasonal shifts in this assemblage were risk of predation (golden shiner), spawning activity (alewife), and a decline in prey abundance from spring to summer (bluegill and yellow perch).     

Old-field seedling responses to insecticide,seed addition,and competition

The controls of seedling emergence and survival determine the potential distribution of adult plants and, thereby, plant community structure. Seed availability, competition from established neighbors, and seedling predation may all limit seedling recruitment. In this field experiment, we followed the emergence and survival of seedlings of three perennial forbs, Achillea millefolium, Hypericum perforatum, and Monarda fistulosa, in old-fields in southeastern Michigan, USA. As adults, all three have aromatic foliage that may deter herbivory, but seedlings may be more susceptible than adults. To establish the relative importance of potential controls on seedling numbers, we manipulated seed availability through seed additions, the influence of competitors by neighbor-removals, and the influence of insect herbivores with insecticide in a fully factorial field experiment. Seed addition and insecticide never affected seedling emergence for any species. Competition from established neighbors controlled seedling emergence for all three species and decreased Achillea survival. Insecticide significantly increased Monarda seedling survival in competition plots, significantly increased Hypericum survival in open plots, and had no effect on Achillea. Notably, insecticide increased survival of the native Monarda fistulosa more than the two introduced species. While neighbors strongly reduced emergence and survival of all three species, herbivores acted on a species-specific basis. These results suggest the differential effects of insects may contribute more to the seedling species composition and abundance patterns than the less-selective influence of competition.     

Physical control of Eurasian watermilfoil in an oligotrophic lake

The introduction of Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) into oligotrophic waters of high water clarity in temperate zones of North America has produced growth in excess of 6 m depth and yearly biomass approaching 1000 g m^–2 dry weight. From its initial observation in Lake George, New York, USA in 1985, by 1993 milfoil had spread to 106 discrete locations within the lake. A 7-year study of one site having no management showed milfoil to grow expansively, suppressing native plant species from 20 in 1987 to 6 in 1993 with the average number of species m^–2 quadrat declining from 5.5 in 1987 to less than 2 in 1993. Management of milfoil by means of hand harvesting, suction harvesting and benthic barrier has reduced the number of unmanaged sites from 106 in 1993 to 11. One year post-treatment at sites utilizing suction harvesting, showed a greater number of native species at all sites than pretreatment with a substantial reduction in milfoil biomass. At sites where benthic barrier was removed 1–2 years after installation, milfoil had recolonized 44% of grid squares within 30 days. Ninety days after barrier removal 74% of grid squares contained milfoil and one year later 71% of the grids supported milfoil. During the first year following mat removal, the average number of species m^–2 peaked at 4.7 and stabilized at 4.5 during the second year. Hand harvesting by SCUBA in areas of limited milfoil growth (new sites of infestation and sites of former treatment) was found to reduce the number of milfoil plants present in subsequent years. Hand harvesting did not eliminate milfoil at any of the sites and regrowth/colonization necessitated reharvesting every 3 or more years. Results of evaluations of physical plant management techniques indicate that (1) an integrated program utilizing different techniques based on plant density reduced the growth of milfoil and (2) long term commitment to aquatic plant management is necessary since none of the techniques employed singly were found to eliminate milfoil.     

Mesocosm experiment on the impact of invertebrate predation on zooplankton of a tropical lake

Invertebrate predation on zooplankton was investigated in mesocosms in the shallow tropical Lake Monte Alegre, São Paulo State, Brazil, in the summer of 1999. Two treatments were applied: one with natural densities of prey and the predators Chaoborus brasiliensis and the water mite Krendowskia sp. (Pr+), and another without predators (Pr-). Three enclosures (volume: 6.6 m³ of water per enclosure) per treatment were installed in the sediment of the deepest area of the lake (5.0 m). At the beginning, Chaoborus larvae were present in Pr- enclosures, because of technical difficulties in preventing their entrance, but they virtually disappeared in the course of the experiment. Water mites were almost absent in Pr- enclosures. Chaoborus predation negatively influenced the Daphnia gessneri population, but not the populations of the copepods Tropocyclops prasinus and Thermocyclops decipiens and the rotifers Keratella spp. Death rates of Daphnia were generally significantly higher in the Pr+ treatment; Daphnia densities increased after the disappearance of Chaoborus in Pr-. Copepod losses to predation in the experiment may be compensated by higher fecundity, shorter egg development time, and lower pressure on egg-bearing females, resulting in a lower susceptibility to Chaoborus predation. The predation impact of water mite on microcrustaceans and rotifers in the experiment was negligible.     

Distribution patterns and predation risk of the coexisting cladocerans Bythotrephes longimanus and Leptodora kindtii in a large lake – Lake Constance

The distributions of the coexisting, planktonic, predatory cladocerans Bythotrephes longimanus and Leptodora kindtii were studied at four different stations (Langenargen-Arbon, Fischbach-Uttwil, Bregenzer Bucht and Zeller See) of a great lake, Lake Constance. The stations Langenargen-Arbon and Fischbach-Uttwil are deep (>200 m) with a high density of the coregonid fish Coregonus lavaretus, the stations Bregenzer Bucht and Zeller See are shallow (<60 m) with lower densities of coregonid fish. B. longimanus was present in the pelagic zone from mid May to November at all stations. L. kindtii generally appeared slightly later in the year than B. longimanus. Peak abundances of B. longimanus with more than 5000 ind. m^–2 (Langenargen-Arbon) appeared in late spring. During summer, when predation pressure by fish is high, abundance of B. longimanus decreased gradually. In contrast, L. kindtii displayed maximum abundances with more than 18 000 ind. m^–2 (Zeller See) in summer. During the summer months, B. longimanus lived in greater depths than L. kindtii. Differences of vertical distribution between both species were most pronounced at the deep stations (Langenargen-Arbon, Fischbach-Uttwil). Analysis of stomachs of the planktivorous fish Coregonus lavaretus showed that B. longimanus was preferred by C. lavaretus over all other prey; Ivlev's selectivity index was 0.97–0.99. Due to this high positive selection for B. longimanus by coregonids, it is surprising that the cladoceran could maintain its existence since the first recordings in 1877. Spatial refuge or indigestible resting eggs may be the underlying mechanism for this phenomenon.     

Ecological resistance to the invasion of a freshwater clam,Corbicula fluminea: fish predation effects

Summary Fish predation is shown to have a twenty nine fold effect on the abundance of the invasive freshwater clam, Corbicula fluminea, in a Texas reservoir. This predation has prevented the clam from establishing the high densities commonly reported for it elsewhere. The high magnitude of the fish effect is attributed to Corbicula being an invader to this reservoir and not being able to cope well with the mix of resident fish species. In the absence of fish, colonization of the reservoir by Corbicula is spatially patchy. When fish interact with these clams, they remove sufficient numbers of individuals from dense patches to create the appearance of a spatially uniform distribution.     

Plankton community of a polyhumic lake with and without Daphnia longispina (Cladocera)

The impact of Daphnia longispina (Cladocera) on the plankton food web was studied in a polyhumic lake where this species comprised almost all zooplankton biomass. Plastic enclosures (volume 7 m³) were inserted into the lake retaining the initial water stratification except that in one enclosure zooplankton was removed. After the removal of Daphniaa rotifer, Keratella cochlearis, ciliates and heterotrophic nanoflagellates increased markedly and the density and biomass of bacteria decreased. Edible algal species, Cryptomonas rostratiformisand three small chrysophytes,Ochromonas, Pedinella and Spinifermonas, took advantage of the removal of Daphnia, while more grazing-resistant species declined. In spite of the changes in the species composition of phytoplankton, the removal of Daphnia did not affect the biomass, primary production or respiration of plankton. The results implied that the density of heterotrophic flagellates and ciliates was controlled by Daphnia, but in its absence the former took its role as the bacterial grazers.     

Evaluation ofChaoborus predation on natural populations of herbivorous zooplankton in a eutrophic lake

Hydrobiologia - The effect ofChaoborus predation on natural zooplankton communities was tested in enclosure experiments during June, July and August in the eutrophic Frederiksborg Slotssø,...     

Direct and indirect impacts of predation by fish on the zooplankton community: an experimental analysis using tanks

The impact of Pseudorasbora parva, a common zooplanktivorous fish species in Japan, on a zooplankton community was analyzed in experimental tanks, half of which were stocked with the fish. Different zooplankton species showed different responses to the introduction of the fish. In the presence of the fish, the populations of the large cladoceran Ceriodaphnia and the predatory copepod Mesocyclops were reduced, but the population of the herbivorous copepod Eodiaptomus and the small cladocerans Bosmina fatalis and Bosminopsis deitersi increased relative to the controls. The increase of Mesocyclops seen in the control tanks might have suppressed the populations of the small cladocerans, which are vulnerable to invertebrate predation. The results suggest that the population densities of the large prey items preferred by the fish, Ceriodaphnia and Mesocyclops, were controlled directly by fish predation, but the population densities of the smaller and less preferred zooplankton were controlled indirectly through the food-web cascade.     

Density-dependent predation ofChaoborus flavicans onDaphnia longispina in a small lake: the effect of prey size

Functional response curves of fourth instar larvae ofChaoborus flavicans preying on two size classes ofDaphnia longispina were examined throughout three summer seasons in a small forest lake. Data for each size class were fitted to Holling's disc equation. The parametersa (attack rate) andTh (handling time) were calculated for each prey size from these curves. Attack rate was greater and handling time was shorter for small (0.77 mm) than for large (1.82 mm)Daphnia. In 1:1 mixture of these prey size classes the predation rates ofChaoborus on smallDaphnia at prey densities above 20 l^–1 were greater than predicted from the single size-class experiments. The observed predation rates on largeDaphnia were lower than predicted at all prey densities. Since both single size-class and two size-class experiments were run during the same period of time the difference in observed and predicted predation rates could not be attributed to seasonal changes in prey preference ofChaoborus larvae. In experiments with a concentrated mixture of lake zooplankton (dominated byD. longispina)Chaoborus preference forDaphnia decreased as prey body size increased. There was no obvious correlation between selectivity coefficients and size-frequency distributions ofDaphnia. When medium-sizedDaphnia were omitted from calculations the preference of small over large prey did not differ significantly from the predictions of the single size-class model.     

Ecological and morphological differentiation of pumpkinseed sunfish in lakes without bluegill sunfish

Summary Over the last three decades, sunfish of the familyCentrarchidae have become recognized as a model system in which the ecological consequences of species interactions can be observed and tested. The evolutionary consequences of species interactions in sunfish have received less attention. Bluegill (Lepomis machrochirus) and pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) sunfish are two common and well-studied species that occupy separate ecological niches. Adult bluegill are generalists that feed in the open water on zooplankton during much of the year, while adult pumpkinseeds specialize on crushing hard-bodied prey such as snails. These species coexist over much of their geographical ranges, but bluegill are historically absent from several large drainage basins in the northeastern US. Here we show that pumpkinseeds from an Adirondack lake without bluegills have differentiated into two morphological forms, one of which is planktivorous. Differentiation is independent of sex and occurs over a broad range of sizes. Thus, the ecological diversity that exists between the bluegill and pumpkinseeds in sympatry has been replaced by a comparable degree of diversity within pumpkinseeds in allopatry.     

Feeding responses of Asplanchna brightwelli (rotifera): laboratory and field studies

Laboratory-reared A. brightwelli were offered 16 different prey rotifer species from the genera Anuraeopsis, Brachionus, Epiphanes, Filinia, Hexarthra, Lecane, Lepadella, Pompholyx, Proalides and Trichocerca. Feeding responses (prey encounter, escape, capture, rejection and ingestion) were recorded. In general, the predator's ingestion time was positively correlated with prey length. B. falcatus and H. intermedia were never captured. Once captured, smaller rotifer species were ingested. Gut contents of field-collected A. brightwelli revealed increased occurrence of prey numbers when concentrated plankton samples were preserved after some delay.     

Nesting,eggs and larvae of triggerfishes (Balistidae)

Synopsis Triggerfishes construct nests by excavating depressions in sand. Eggs are laid in an adhesive mass and anchored with rubble. A photograph of a newly-hatched embryo is included.     

Changes in Diet and Food Consumption of Largemouth Bass Following Large-scale Hydrilla Reduction in Lake Seminole, Georgia

Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides Lacepède growth (in length) increased an average of 14% and bioenergetics modeling predicted a 38% increase in total annual food consumption following a large-scale reduction of hydrilla Hydrilla verticillata L.f. Royle in Spring Creek, a 2,343-ha embayment of Lake Seminole, Georgia. Coverage of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) declined from 76% to 22% in 1 year due to a drip-delivery fluridone treatment. In contrast, largemouth bass growth only increased an average of 4% and bioenegetics modeling predicted a 13% increase in total food consumption over the same time period in the Chattahoochee River embyament, where SAV coverage naturally declined from 26% to 15%. Diets were collected from a total of 4,409 largemouth bass over a 2.5-year period in the two embayments; the primary diet item (by weight) for largemouth bass in both embayments was sunfish (mostly Lepomis spp.). Diets before and after SAV reduction were generally similar for fish greater than stock-size (≥203 mm) in the Spring Creek arm; however, fewer invertebrates were consumed after SAV reduction. Low diet similarity was observed in smaller fish, caused by a decline in consumption of grass shrimp and sunfishes and an increase in use of damselflies, shiners Notropis spp., and topminnows Fundulus spp. after SAV reduction. Diets were similar between the same time periods for all sizes of fish in the Chattahoochee River arm. These results agreed with many laboratory results describing the effects of aquatic plant density on largemouth bass food consumption and growth, and demonstrated that increased predation efficiency resulting from decreased plant abundance was likely a stronger factor determining growth rates than any potential diet shift that may occur as a result in vegetation decline.     

Reproductive investment and somatic growth rates in longear sunfish

Synopsis Allocation of energy to current reproduction at the expense of other functions, such as growth, can limit future reproductive potential. This cost of reproduction is a central concept of life history theory but has been difficult to verify in comparative field studies. Three levels of comparison of growth rates and reproductive investments were evaluated within and among populations of longear sunfish,Lepomis megalotis. All three demonstrated high levels of reproductive investment associated with reduced somatic growth. Within populations of central longear sunfish there are precociously mature sneaker makes and later maturing parental makes; sneakers have greater gonadosomatic index (GSI) values and slower somatic growth rates than parental makes. Between subspecies of longear sunfish grown under common conditions, there are differences in age at maturity and in the level of physiological reproductive investment that are associated with distinct differences in growth rates. Between populations of central longear sunfish inhabiting different sites, there are differences in the level of reproductive investment that are also associated with differences in somatic growth. Each comparison produced evidence that trade-offs occur between these life history traits, supporting the hypothesis that there is a cost of reproduction among male sunfish and suggesting that differences in strategies of reproductive investment contribute to variation in somatic growth.     

Factors affecting the survival and growth of bacteria introduced into lake water

The populations of Pseudomonas sp. B4, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Micrococcus flavus, and Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar phaseoli declined rapidly in lake water. The initially rapid decline of the two pseudomonads and R. phaseoli was followed by a period of slow loss of viability, but viable cells of the other species were not found after 10 days. The rapid initial phase of decline was not a result of Bdellovibrio spp., bacteriophages, or toxins in the water since Bdellovibrio spp. were not present and passage of the lake water through filters that should not have removed bacteriophages or soluble toxins led to the elimination of the rapid phase of decline. The addition of 250 g of cycloheximide and 30 g of nystatin per ml eliminated viable protozoa form the lake water, and the population of Pseudomonas sp. B4 did not fall and the decline of E. coli and K. pneumoniae was delayed or slowed under these conditions. Pseudomonas sp. L2 proliferated rapidly in lake water amended with glucose, phosphate, and NH₄NO₃, but its numbers subsequently fell abruptly; however, in water amended with cycloheximide and nystatin, which killed indigenous protozoa, the population density was higher and the fall in numbers was delayed. Of the nutrients, the chief response was to carbon, but when glucose was added, phosphorus and nitrogen stimulated growth further. Removing other bacteria by filtering the lake water before inoculation with Pseudomonas sp. L2 suggested that competition reduced the extent of response of the pseudomonad to added nutrients. We suggest that the decline in lake water of bacteria that are resistant to starvation may be a result of protozoan grazing and that the extent of growth of introduced species may be limited by the supply of available carbon and sometimes of nitrogen and phosphorus, and by predation by indigenous protozoa.