Feeding ecology and niche overlap of Lake Ontario offshore forage fish assessed with stable isotopes

Mumby, James A.; Johnson, Timothy B.; Stewart, Theodor J.; Halfyard, Edmund A.; Weidel, Brian C.; Walsh, Maureen G.; Lantry, Jana R.; Fisk, Aaron T.

doi:10.1139/cjfas-2016-0150

Cited by 27 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…Present reintroduction efforts for Bloater in Lake Ontario appear to be promising, based on their coexistence with Alewife in Lake Michigan (Crowder and Binkowski ; Crowder and Crawford ), the limited niche overlap with Cisco and Rainbow Smelt that we measured in Lake Superior, and the high degree of niche partitioning in the current forage fish community in Lake Ontario (Mumby et al. ). Although Blanke et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Although comprehensive niche characterizations for forage fish communities are not currently available for all of the Laurentian Great Lakes, stable isotope analysis of niche partitioning has been performed for the offshore forage fishes in Lake Ontario, and it revealed a high degree of niche partitioning in a community that is dominated by nonnative Alewife, Round Goby Neogobius melanostomus , and Rainbow Smelt (Mumby et al. ). This study was unable to evaluate overlap with Coregonus spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Present reintroduction efforts for Bloater in Lake Ontario appear to be promising, based on their coexistence with Alewife in Lake Michigan (Crowder and Binkowski 1983;Crowder and Crawford 1984), the limited niche overlap with Cisco and Rainbow Smelt that we measured in Lake Superior, and the high degree of niche partitioning in the current forage fish community in Lake Ontario (Mumby et al 2018). Although Blanke et al (2018) found trophic overlap between Alewife and Bloater in Lake Michigan, the continued coexistence of these species suggests that competition may be reduced by a different niche dimension, such as habitat.…”

Section: Application To Coregonus Restoration In the Laurentian Greatmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Niche Partitioning among Native Ciscoes and Nonnative Rainbow Smelt in Lake Superior

2020

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Several species of ciscoes Coregonus, subgenus Leucichthys that are native to the Laurentian Great Lakes are rare or extirpated. The restoration of Coregonus fishes is being actively pursued through stocking, and success may depend on the availability of unoccupied niche space. We described the spring–summer habitat occupancy and diets of three native cisco species (Bloater Coregonus hoyi, Cisco C. artedi, and Kiyi C. Kiyi) and invasive Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax in Lake Superior and measured niche overlap among these species for both small and large sizes. The potential habitat area was highest for Cisco and Kiyi, followed by Bloater and Rainbow Smelt. The probability of overlap in habitat occupation, as measured by bathymetric depth, fish capture depth, distance from shore, and fish capture water temperature was highest for small Rainbow Smelt and Cisco. Trophic overlap, as measured by stomach contents and stable isotopes, was highest between small Bloater and Cisco and between large Bloater and Kiyi. All of the species showed significant ontogenetic change in both habitat occupation and diet. The overall niche overlap in spring–summer habitat and diet was greatest between small Cisco and Rainbow Smelt and between large Bloater and Kiyi; however, differences in individual niche dimensions likely limit competition for both species pairs. Synthesizing the diet and habitat niche data revealed nuanced niches that allow these seemingly similar planktivorous species to coexist. Kiyi had the least niche overlap with other cisco species and Rainbow Smelt, so from an available niche perspective Kiyi would be a strong candidate for reintroduction into lakes from which they were extirpated.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Application To Coregonus Restoration In the Laurentian Greatmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Niche Partitioning among Native Ciscoes and Nonnative Rainbow Smelt in Lake Superior

2020

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“…Universal primer set sequences were BLASTed against a custom reference database containing sequences for: 1) the five selected target AIS; and 2) sequences for three important native invertebrate prey species ( Leptodiaptomus sicilis , Limnocalanus macrurus , and Mysis diluviana ). The three native species were selected as we expected them to be common diet items in both native and non-native predators [ 37 , 69 ] and because they are likely to interact with the target AIS directly or indirectly [ 70 , 71 ]. Additionally, these three native invertebrate species have been reported as invasive or as posing invasion risks outside the Great Lakes [ 72 , 73 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabarcoding of native and invasive species in stomach contents of Great Lakes fishes

2020

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As aquatic invasive species (AIS) proliferate worldwide, a better understanding of their roles in invaded habitats is needed to inform management and introduction prevention strategies and priorities. Metabarcoding of stomach content DNA (scDNA) shows considerable promise in such regard. We thus metabarcoded scDNA from two non-native fish species (alewife ( Alosa pseudoharengus ) and rainbow smelt ( Osmerus mordax )), and three native ones (bloater ( Coregonus hoyi ), ninespine stickleback ( Pungitius pungitius ), and slimy sculpin ( Cottus cognatus )). Fishes (N = 376) were sampled in spring 2009 and 2010 from 73–128 m depths at three Lake Michigan sites. Four mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) primer sets designed to target five potential AIS prey, and a universal aquatic invertebrate CO1 primer set targeting both native and AIS prey were used. Quality controlled prey amplicons were matched to three AIS prey: Bythotrephes longimanus (mean percent frequency occurrence, all samples = 7%), Cercopagis pengoi (5%), and Dreissena rostriformis bugensis (11%). Neither invasive prey Dreissena polymorpha nor Hemimysis anomala were detected. Native prey Leptodiaptomus sicilis , Limnocalanus macrurus , and Mysis diluviana were relatively common in scDNA (respective mean percent occurrences, all samples: 48%, 25%, 42%). Analysis of variation in prey occurrences for sample site, predator species, sample year, sample depth, and predator total length (TL) indicated site and predator species were most important. However, B . longimanus occurrence in scDNA depended upon predator TL, perhaps indicative of its unique defensive spine limiting susceptibility to predation until fishes exceed species-specific gape-based limitations. Our analysis of native and invasive prey species indicated possible indirect AIS impacts such as native predators switching their diet due to AIS-driven losses of preferred native prey. Metabarcoding demonstrated that AIS are integrated components of the offshore Lake Michigan food web, with both native and non-native predators, and both invasive and native prey are affecting species interactions across multiple trophic levels.

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“…Most studies of trophic ecology focus on a specific geographic area (e.g. Jensen et al 2008;Trystram et al 2017;Mumby et al 2018), whereas studies that integrate multiple factors such as climatic conditions and geographic regions to assess biogeographic (spatial sensu lato) feeding patterns on global scales are rare (e.g. Clavero et al 2003;Lozano et al 2006;Rheingantz et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers of diet patterns in a globally distributed freshwater fish species

Sánchez‐Hernández

Finstad

Arnekleiv

et al. 2019

Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci.

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We analysed data of a globally distributed model organism (brown trout, Salmo trutta) in an attempt to understand relationships among biogeography, prey communities, and climate on diet composition at regional spatial scales (Scandinavia) and thereafter explored whether diet patterns remained the same at global scales. At regional scales, we uncovered comprehensive patterns in diet composition among neighbouring freshwater ecoregions, with site-specific prey communities as the best predictor of the observed prey utilization patterns. Thus, we posit that environmental gradients altering site-specific prey communities and consequently the trophic niche of the predator through bottom-up mechanisms are key in understanding spatial dietary patterns. Proximity was also important for the revealed biogeographic patterns at global scales. We suggest that geographic location (latitude and elevation) as a proxy of environmental heterogeneity is key at small spatial scales, and climate at global extents, to understand spatial dietary patterns. Our findings support the hypothesis that future shifts in prey communities due to climate change will strengthen biographical patterns in feeding of freshwater fishes, with consequences for invasiveness assessment and nature management and conservation.

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Feeding ecology and niche overlap of Lake Ontario offshore forage fish assessed with stable isotopes

Cited by 27 publications

References 74 publications

Niche Partitioning among Native Ciscoes and Nonnative Rainbow Smelt in Lake Superior

Niche Partitioning among Native Ciscoes and Nonnative Rainbow Smelt in Lake Superior

Metabarcoding of native and invasive species in stomach contents of Great Lakes fishes

Drivers of diet patterns in a globally distributed freshwater fish species

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