Fish in the Structure and Function of Freshwater Ecosystems: A "Top-down" View

Northcote, T. G.

doi:10.1139/f88-044

Cited by 263 publications

(156 citation statements)

References 39 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

143

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Fish significantly decreased cladoceran densities and Secchi depths and increased turbidity and chlorophyll. In general, these effects of mosquitofish on zooplankton and phytoplankton are typical of visually feeding fish (Lazzaro 1987;Northcote 1988) and are similar to the results of pool and pond experiments of Hurlbert et al (1972) and Hurlbert and Mulla (198 1). Hurlbert et al (1972) found that mosquitofish presence increased total phosphorus, but they used a higher density of mosquitofish (-50 large fish m-'); we used smaller fish stocked at -4 fish me3.…”

Section: Acknowledgmentssupporting

confidence: 74%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Interdependence of phosphorus, fish, and site effects on phytoplankton biomass and zooplankton

Drenner

Threlkeld

Smith

et al. 1989

Limnology & Oceanography

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We conducted an outdoor tank experiment of factorial design with three levels of phosphorus addition cross‐classified with two levels of mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) at two lake sites, allowing us to examine both main effects and interaction effects of phosphorus, fish, and site on phytoplankton biomass and zooplankton. Phosphorus addition significantly increased total phosphorus concentration and chlorophyll and decreased Secchi depth. Fish significantly decreased cladoceran densities and Secchi depth and increased chlorophyll and turbidity. Most phosphorus and fish effects were independent of each other except for a significant phosphorus × fish interaction on rotifers. The two sites had significant differences in total phosphorus concentration, turbidity, Secchi depth, chlorophyll, and densities of cladocerans, copepods, and rotifers. The only significant site ×phosphorus interaction was for total phosphorus. Significant site x fish interactions were detected for turbidity, Secchi depth, chlorophyll, and densities of cladocerans and rotifers. Fish effects were independent of phosphorus addition but dependent on site‐specific plankton community composition.

show abstract

Section: Acknowledgmentssupporting

confidence: 74%

“…The biomass and species composition of plankton are regulated by the availability of nutrients, principally phosphorus (McQueen et al 1986;Smith 1983). Planktonic community structure can also be affected through predation by planktivorous fish (Lazzaro 1987;Northcote 1988).…”

Section: Acknowledgmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interdependence of phosphorus, fish, and site effects on phytoplankton biomass and zooplankton

Drenner

Threlkeld

Smith

et al. 1989

Limnology & Oceanography

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Furthermore, it has often been reported that fish such as tilapia, by recycling nutrients through excretion, eventually promote the production of phytoplankton in ponds and lakes (McQueen et al, 1986;Drenner et al, 1987;Lazzaro, 1987;Northcote, 1988;Elser et al, 1990). Without algal biomass control, an excessive algal bloom may occur, followed by a collapse of the algal population, an increase in ammonia concentration and an oxygen depletion (Rimon and Shilo, 1982).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An integrated fish–plankton aquaculture system in brackish water

Gilles

Fargier

Lazzaro³

et al. 2013

Animal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture takes advantage of the mutualism between some detritivorous fish and phytoplankton. The fish recycle nutrients by consuming live (and dead) algae and provide the inorganic carbon to fuel the growth of live algae. In the meanwhile, algae purify the water and generate the oxygen required by fishes. Such mechanism stabilizes the functioning of an artificially recycling ecosystem, as exemplified by combining the euryhaline tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron heudelotii and the unicellular alga Chlorella sp. Feed addition in this ecosystem results in faster fish growth but also in an increase in phytoplankton biomass, which must be limited. In the prototype described here, the algal population control is exerted by herbivorous zooplankton growing in a separate pond connected in parallel to the fish-algae ecosystem. The zooplankton production is then consumed by tilapia, particularly by the fry and juveniles, when water is returned to the main circuit. Chlorella sp. and Brachionus plicatilis are two planktonic species that have spontaneously colonized the brackish water of the prototype, which was set-up in Senegal along the Atlantic Ocean shoreline. In our system, water was entirely recycled and only evaporation was compensated (1.5% volume/day). Sediment, which accumulated in the zooplankton pond, was the only trophic cul-de-sac. The system was temporarily destabilized following an accidental rotifer invasion in the main circuit. This caused Chlorella disappearance and replacement by opportunist algae, not consumed by Brachionus. Following the entire consumption of the Brachionus population by tilapias, Chlorella predominated again. Our artificial ecosystem combining S. m. heudelotii, Chlorella and B. plicatilis thus appeared to be resilient. This farming system was operated over one year with a fish productivity of 1.85 kg/m 2 per year during the cold season

show abstract

“…In summary, because predation by visually foraging piscivorous fishes can affect the structure and function of aquatic communities (Paine, 1966;Northcote, 1988), changes in the visual environment may thus have far-reaching effects on coastal ecosystems and their management through light-induced changes in picscivore behavior (Aksnes, 2007). However, visual function of coastal piscivorous fishes has received relatively little attention despite their importance to both commercial and recreational fisheries.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative visual function in four piscivorous fishes inhabiting Chesapeake Bay

Horodysky

Brill

Warrant

et al. 2010

Journal of Experimental Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARY Maintaining optimal visual performance is a difficult task in photodynamic coastal and estuarine waters because of the unavoidable tradeoffs between luminous sensitivity and spatial and temporal resolution, yet the visual systems of coastal piscivores remain understudied despite differences in their ecomorphology and microhabitat use. We therefore used electroretinographic techniques to describe the light sensitivities, temporal properties and spectral sensitivities of the visual systems of four piscivorous fishes common to coastal and estuarine waters of the western North Atlantic: striped bass (Morone saxatilis), bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) and cobia (Rachycentron canadum). Benthic summer flounder exhibited higher luminous sensitivity and broader dynamic range than the three pelagic foragers. The former were at the more sensitive end of an emerging continuum for coastal fishes. By contrast, pelagic species were comparatively less sensitive, but showed larger day–night differences, consistent with their use of diel light-variant photic habitats. Flicker fusion frequency experiments revealed significant interspecific differences at maximum intensities that correlated with lifestyle and habitat. Spectral responses of most species spanned 400–610 nm, with significant day–night differences in striped bass and bluefish. Anadromous striped bass additionally responded to longer wavelengths, similar to many freshwater fishes. Collectively, these results suggest that pelagic piscivores are well adapted to bright photoclimates, which may be at odds with the modern state of eutrified coastal and estuarine waters that they utilize. Recent anthropogenic degradation of water quality in coastal environments, at a pace faster than the evolution of visual systems, may impede visually foraging piscivores, change selected prey, and eventually restructure ecosystems.

show abstract

Fish in the Structure and Function of Freshwater Ecosystems: A "Top-down" View

Cited by 263 publications

References 39 publications

Interdependence of phosphorus, fish, and site effects on phytoplankton biomass and zooplankton

Interdependence of phosphorus, fish, and site effects on phytoplankton biomass and zooplankton

An integrated fish–plankton aquaculture system in brackish water

Comparative visual function in four piscivorous fishes inhabiting Chesapeake Bay

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About