Food consumption of northern pike (Esox lucius L.), estimated with a bioenergetics model

Abstract

Abstract– A bioenergetics model was used to estimate the food consumption of northern pike (Esox lucius L.) in two lakes in northeastern Finland, and the results compared with those obtained by a method based on stomach contents and gastric evacuation rates. The annual specific food consumption was 7–5 g per one gram pike for one‐ and two‐year‐old pike, and 4–3 g g−1 in age groups 3–6 years old, according to the bioenergetics model. The proportion of ingested food used for growth was 10–30%, and was highest in the youngest age groups. The food consumption rates estimated by the stomach contents method were considerably lower, only about half those produced by the bioenergetics model. The method based on stomach contents tends to underestimate the food consumption. The bioenergetics model was considered more valid for estimating food consumption, but some of the parameter values for northern pike may differ in populations from different latitudes. According to a sensitivity analysis, the food consumption estimate of the bioenergetics model was most sensitive to parameters in the allometric function for respiration.

Comparison of losses of planktivorous fish by predation and seine‐fishing in a lake undergoing long‐term biomanipulation

“…This model sums up the determined weight increment and the energetic costs of basal metabolism, activity, reproduction and waste losses, and thus calculates consumption rates by taking fluctuations in water temperature into account. The model has been tested and frequently used for Sander and Esox species (Fox, 1991; Heikinheimo & Korhonen, 1996; Salonen, Helminen & Sarvala, 1996). For a more detailed description, see Kitchell, Stewart & Weininger (1977) and Hanson et al .…”

Living in the edge: the fate of individually marked pike (Esox lucius) stocked in a hyper-eutrophic lake with frequent winter hypoxia

“…The growth of marked pike was fast, especially during the first years in Lake Savij€ arvi, and it surpassed growth in other lakes in Finland (Rask & Arvola 1985;Heikinheimo-Schmid & Huusko 1987;Heikinheimo & Korhonen 1996;Alaja 2008). At the beginning of the study period in 2008, crucian carp catches per seine hectare was 243 kg.…”

“…Table 4. Pike growth in Lake Savij€ arvi and in lakes Alinen Mustaj€ arvi (Rask & Arvola 1985), Pohjois-P€ aij€ anne (Alaja 2008), Ontoj€ arvi and Lentua (Heikinheimo & Korhonen 1996), and Kemij€ arvi (Heikinheimo-Schmid & Huusko 1987). Lake Savij€ arvi Lake Alinen Mustaj€ arvi Lake Pohjois-P€ aij€ anne Lake Ontoj€ arvi Lake Lentua Lake Kemij€ arvi In Lake Savij€ arvi, length increments (in cm TL) were estimated for three 365-day periods and each increment was added to previous starting length.…”

“…They suggested that this was due to adaptation to warm climate in Ohio (»40 N). For the same reason, suggesting adaptation to colder climate, Heikinheimo and Korhonen (1996) used lower lethal (24 C) and optimum (17 C) temperatures in a bioenergetics model applied to pike in two Finnish lakes (»64 N). To conclude, the stocking of adult pike was successful, because a self-reproducing population was established.…”

“…Kotakorpi et al 2013). The other Finnish pike lakes were Alinen Mustaj€ arvi (Rask & Arvola 1985), Pohjois-P€ aij€ anne (Alaja 2008), Ontoj€ arvi and Lentua (Heikinheimo & Korhonen 1996), and Kemij€ arvi (Heikinheimo-Schmid & Huusko 1987). In lakes Ontoj€ arvi, Lentua, and Alinen Mustaj€ arvi, length-at-age shown were originally presented separately for both sexes, and because pike were not sexed in Lake Savij€ arvi, an average length-at-age was calculated for these lakes taking into account the number of specimens of each gender.…”