Competition between larval lake herring (Coregonus artedi) and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) for zooplankton

Diet and growth of larval lake herring (Coregonus artedi) and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) were compared in mesocosm experiments in a small mesotrophic lake in southeastern Michigan. Fish were sampled from single-species and mixed assemblages in 2-m 3 cages for 8 weeks during April and Ma...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian journal of fisheries and aquatic sciences 1998-05, Vol.55 (5), p.1140-1148
Main Authors: Davis, Bruce M, Todd, Thomas N
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agnatha. Pisces
Animal and plant ecology
Animal behavior
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Autoecology
Biological and medical sciences
Bosmina
Cladocera
Copepoda
Coregonus artedi
Coregonus clupeaformis
Daphnia
Fish
Food
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Herring
Lakes
Mesotrophic lakes
Plankton
Vertebrata
Whitefish
Zooplankton
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Summary:Diet and growth of larval lake herring (Coregonus artedi) and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) were compared in mesocosm experiments in a small mesotrophic lake in southeastern Michigan. Fish were sampled from single-species and mixed assemblages in 2-m 3 cages for 8 weeks during April and May. Both species initially ate mostly cyclopoid copepodites and small cladocerans (Bosmina spp.). Schoener's index of diet overlap showed considerable overlap (70-90%). Lake whitefish ate Daphnia spp. and adult copepods about 2 weeks earlier than did lake herring, perhaps related to their larger mean mouth gape. Lake whitefish were consistently larger than lake herring until the eighth week, especially in the sympatric treatments. Lake whitefish appeared to have a negative effect on the growth of lake herring, as lake herring in mixed-species treatments were smaller and weighed less than lake herring reared in single-species treatments. The diet similarities of lake whitefish and lake herring larvae could make them competitors for food in the Great Lakes. The greater initial size of lake whitefish could allow them to eat larger prey earlier and thereby limit availability of these prey to lake herring at a crucial period of development.
ISSN:0706-652X
1205-7533
DOI:10.1139/f98-004