Trends in body condition of smallmouth bass and northern pike (1982–2013) following multiple ecological perturbations in the St. Lawrence River

Body condition indices can be used to investigate fish response to biological or environmental change. We used quantile regression to analyze a 32-year weight–length data set (1982–2013) for smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) and northern pike (Esox lucius) from the St. Lawrence River to examine...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian journal of fisheries and aquatic sciences 2017-08, Vol.74 (8), p.1158-1172
Main Authors: Crane, Derek P, Farrell, John M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abundance
Animal behavior
Bass
Environmental aspects
Environmental changes
Esox lucius
Fish
Fisheries management
Forecasts and trends
Freshwater
Introduced species
Invasive species
Marine
Micropterus dolomieu
Mollusks
Mussels
Neogobius melanostomus
Physiological aspects
Quantiles
Regression analysis
Rivers
Smallmouth bass
Studies
Temperature effects
Trends
Water temperature
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Body condition indices can be used to investigate fish response to biological or environmental change. We used quantile regression to analyze a 32-year weight–length data set (1982–2013) for smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) and northern pike (Esox lucius) from the St. Lawrence River to examine changes in condition (weight-at-length) during three ecologically distinct time periods. Condition of both species varied among time periods, with smallmouth bass experiencing greater proportional changes than northern pike. Smallmouth bass weight-at-length was greatest during 2005–2013 and lowest during 1982–1992. Northern pike weight-at-length was greatest during 2005–2013 for quantiles ≥0.5, similar between the 1982–1992 and 2005–2013 time periods for lower quantiles, and lowest during 1993–2004. The most likely weight–length model for smallmouth bass included terms for length, presence of round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), presence of dreissenid mussels, and an interaction between length and dreissenid mussels (w i = 0.93). The most likely model for northern pike included terms for length, presence of round goby, presence of dreissenid mussels, water temperature, conspecific abundance, and sex (w i = 0.56). Invasive species and environmental change related to invasive species have altered the condition of smallmouth bass and northern pike in the St. Lawrence River.
ISSN:0706-652X
1205-7533
DOI:10.1139/cjfas-2016-0160