Abstract– A few native and exotic fish species are caught frequently in Andean lakes and reservoirs of northwestern Patagonia. Puyen (Galaxias maculatus) prey on zooplankton and benthos. Percichthys trucha has a wide range of prey, mainly benthos, while P. colhuapiensis become piscivorous when grown. Pejerrey (Odonthestes hatcheri) is omnivorous and large size individuals can be piscivorous. A siluroid, Diplomystes viedmensis, preys on benthos, insects, and fishes. Introduced salmonids are potential piscivorous. The puyen is the major prey category among fishes. Salmonids and perchichtids seem to partially overlap their diets but predation on Diplomystes appears to be restricted to salmonids. Present abundance of puyen, pejerrey and Percichthys spp. does not indicate a strong salmonid effect. However, the low abundance of D. viedmensis does. We studied present predation relationships among native and introduced fishes and postulated possible effects upon native fish fauna.

Exotic rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss support an economically valuable recreational fishery in Patagonia but also create concern for impacts on native organisms. These concerns are intensified by the possibility of hatchery release programs in this region. We estimated losses of different prey from predation by rainbow trout in Lake Moreno, Río Negro Province, Argentina, using a bioenergetics model combined with input data from directed sampling on growth, seasonal diet, distribution, and thermal experience. The fish community was sampled seasonally using gill nets, hydroacoustics, and ichthyoplankton [Article] nets. Pelagic galaxiid larvae and benthic juvenile and adult small puyen Galaxias maculatus were the most important components of the diet. Bioenergetics simulations showed that over a 6-year life span in the lake (ages 1-7), rainbow trout attained a body mass of 2.3 kg and consumed 74.7 kg of food, of which 20% consisted of galaxiid larvae and 16% consisted of adult small puyen. Based on an estimated abundance of 29,000 rainbow trout of ages 1-7, this predator exerted significant but sustainable mortality on the native prey populations, consuming 44 metric tons or an estimated 23% of the annual larval galaxiid production and 35 metric tons of adult small puyen, which represented an unknown fraction of the postlarval population. Galaxiids supported the estimated predation demand under current conditions. However, simulations of stocking strategies normally proposed for this region showed that consumption demands on prey would increase to unsustainable levels, reducing native fish populations and likely reducing growth of rainbow trout. It is also probable that the fish community composition would shift further in response to the increased demand for prey by stocked predators. This implies that in some cases, stocking could jeopardize sport fisheries; stocking strategies should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to be consistent with specific objectives for native fish conservation and sustainable food web interactions. 1406 VIGLIANO ET AL. 1408 VIGLIANO ET AL. 1416 VIGLIANO ET AL.

Among 158 Galaxias platei individuals, collected from nine deep Andean lakes and from one shallow lake on the Patagonian steppe, morphological characters associated with caudal fin length were negatively correlated with predation intensity as measured by the incidence of piscivory. Fish from lakes with high rates of piscivory had relatively short caudal fins and those from lakes with low piscivory had long caudal fins. It is hypothesized that in this species caudal fin length affects swimming ability and thus, ability to escape from predators. The population of G. platei from Lake Espejo with an intermediate level of piscivory contained individuals with both long and short caudal fins. Morphological variation within this lake was related to the exploitation of food resources and habitat; individuals with shorter tails ate more amphipods and inhabited shallower habitats. The results indicated that while the among-lakes morphological variation in G. platei was influenced largely by differences in predation intensity, within-lake morphological variation, where predation was intermediate, appeared to be affected by both predation and differences in the exploitation of food resources.

Aspectos de la dinámica poblacional del lenguadoRESUMEN. La estructura poblacional de Xystreurys rasile varía estacionalmente, debido principalmente a la reproducción. Se identificaron grupos segregados por tamaños en el área estudiada (34°-40°S), los ejemplares más pequeños, por lo general, se encontraron en aguas más costeras y al norte, principalmente durante la primavera, y se observó una tendencia de aumento de la longitud media con la latitud. En cuanto a la abundancia, se identificaron dos grupos, uno al norte de los 36ºS y otro al sur de los 37ºS, el primero mucho menos abundante que el segundo. Durante el otoño los especímenes se desplazan hacia aguas más profundas para alimentarse y crecer. En primavera los ejemplares maduros migran hacia la costa y hacia el sur. Tanto el grupo norteño como el sureño, convergen al sur de Mar del Plata (38ºS) para reproducirse. La talla de primera madurez sexual se estimó en 20,0 cm en los machos y 21,2 cm en las hembras, con uno y dos años de edad respectivamente. Los adultos se reclutan al área de pesca entre el segundo y tercer año de vida y existen fuertes evidencias que los juveniles no están accesibles a la flota pesquera.Palabras claves: estructura, dinámica poblacional, lenguado, Xystreurys rasile, Atlántico Sudoccidental. Dynamic population of the flatfish Xystreurys rasile, from the Southwestern Atlantic between 34o and 40 o S* ABSTRACT. The present paper deals with the dynamic population of the flatfish Xystreurys rasile on the Southwest Atlantic between 34º and 40ºS. Increase of mean size of Xystreurys rasile's shoals was observed to the south. The smallest specimens were found in coastal waters in Spring. Two groups were identified according to the abundance, one northern than 36ºS, characterized with very low captures and the other southern than 37ºS, characterized with higher yields. In Spring mature individuals of X. rasile migrate to shallow waters at 38ºS and southwards for spawning. On the contrary, in autumn they migrate offshore for feeding and growing. First sexual maturity length was estimated in 20.0 cm for males and 21.2 cm for females, corresponding to one and two years respectively. Adult recruitment to the fishing area is around the second and third years of age. Strong evidences enforce that juveniles are not available to the fishing fleet.