Community composition and diet of fishes as a function of tidal channel geomorphology

Visintainer, Tammie A.; Bollens, Stephen M.; Simenstad, Charles A.

doi:10.3354/meps321227

Cited by 48 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…planktonic copepods at night and insects during the day) (Stickney & McGeachin 1978, Moyle 2002, our study showed a greater input of potentially autochthonous prey than previous studies. Yellowfin goby diet composition in our study was more consistent with that found in previous studies in their natural range (Kanou et al 2004) and in San Francisco Estuary (Simenstad et al 1999, Grimaldo et al 2004, Visintainer et al 2006. Yellowfin goby diets were more varied and higher in taxa richness than Mississippi silverside diets and contained predominantly benthic or epibenthic prey, including gammarid amphipods, cumaceans, tanaids and polychaete worms.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

“…Even less difference was found in growth rates of Mississippi silversides, which did not significantly vary between either year or wetland type. Diet composition of Mississippi silversides in this study was somewhat different than that found in previous studies of these fish in both their native habitats (Stickney & McGeachin 1978) and elsewhere in San Francisco Bay (Simenstad et al 1999, Grimaldo et al 2004, Visintainer et al 2006. Our expectation for the highly motile, transient Mississippi silverside was that the diet of these fish would be primarily plankton with some input from terrestrial neustonic insects.…”

contrasting

confidence: 55%

“…Channel edge length (m) was measured by using orthogonal satellite photographs and ArcView GIS software (v. 8.0). Fishes were sampled with modified nylon mesh fyke nets, as described in detail by Visintainer et al (2006). Briefly, the fyke nets were composed of a mouth, body and cod end in the form of a live trap with 3.2 mm mesh.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Diet and growth of non-native Mississippi silversides and yellowfin gobies in restored and natural wetlands in the San Francisco Estuary

Cohen¹,

Bollens²

2008

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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We examined how wetland restoration status influenced habitat quality for fishes by comparing otolith-calculated growth rates and diets of 2 abundant non-native fish species, the locally transient planktivorous Mississippi silverside Menidia audens and the resident demersal-feeding yellowfin goby Acanthogobius flavimanus, in 2 wetlands undergoing restoration ('restoring' wetlands) and 1 natural wetland (Napa River, San Francisco Estuary, California, USA; 38°10' N; 122°18' W). Native species with similar trophic requirements were too few in abundance to serve as study organisms. Differences in fish diet and growth based on restoration status were expected for the more resident goby species, but not for the transient silversides. Fish were collected in June 2004 and 2005 from a 10 yr old restoring marsh, a 50 yr old restoring marsh and a natural marsh, using a modified fyke net. Diet of silversides was primarily composed of copepods, cumaceans, and flying insects, while yellowfin goby diets were composed of annelids, cumaceans, and amphipods. Prey species biomass in the stomachs of yellowfin gobies was significantly different between marshes, but these differences were not dependent on restoration status. No significant differences in Mississippi silverside growth rates were detected, and yellowfin goby growth rates varied somewhat between marshes and years, but were not significantly different between restored versus reference sites. Based on these findings, we suggest that adequate prey abundance and prey species composition is available for these fish species in both our restored and natural study sites. It also appears that some restoring breached wetlands can quickly (within 10 yr) provide equivalent habitat to natural areas, at least for generalist, non-native fishes; however, consideration of underlying mechanisms of restoration will be important in designing wetlands that specifically favor native fish populations. KEY WORDS: Acanthogobius flavimanus · Menidia audens · Wetland restoration · Non-native species · Fish ecology · Tidal marsh Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 368: [241][242][243][244][245][246][247][248][249][250][251][252][253][254] 2008 cisions in highly altered ecosystems. Fish growth and condition are seldom criteria for evaluating restoration success despite the fact that the recovery of local fish populations is a common restoration target.Effective restoration efforts require an understanding of not only the abundance of fishes in the restored habitats, but also of the quality of the habitat and its relationship to the growth and health of the species. It is necessary to consider important trophic and food web interactions, such as those between fish and prey (i.e. zooplankton) in shallow and wetland restoration (Perrow et al. 1999). Studies have shown that many salt marsh organisms benefit from trophic subsidies of organic matter originating in adjacent upland and open water habitats (Weinstein et al. 2005). Thes...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

contrasting

confidence: 55%

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Diet and growth of non-native Mississippi silversides and yellowfin gobies in restored and natural wetlands in the San Francisco Estuary

Cohen¹,

Bollens²

2008

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…However, the zooplankton communities of tidal marshes of the SFE have never been reported. Given that zooplankton are important prey items for many larval and adult fish in the SFE (Meng & Orsi 1991, Moyle et al 1992, Nobriga 2002, Bollens & Sanders 2004, Visintainer et al 2006, Cohen & Bollens 2008, Howe et al 2014, Whitley & Bollens 2014), a need exists to investigate the basic ecology of tidal marsh zooplankton. More specifically, if the composition and abundance of zooplankton in tidal marshes are found to be suitable prey resources for fish and other higher-level consumers, this could provide a critical link between shallow water habitats (Brown 2003, Lopez et al 2006) and conservation and restoration of pelagic species in the SFE (Sommer et al 2007, Moyle 2008, Mac Nally et al 2010.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zooplankton of tidal marsh channels in relation to environmental variables in the upper San Francisco Estuary

Bollens

Breckenridge²,

Cordell³

et al. 2014

Aquat. Biol.

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Zooplankton are important trophic intermediaries between aquatic primary producers and higher level consumers such as fish, but to date they have been little studied in intertidal marshes. This is particularly true in the San Francisco Estuary (SFE), which is heavily impacted by human activities and is being targeted for restoration of its native wetland communities. As part of a multi-year field study investigating wetland dynamics in the upper SFE, we conducted approximately quarterly sampling of the mesozooplankton (> 73 µm) at 3 channels in each of 6 marshes. Here, we describe seasonal and regional variation in the composition and abundance of zooplankton, and relate these to variations in environmental conditions. Cluster analysis identified 6 different marsh zooplankton communities. The 66 taxa identified included both native and non-indigenous species (NIS), with NIS being particularly dominant in the summer and autumn. Ordination analyses indicated that salinity, temperature, and other freshwater-related variables such as freshwater flow and distance to the coastal ocean were the strongest environmental drivers of marsh zooplankton community composition and individual abundance. Zooplankton communities in intertidal marshes were similar to those of open water habitats of the SFE in many regards, although differences in some taxa were observed, e.g. higher abundances of the copepod Eury temora affinis and lower abundances of tintinnid ciliates in the marshes. Apparent differences in zooplankton between intertidal marsh and open water habitats, and between different regions of the estuary, could have important implications for young fish and other consumers.

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“…In this way, tidal creeks are involved in the trophic transfer of energy between the marsh surface and adjacent open water (Kneib 2002). The suitability of creeks for nekton utilization is reportedly dependent on specific physical parameters, including flow, depth, location, and other geomorphologial factors (Rozas 1992, Williams & Zedler 1999, Visintainer et al 2006, Allen et al 2007). For example, sloped banks of marsh creeks are conducive to more abundant nekton populations , Rozas 1992, Allen et al 2007.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of salt marsh creeks and ditches as habitat for nekton

Corman

Roman²

2011

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Salt marshes are dynamic systems supporting a diverse assemblage of resident and transient nekton (free-swimming fish and decapod crustaceans). Within a marsh, many sub-habitats are used by nekton, including ditches and natural creeks. While the use of natural creeks is well documented, the role of ditches as habitat for nekton remains less well known. The present study describes the nekton-support function of this prolific marsh sub-habitat, and compares it to tidal creeks. Sampling was conducted in the summer of 2008 in a microtidal, polyhaline salt marsh on Fire Island, NY, USA. Ditches and creeks were found to have different nekton communities. Creeks had significantly higher species richness and represented nearly all ditch species. Prolonged anoxia (up to 18 h) in ditches is suggested as a significant factor contributing to differences in the creek and ditch nekton community. Upper portions of ditches and creeks differed for resident nekton species, with higher species richness and density of the mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus in the upper portion of creeks than in the upper portion of ditches. Additional differences were seen in the nekton community composition of open and naturally plugged ditches, where the densities of individual species (such as F. heteroclitus, which was more abundant in open ditches) also differed. Ditches are a major habitat type in salt marshes of the northeastern USA, such as at the Fire Island marsh site studied here, and as efforts are considered to remove ditches from marshes as a habitat restoration technique, their nekton support function should be considered.

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Community composition and diet of fishes as a function of tidal channel geomorphology

Cited by 48 publications

References 48 publications

Diet and growth of non-native Mississippi silversides and yellowfin gobies in restored and natural wetlands in the San Francisco Estuary

Diet and growth of non-native Mississippi silversides and yellowfin gobies in restored and natural wetlands in the San Francisco Estuary

Zooplankton of tidal marsh channels in relation to environmental variables in the upper San Francisco Estuary

Comparison of salt marsh creeks and ditches as habitat for nekton

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