Diets and growth potential of early stage larval yellow perch and alewife in a nearshore region of southeastern Lake Michigan

Withers, Jonah L.; Sesterhenn, Timothy M.; Foley, Carolyn; Troy, Cary D.; Höök, Tomas O.

doi:10.1016/j.jglr.2015.08.003

Cited by 30 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…) and 79–87% empty in 2010–2011 (Withers et al. ). Decreasing spatial overlap between zooplankton prey and larval Alewife could explain the high frequency of empty stomachs.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…We do not think this discrepancy was due to the time of sampling because, on average, oblique tows were conducted 1 h later in the night than surface tows, and those later-collected larvae might be expected to have more of their prey digested, given that feeding is highest during the day (Boeuf and Le Bail 1999). Nonetheless, our high percentage of empty stomachs for Alewife larvae corroborate earlier findings from daytime collections during the 2000s: 66-87% empty in 2001(Höök et al 2007) and 79-87% empty in 2010-2011 (Withers et al 2015). Decreasing spatial overlap between zooplankton prey and larval Alewife could explain the high frequency of empty stomachs.…”

Section: Agesupporting

confidence: 81%

“…Diets reported from these studies were not consistent with larvae feeding at optimal levels, given that 79–87% of Alewife larvae, for example, had empty stomachs (Withers et al. ). Furthermore, these studies were designed to evaluate how larval growth rate varied spatially within a region of the lake.…”

mentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Among these earlier studies, only Rice et al (1987b) used otoliths to estimate growth and survival of larval fish, and they concluded that Bloater were feeding at near-optimal rates. In the 2000s, studies reported the densities and growth rates of larval Alewife (e.g., Höök et al 2007;Weber et al 2015;Withers et al 2015) and Yellow Perch Perca flavescens (e.g., Dettmers et al 2005;Weber et al 2011) at different locations around Lake Michigan. Diets reported from these studies were not consistent with larvae feeding at optimal levels, given that 79-87% of Alewife larvae, for example, had empty stomachs (Withers et al 2015).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the 2000s, studies reported the densities and growth rates of larval Alewife (e.g., Höök et al 2007;Weber et al 2015;Withers et al 2015) and Yellow Perch Perca flavescens (e.g., Dettmers et al 2005;Weber et al 2011) at different locations around Lake Michigan. Diets reported from these studies were not consistent with larvae feeding at optimal levels, given that 79-87% of Alewife larvae, for example, had empty stomachs (Withers et al 2015). Furthermore, these studies were designed to evaluate how larval growth rate varied spatially within a region of the lake.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Densities, Diets, and Growth Rates of Larval Alewife and Bloater in a Changing Lake Michigan Ecosystem

et al. 2019

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Variability in abiotic and biotic factors during larval stages has profound impacts on fish recruitment. In Lake Michigan, where the composition of lower trophic levels has undergone considerable changes in the past decade, managers are concerned that fish recruitment could be negatively affected. We hypothesized that spatial variation in Lake Michigan larval fish density and growth can be explained by various environmental predictor variables. In July 2015, we sampled larval fish and zooplankton at 24 sites (distributed among eight transects) around Lake Michigan. We measured larval fish densities and estimated growth rates and diets of the two most abundant species: the Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus and Bloater Coregonus hoyi (prey fish that represented 89% and 4% of the total catch, respectively). Larval Alewife densities at a given site ranged from 0 to 42.57 larvae/100 m3, but no explanatory variables explained the variation. Alewife mean growth rate equaled 0.50 mm/d, and fish age and zooplankton density best explained growth variation across sites. Larval Bloater densities ranged from 0 to 1.16 larvae/100 m3, and mean growth rate was 0.21 mm/d. Across all sites, 67% of larval Alewife stomachs were empty, whereas only 16% of Bloater stomachs were empty. Larval fish growth rates observed in our study were at least 40% slower than those reported in previous decades for both Alewife and Bloater. Worsening prey environment for pelagic larvae, such as Alewife and Bloater, during the era of abundant dreissenid mussels could reduce the probability of strong year‐classes, which in turn may affect growth and survival of recreationally important salmonine predators.

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“…) and 79–87% empty in 2010–2011 (Withers et al. ). Decreasing spatial overlap between zooplankton prey and larval Alewife could explain the high frequency of empty stomachs.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Agesupporting

confidence: 81%

mentioning

confidence: 90%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Densities, Diets, and Growth Rates of Larval Alewife and Bloater in a Changing Lake Michigan Ecosystem

et al. 2019

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Predicting larval alewife transport in Lake Michigan using hydrodynamic and Lagrangian particle dispersion models

Rowe

Prendergast

Alofs

et al. 2022

Limnology & Oceanography

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Several species of fish in large lakes and marine environments have a pelagic larval stage, and are subject to variable transport that can ultimately regulate survival and recruitment success. Alewife, Alosa pseudoharengus, are subject to transport by complex coastal currents during their pelagic larval stage (~30 d). We assessed backward-trajectory simulations, consisting of a Lagrangian particle dispersion model linked to the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model, to estimate likely hatch locations of aged larval alewife collected from locations on both the eastern and western sides of Lake Michigan during July 2015. We used four deployments of three satellite-tracked drifter buoys in coastal waters to assess model skill in estimating the origin of a drifter from its final location. We found that the trajectories of drifters varied greatly, depending on wind events and associated coastal transport processes, including upwelling/downwelling and coastal jet currents. In 2 of 12 cases, the backward trajectory simulations failed to predict the drifter origin, associated with transport of 170 km in a narrow coastal jet current. In the remaining 10 cases, the known drifter origin was within 3.5 km of the spatial patch of predicted possible origins for a scenario of horizontal diffusivity (188 m 2 s À1 ) consistent with the offshore model grid resolution. Modeled backward trajectories estimated that alewife originated from the same side of the lake where they were collected, within ~100 km of the collection site. Our paper demonstrates the utility of hydrodynamic models to estimate a region of origin for aged larval fish.

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Immunochemical methods for identification of prey in freshwater zooplankton

Berges

Gronquist

Engevold

et al. 2020

Limnology & Ocean Methods

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Large, predatory, non‐indigenous species such as the cladoceran, Bythotrephes longimanus, can have a profound effect on aquatic food webs, but determining the prey consumed by such species is problematic because they shred prey externally and consume only soft body tissues. We assessed the usefulness of an immunochemical approach, in which putative zooplankton prey were homogenized and polyclonal antibodies against total proteins were raised in rabbits and purified against predator proteins. Using either dot‐blot or enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay‐plate formats, assays easily detected prey proteins in single B. longimanus. Issues encountered included some degree of cross‐reaction with predator proteins and among prey species for some antisera and questions concerning determination of a correct blank value for assays, however, there are feasible approaches to resolving these issues. Immunochemical assays were readily applied in to a total of 185 individual B. longimanus in the Lake Michigan pelagic ecosystem in summer of 2008 and 2009 and indicated ingestion of cladoceran and copepod species, typically described in the literature, but also dreissenid veliger larvae and the large copepod Limnocalanus macrurus, not usually considered prey for Bythotrephes. Assays results showed some degree of correlation with numerical abundances of zooplankton prey in the water column, suggesting generalist feeding. Protein immunochemical assays offer a quick, sensitive and practical approach to examining planktonic food‐web questions that are compatible with, but have certain advantages over, alternatives such as nucleic acid techniques.

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Diets and growth potential of early stage larval yellow perch and alewife in a nearshore region of southeastern Lake Michigan

Cited by 30 publications

References 73 publications

Densities, Diets, and Growth Rates of Larval Alewife and Bloater in a Changing Lake Michigan Ecosystem

Densities, Diets, and Growth Rates of Larval Alewife and Bloater in a Changing Lake Michigan Ecosystem

Predicting larval alewife transport in Lake Michigan using hydrodynamic and Lagrangian particle dispersion models

Immunochemical methods for identification of prey in freshwater zooplankton

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