Seasonal Abundance of the Exotic Predatory Cladoceran, Bythotrephes Cederstroemi, in Western Lake Erie

Abundances of two predatory cladocerans, recently introduced Bythotrephes cederstroemi (Schoedler) and native Leptodora kindti Focke, in western Lake Erie were negatively correlated in 1987, with the invader abundant in late autumn and the native more abundant in summer. Laboratory experiments were conducted in summer and autumn of 1988 to determine if differences in thermal tolerance could explain species replacement in these two ecologically similar species. Body mass, sex ratio, fecundity, and population abundance were also measured in summer and autumn populations. Mortality of Bythotrephes increased with temperature, while mortality of Leptodora increased both above and below ambient lake temperatures. Leptodora was less tolerant of low temperature (5–15 °C), and both species were equally tolerant of high temperature (20–30 °C). Seasonal acclimation to temperature was absent in Bythotrephes, while Leptodora showed seasonal shifts in thermal tolerance. Reduced fecundity, greater percentage of males, and presence of sexual eggs were evidence that Bythotrephes reached an environmental limit during summer. Decreased abundance of Leptodora in autumn can be explained by sensitivity to declining water temperature, but warm water temperature alone cannot explain numerical dominance of Leptodora in summer.

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Life History and Production of Walleyes of the 1959 Year-Class in Western Lake Erie, 1959–62

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society ◽

10.1577/1548-8659(1972)101<655:lhapow>2.0.co;2 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 101 (4) ◽

pp. 655-661 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

John W. Parsons

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Lake Erie ◽

Western Lake ◽

Western Lake Erie

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Relative Abundance of Native and Invasive Amphipods in Western Lake Erie in Relation to Dreissenid Mussel Encrustation and Algal Cover

Journal of Freshwater Ecology ◽

10.1080/02705060.2007.9665039 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 201-212 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

James P. Duggan ◽

Steven N. Francoeur

Keyword(s):

Relative Abundance ◽

Lake Erie ◽

Algal Cover ◽

Western Lake ◽

Invasive Amphipods ◽

Western Lake Erie ◽

Dreissenid Mussel

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Projected Changes to the Trophodynamics of PCBs in the Western Lake Erie Ecosystem Attributed to the Presence of Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha)

Environmental Science & Technology ◽

10.1021/es980434i ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 32 (24) ◽

pp. 3862-3867 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Heather A. Morrison ◽

Frank A. P. C. Gobas ◽

Rodica Lazar ◽

D. Michael Whittle ◽

G. Douglas Haffner

Keyword(s):

Dreissena Polymorpha ◽

Lake Erie ◽

Zebra Mussels ◽

Western Lake ◽

Projected Changes ◽

Western Lake Erie

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Limnological Studies of Western Lake Erie: II. Light Penetration and Its Relation to Turbidity

Ecology ◽

10.2307/1930871 ◽

1942 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 41-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

David C. Chandler

Keyword(s):

Lake Erie ◽

Light Penetration ◽

Western Lake ◽

Western Lake Erie

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Environmental Factors Affecting the Strength of Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) Year-Classes in Western Lake Erie, 1960–70

Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada ◽

10.1139/f75-207 ◽

1975 ◽

Vol 32 (10) ◽

pp. 1733-1743 ◽

Cited By ~ 70

Author(s):

Wolf-Dieter N. Busch ◽

Russell L. Scholl ◽

Wilbur L. Hartman

Keyword(s):

Water Level ◽

Lake Erie ◽

Stizostedion Vitreum ◽

Low Oxygen ◽

Brood Stock ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Spawning Area ◽

Western Lake ◽

Class Strength ◽

Western Lake Erie

Commercial production of walleyes (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) from western Lake Erie declined from 5.9 million pounds in 1956 to 140,000 pounds by 1969. Since 1956, marked irregularity in year-class success has developed. Only four year-classes were considered good during 1959–70. The rate and regularity of water warming during the spring spawning and incubation periods in 1960–70 had a positive effect on the density of egg deposits and the resulting year-class strength. Rates of warming were not themselves detrimental, but rather the extended length of the incubation period in cool springs increased the exposure of eggs to such negative influences as dislodgment from the spawning reefs by strong current action generated by spring storms, or siltation and low oxygen tensions. The annual brood stock size had much less influence on year-class strength than did water temperature. Reproductive success was unrelated to fluctuations in size of suitable reef spawning area caused by changes in water level. Apparently the usable spawning area at any water level is more than adequate to serve the limited walleye brood stocks.

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