A response‐surface examination of competition and facilitation between native and invasive juvenile fishes

Nelson, Kirsten; Collins, Scott F.; Sass, Greg G.; Wahl, David H.

doi:10.1111/1365-2435.12922

Cited by 19 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Despite their small size, these invertebrates are an important component of the diets of bighead and silver carp in the wild (Sampson et al., ; Williamson & Garvey, ). Owing to their short generation times and rapid biomass turnover, these small invertebrates may provide an efficient pathway of energy flow to bigheaded carp through the aquatic food web (Nelson, Collins, Sass, & Wahl, ), particularly if native fishes are poorly suited to exploit rotifers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Size‐specific effects of bighead carp predation across the zooplankton size spectra

Collins¹,

Wahl²

2018

Freshwater Biology

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Bigheaded carp (Cyprinidae: Hypophthalmichthys spp.) were brought to North America for aquaculture and eventually escaped captivity. Since their liberation, they have dispersed northward through the Mississippi River Basin and its tributaries. Although bigheaded carp are omnivorous filter‐feeding planktivores, their predatory effects on zooplankton are of principal concern because many native fishes feed on planktonic invertebrates during some phase of their life history. The aim of our study was to quantify the magnitude of effect of bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) on zooplankton body size and daily secondary production across a range of body lengths. We conducted an experiment where we compared responses of zooplankton in the presence of a native fish assemblage (control, n = 5 ponds) and a native fish assemblage plus bighead carp (invaded, n = 5 ponds). The experiment lasted 3 months (June–September, 2014) and was conducted in clay‐lined ponds (0.04 ha. wetted area; 1.5–1.75 m water depths). We quantified the predatory effects of bighead carp on overall changes to the size structure of zooplankton assemblages, body lengths of zooplankton taxa and taxa‐specific changes to standing crop biomass and daily secondary production. The size structure of zooplankton assemblage shifted towards smaller invertebrates in the presence of bighead carp. Bighead carp reduced the individual body sizes of Diaphanosoma (Sididae) (−19%) and Daphnia (Daphniidae) (−9%) after 3 months. Moreover, the standing crop biomass (−92% to 98%) and daily production (−65% to 74%) of Diaphanosoma, Daphnia and Calanoida were reduced in the presence of bighead carp. Bighead carp reduced immature copepod nauplii by 75% when compared to controls and may have affected recruitment to the adult stage. Our experiment indicated that the magnitude of predation by bighead carp increased with zooplankton body size, although rotifers and nauplii were exceptions to this pattern. The combined effects of reduced body sizes of some taxa and direct predation on immature and adult life stages of larger taxa suggest that bighead carp may be affecting zooplankton demographics through additional mechanisms such as reduced egg production, mate limitation, and recruitment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Owing to their short generation times and rapid biomass turnover, these small invertebrates may provide an efficient pathway of energy flow to bigheaded carp through the aquatic food web (Nelson, Collins, Sass, & Wahl, 2017), particularly if native fishes are poorly suited to exploit rotifers.…”

Section: Metricmentioning

confidence: 99%

Size‐specific effects of bighead carp predation across the zooplankton size spectra

Collins¹,

Wahl²

2018

Freshwater Biology

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“…Several studies indicate that invasive carp can strongly affect the growth or condition of native species when there is strong diet overlap (e.g. Collins & Wahl, ; DeBoer et al., ; Irons, Sass, McClelland, & Stafford, ; Nelson, Collins, Sass, & Wahl, ; Pendleton, Schwinghamer, Solomon, & Casper, ; Sampson, Chick, & Pegg, ; Schrank, Guy, & Fairchild, ). Notably, the interactions of bigheaded carps with native fishes have, to our knowledge, exclusively assessed juvenile or adult stages, whereas no study has assessed competitive interactions with larval life stages.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Competition during early ontogeny: Effects of native and invasive planktivores on the growth, survival, and habitat use of bluegill

et al. 2019

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Early life stages of fishes are sensitive to ecological and environmental disturbances and experience very high mortality rates. During early ontogeny, the growth and survival of larval fish often depends on food availability. Because habitat and diet shifts are strongly tied to individual body size, factors that influence the growth rates of individuals (e.g. resource limitation, competition) also affect other aspects of ontogeny including the timing of habitat or diet shifts. In the context of biological invasions, non‐native species can potentially disrupt the interaction of larval fish with their food via competition for shared prey, reducing growth and survival during a vulnerable period of an organism's life history. We hypothesised that invasive planktivores negatively affect native species through the vulnerable larval life stage via competition for zooplankton resources. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a series of experiments to assess and contrast the effects of invasive (bighead carp, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and native (golden shiners, Notemigonus crysoleucas) planktivores on zooplankton densities, and their effects on the growth, survival, abundance, and habitat use of larval bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus). Overall, the effects of the invasive planktivore were consistently greater than the native planktivore in terms of reduced prey densities, reduced bluegill growth rates, and delays to the timing of ontogenetic habitat shifts. Growth rates of bluegill larvae were reduced by 58–87% in the presence of bighead carp and 37% in the presence of golden shiners (relative to controls), but such reductions did not consistently lead to reduced survival (in mesocosm experiment) or relative abundance (in pond experiment). However, we estimated that bighead carp and golden shiners delayed ontogenetic habitat shifts in bluegill by 9–24 and 1–3 days, respectively. Although we did not detect an effect of planktivores on the numbers of larval bluegill, our findings suggest that bighead carp may still affect bluegill ontogeny and freshwater food webs by disrupting the timing of ontogenetic habitat shifts. By affecting the coupling of habitats via organism movements during early ontogeny, bighead carp may indirectly disrupt predator–prey interactions of native taxa.

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“…; Nelson et al. ). Few studies have focused on the susceptibility of Hypophthalmichthys to predation (Negonovskaya ; Wolf and Phelps ), and none, to our knowledge, have quantified predator foraging efficiency for either Silver or Bighead carps.…”

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confidence: 98%

“…; Collins and Wahl ; Nelson et al. ) could reorganize prey communities available to native piscivores. Previous assessments of interspecific interactions between Hypophthalmichthys carps and native fishes have focused on competition for limited prey resources (e.g., Kolar et al.…”

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Vulnerability of Juvenile Bighead and Silver Carps to Predation by Largemouth Bass

Sanft

Parkos²,

Collins³

et al. 2018

Trans Am Fish Soc

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The establishment of Bighead Carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and Silver Carp H. molitrix throughout the Mississippi River basin potentially expands the prey base for native predators. A mechanistic understanding of interactions between nonnative prey and native predators is needed to assess the potential for predator regulation of Hypophthalmichthys carp populations and impacts on native predator assemblages. We conducted a series of experiments to quantify the selectivity and efficiency of Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides predation on juveniles of both of these Hypophthalmichthys species and behaviors that potentially influence this selectivity and efficiency. Selectivity was measured over 24 h in 2‐m‐diameter pools containing one of two prey assemblages consisting of three individuals from each of three species: (1) Bighead Carp with native littoral (Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus) and pelagic prey (Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas) or (2) Bighead Carp, Silver Carp, and a morphologically similar native prey (Gizzard Shad Dorosoma cepedianum). Foraging efficiency and predator–prey behaviors were quantified in 45‐min trials in which Largemouth Bass foraged on 10 individuals of a single prey species inside a 750‐L observation tank. All prey species were readily attacked and consumed by Largemouth Bass; Silver Carp were selected less often than Gizzard Shad, and Bighead Carp were selected at a higher rate than any of the other prey species. Of the species tested, Bighead Carp formed the tightest schools and were captured most efficiently by Largemouth Bass. Overall, Hypophthalmichthys carps were similar to native prey in their vulnerability to Largemouth Bass; therefore, factors affecting Hypophthalmichthys carp availability relative to native prey may shape postinvasion predator–prey interactions.

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A response‐surface examination of competition and facilitation between native and invasive juvenile fishes

Cited by 19 publications

References 44 publications

Size‐specific effects of bighead carp predation across the zooplankton size spectra

Size‐specific effects of bighead carp predation across the zooplankton size spectra

Competition during early ontogeny: Effects of native and invasive planktivores on the growth, survival, and habitat use of bluegill

Vulnerability of Juvenile Bighead and Silver Carps to Predation by Largemouth Bass

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