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

Cohen, Sahrye E.; Bollens, Stephen M.

doi:10.3354/meps07561

Cited by 19 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 47 publications

(44 reference statements)

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“…The cosmopolitan yellowfin goby, which now occupies almost all tidal environments of the Bay-Delta is considered to be an ambush or search feeder (Kikuchi and Yamashita 1992;Workman and Merz 2007) that feeds opportunistically on mysids and amphipods (Feyrer et al 2003). Cohen and Bollens (2008) reported results from our three Napa River sites (Coon Island, Bull Island, and Pond 2A) and found the diet of silversides was primarily composed of copepods, cumaceans, and flying insects, while yellowfin goby diets were composed of annelids, cumaceans, and amphipods; very similar to what we found. In contrast to our results, Cohen and Bollens (2008) reported few to no corophiids in the diets of these fishes.…”

Section: Fish Diet Responsesupporting

confidence: 78%

“…Many of these metrics were generated as part of the larger Integrated Regional Wetlands and Monitoring (IRWM) study, and have been previously welldescribed (e.g., Cohen and Bollens 2008;Strahlberg et al 2010, Gewant andTuxen et al 2011). Abiotic variables included both static metrics related to marsh structure or position, and dynamic metrics related to seasonal changes in flow, salinity, and temperature.…”

Section: Environmental Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bollens, WSU, unpublished data, 2013). Recent work indicates that the diets of marsh-associated fish comprise benthic, epibenthic, planktonic, and neustonic invertebrates (unpublished BREACH data; Toft et al 2003;Visintainer et al 2006;Cohen and Bollens 2008;Whitley and Bollens 2013). Combined with stable isotope food web assessments, these stomach content-based studies confirm that the macroinvertebrate community plays a crucial role as primary consumers in the estuary, translating marsh-derived detritus to higher trophic levels, including fish, birds, and mammals (Grenier 2004;Grimaldo et al 2009;Howe and Simenstad 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Macroinvertebrate Prey Availability and Fish Diet Selectivity in Relation to Environmental Variables in Natural and Restoring North San Francisco Bay Tidal Marsh Channels

Howe¹,

Simenstad²,

Toft³

et al. 2014

SFEWS

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Tidal marsh wetlands provide important foraging habitat for a variety of estuarine fishes. Prey organisms include benthic/epibenthic macroinvertebrates, neustonic arthropods, and zooplankton. Little is known about the abundance and distribution of interior marsh macroinvertebrate communities in the San Francisco Estuary (estuary). We describe seasonal, regional, and site variation in the composition and abundance of neuston and benthic/epibenthic macroinvertebrates that inhabit tidal marsh channels, and relate these patterns to environmental conditions. We also describe spatial and temporal variation in diets of marsh-associated inland silverside, yellowfin goby, and western mosquitofish. Fish and invertebrates were sampled quarterly from October 2003 to June 2005 at six marsh sites located in three river systems of the northern estuary: Petaluma River, Napa River, and the west Delta. Benthic/epibenthic macroinvertebrates and neuston responded to environmental variables related to seasonal changes (i.e., temperature, salinity), as well as those related to marsh structure (i.e., vegetation, channel edge). The greatest variation in abundance occurred seasonally for neuston and spatially for benthic/epibenthic organisms, suggesting that each community responds to different environmental drivers. Benthic/epibenthic invertebrate abundance and diversity was lowest in the west Delta, and increased with increasing salinity. Insect abundance increased during the spring and summer, while Collembolan (springtail) abundance increased during the winter. Benthic/epibenthic macroinvertebrates dominated fish diets, supplemented by insects, with zooplankton playing a minor role. Diet compositions of the three fish species overlapped considerably, with strong selection indicated for epibenthic crustaceans-a surprising result given the typical classification of Menidia beryllina as a planktivore, Acanthogobius flavimanus as a benthic predator, and Gambusia affinis as a larvivorous surface-feeder. Fish diets were influenced by position along the estuarine gradient and season. Overall, our data show that local-scale site effects and marsh position within the estuary influence invertebrate community composition and abundance. Additionally, we show that restoring marsh ecosystems can subsidize fishes similarly to reference marshes. We thus recommend that managers focus on the ability of restoring marshes to produce food subsidies for target species when planning and designing tidal marsh restoration projects, especially those targeted for food web support.

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Section: Fish Diet Responsesupporting

confidence: 78%

Section: Environmental Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Macroinvertebrate Prey Availability and Fish Diet Selectivity in Relation to Environmental Variables in Natural and Restoring North San Francisco Bay Tidal Marsh Channels

Howe¹,

Simenstad²,

Toft³

et al. 2014

SFEWS

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“…Though the efficiency of beach seine sampling may vary spatiotemporally to a certain extent, it should depict Mississippi Silverside's general abundance trend in the Delta, because they are most commonly found in shallow-water, nearshore habitat (Matern et al 2002;Nobriga et al 2005;Cohen and Bollens 2008). To visually assess the trend of abundance over time, catch per unit effort (CPUE) data (in this case, in cubic meters) were collapsed to a monthly mean, averaged across all 22 index sites, and plotted against time (Wickham 2009).…”

Section: Q1: How Have the Abundance And Distribution Of Mississippi Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Abundance Trends, Distribution, and Habitat Associations of the Invasive Mississippi Silverside (Menidia audens) in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California USA

Mahardja¹,

Conrad²,

Lusher³

et al. 2016

SFEWS

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Although many alien fish species have colonized the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta), few are as pervasive and abundant as Mississippi Silversides (Menidia audens). Moreover, Mississippi Silversides are hypothesized to be an intra-guild predator of the endangered Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus). Because of their prevalence in the Delta and potential predation on Delta Smelt, Mississippi Silversides may have far-reaching effects on both the aquatic ecosystem and conservation management policies of the region. Yet little is known about how Mississippi Silverside abundance and distribution have changed within the Delta, or how they respond to various habitat attributes such as temperature, turbidity, and flow. We examined 19 years of beach seine survey data to evaluate how the abundance and distribution of Mississippi Silversides has changed over the years, characterize their habitat associations, and determine the environmental factors that predict their annual cohort strength. Concurrent with the decline of several pelagic fish species in the San Francisco Estuary in the early 2000s, we observed a significant increase in Mississippi Silverside catch that was accompanied by a moderate distributional shift in which densities increased in the western Delta region. We also found that the occurrence of this highly prolific alien species was associated with higher water temperature, higher turbidity, relatively low conductivity, and moderate to high levels of dissolved oxygen. Lastly, we demonstrated that freshwater input to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta during the summer and water exports during the spring months were both negatively correlated with the annual cohort size of Mississippi Silversides in the region. Our study identified the environmental variables deserving additional attention in future studies involving Mississippi Silverside and suggests that the species favors habitat conditions that are likely to be detrimental for pelagic species such as Delta Smelt. KEY WORDSMississippi Silverside, invasive species biology, Menidia audens, littoral fish, life history RESEARCH

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

Cited by 19 publications

References 47 publications

Macroinvertebrate Prey Availability and Fish Diet Selectivity in Relation to Environmental Variables in Natural and Restoring North San Francisco Bay Tidal Marsh Channels

Macroinvertebrate Prey Availability and Fish Diet Selectivity in Relation to Environmental Variables in Natural and Restoring North San Francisco Bay Tidal Marsh Channels

Abundance Trends, Distribution, and Habitat Associations of the Invasive Mississippi Silverside (Menidia audens) in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California USA

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

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