Foraging habits of invasive three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) – impacts on fisheries yield in Upper Lake Constance

Roch, Samuel; Ammon, L. von; Geist, Juergen; Brinker, Alexander

doi:10.1016/j.fishres.2018.02.014

Cited by 26 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…Predation trials were developed using the general design published by Roch et al. (). Briefly, four larval length classes (mean TL: class 1 = 20.5 mm, class 2 = 26.2 mm, class 3 = 32.1 mm, class 4 = 40.6 mm) of whitefish, perch, and roach were made available as prey for single and starved (48 h) three‐spined sticklebacks (TL: mean 683 mm ± SE 4, n = 72).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A recent experiment by Roch et al. () confirmed that larvae of these latter two species were distinctly less prone to predation by sticklebacks than whitefish larvae but did not identify behavioral mechanisms being responsible for this difference. The current experiment aims to identify the behavioral adaptations underlying this difference between predator‐evolved vs. predator‐naïve prey types, as well as to test for possible changes in whitefish escape behavior at the background of the expected ontogenetic changes in predator exposure in these larvae in ULC.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Predation on whitefish larvae by wild sticklebacks in Lake Constance during the short time window in spring when both share habitat has been proven by analysis of stomach contents (Roch et al. ) and by isotope analysis (S. Gugele, E. Yohannes, and A. Brinker, unpublished data ). Whitefish larvae commence their development in the pelagic zone, which until the recent appearance of the stickleback was free of larval predators (Eckmann and Rösch ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Then in May, having attained a length of 23 mm ( unpublished data ), a peak of whitefish larvae appears in the littoral, marking the start of larvae moving from the pelagic into the littoral, a habitat which historically contained a variety of native predatory fish species like perch ( Perca fluviatilis ) and pike ( Esox lucius ) and which for more than 70 yr has also contained sticklebacks (Roch et al. ). At about 38 mm, whitefish larvae show a change in allometric growth (decrease in the body mass to length relationship, unpublished data ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The naïve‐prey hypothesis was raised as a framework for testing the mechanisms underlying the species differences in predation that were found by Roch et al. (). To this end, detailed behavioral observations were carried out on larval responses to predators, with the following expectations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Anti‐predator mechanisms in evolutionarily predator‐naïve vs. adapted fish larvae

et al. 2019

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It is a fundamental feature of evolution that natural selection acts on individuals to adapt to predation pressure via the development of anti‐predator mechanisms. As such mechanisms are costly in terms of energy and time, species living in habitats where predators are rare or absent were expected to show reduced predator responses. Such a reduction was expected for larvae of the native whitefish (Coregonus wartmanni) in Upper Lake Constance, as these pass their initial stage in a historically predator‐free pelagic habitat and only start to encounter predators in a later ontogenetic stage during which they shift to littoral habitat. However, a recent invader of the pelagic waters of the lake, the three‐spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), is implicated in a severe decline in whitefish recruitment through larval predation. The predator‐naivety effect and its consequences on predation were experimentally tested by comparing predator defenses of different age classes of whitefish with those of roach (Rutilus rutilus) and perch (Perca fluviatilis), two species whose larvae grow up in a predator‐holding habitat. As predator, the three‐spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) was selected. Sticklebacks actively hunted all prey species but predation was high on whitefish only. The addition of zooplankton (Daphnia) as alternative prey for sticklebacks in the experimental setup did not reduce predation on the whitefish larvae, indicating a clear preference for whitefish in this invasive predator. The escape responses of roach and perch were found to be clearly more complex and diverse to those of the predator‐naïve whitefish larvae. Particularly striking was that whitefish often did not show any apparent behavioral response to the approaching predator. Only large whitefish larvae (Table 1: length = 40.8 ± 0.6 mm) appeared capable of escaping predation, and this was correlated with a change in complexity of predator escape responses. Thus, differences in predation pressure for the different larvae species were highly related to the observed interspecific differences in predator defenses, and with the ontogenetic intraspecific change in whitefish from poor and inefficient predator escape responses to complex and more efficient predator escape responses. The evolutionary consequences of stickleback as an invasive predator on whitefish larvae behavior are discussed.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Anti‐predator mechanisms in evolutionarily predator‐naïve vs. adapted fish larvae

et al. 2019

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Stickleback mass occurrence driven by spatially uneven parasite pressure? Insights into infection dynamics, host mortality, and epizootic variability

Baer¹,

Gugele

Roch³

et al. 2022

Parasitol Res

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Since 2012, a massive invasion of the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) has taken place into the pelagic area of Lake Constance. This species, which had previously been restricted to the littoral zone, is now the dominant pelagic fish and the previously dominant whitefish (Coregonus wartmanni) has suffered severe reductions in growth and recruitment. In this study, in total, 2871 sticklebacks were collected via monthly sessions over a 4-year period in pelagic and benthic areas of Lake Constance and examined for signs of infection with Schistocephalus solidus, a parasite known to be potentially fatal. The infection risk to sticklebacks increases throughout the course of the year and is size- and sex-dependent. Habitat has only a marginal impact. All parasite-induced harm is imparted after stickleback spawning and parental care is over. The results did not support the hypothesis that the invasion of the pelagic area might be driven by parasite-avoiding behaviour. Furthermore, the impact of the parasite is likely to be limited to post-reproductive adults, thereby ensuring stable reproduction of the hosts despite high rates of transmission and mortality. In consequence, stickleback stock development is independent of S. solidus infection, leading to secure coexistence of host and parasite even at extraordinary high host levels.

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Reconstructing the build-up of a pelagic stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) population using hydroacoustics

Eckmann

Engesser

2019

Fisheries Research

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Foraging habits of invasive three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) – impacts on fisheries yield in Upper Lake Constance

Cited by 26 publications

References 50 publications

Anti‐predator mechanisms in evolutionarily predator‐naïve vs. adapted fish larvae

Anti‐predator mechanisms in evolutionarily predator‐naïve vs. adapted fish larvae

Stickleback mass occurrence driven by spatially uneven parasite pressure? Insights into infection dynamics, host mortality, and epizootic variability

Reconstructing the build-up of a pelagic stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) population using hydroacoustics

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