Is the body condition of the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) determined by the type of food consumed?

• Published in: Oceanological and hydrobiological studies 2016-12, Vol.45 (4), p.588-599
• Main Authors: Pawelec, Anna J., Sapota, Mariusz R., Skóra, Michał E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal behavior; Aquatic crustaceans; Baltic Sea; Biomass; Body condition; Calanoida; Crustaceans; Eggs; Fish; Fish eggs; Food; Food availability; Foods; Freshwater crustaceans; Freshwater fishes; Gasterosteus aculeatus; Gulf of Gdańsk; Harpacticoida; Marine; Oceanography; Organisms; Plankton; Predation; Prey; Salinity; Stomach content; Summer; Taxonomy; Uptake; Vegetation
• ISSN: 1897-3191; 1730-413X; 1897-3191; 1730-413X
• DOI: 10.1515/ohs-2016-0048

The three spine stickleback is a small omnivorous, wildly distributed fish. In this study, food uptake and body condition of three spine stickleback, from the Gulf of Gdansk eulitoral was investigated. Samples were taken from three locations of the Gulf of Gdańsk: in vicinities of Sopot, Chałupy and Hel. Copepods were the most quantitive food components in the three spine stickleback stomachs. In spring, at Hel station -Harpacticoida and in Sopot, crustacean and fish eggs, were dominating as a fish prey. During summer, Calanoida were most abundant in stomachs collected from fish caught in Chałupy, fish eggs and Calanoida in those from Hel station. In stomachs of fish from Sopot location most common prey were Cladocera. Comparison of stomach content to food base and Fulton’s body condition index revealed that the three spine stickleback uses available food base in efficient way.