Response of fish communities to different levels of white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) biomanipulation in five temperate lakes

2001 ◽  
Vol 58 (10) ◽  
pp. 1998-2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Brodeur ◽  
Pierre Magnan ◽  
Michel Legault

The goal of this study was to evaluate the response of white sucker (Catostomus commersoni), brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), and other fish species to the mass removal of white sucker in five Québec (Canada) lakes. White sucker removal ranged from 14.2 kg·ha–1 to 31.3 kg·ha–1 3 years after mass removal. In four of the study lakes, the proportion of 2+ to 4+ white sucker increased following mass removal. Mean catch and biomass per unit of effort of 1+ brook trout increased significantly in the lakes where white sucker removal was highest. All white sucker populations experienced growth increases after mass removal, and improved brook trout growth was observed in lakes where the most intensive mass removal occurred. These growth increases led to higher mean length at maturity in white sucker females and decreases in mean age at maturity in white sucker males and brook trout males and females. Mean adjusted fecundity significantly increased in white sucker and brook trout in lakes where mass removal was most intense. The present study suggests that white sucker and brook trout exhibit compensatory responses following a reduction of intra- and inter-specific competition and that these responses are related to the intensity of mass removal.

1990 ◽  
Vol 47 (12) ◽  
pp. 2278-2284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Lachance ◽  
Pierre Magnan

Wild and hybrid strains of brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, showed better rates of recovery (by angling) and yield (kilograms of fish recovered per kilogram planted) than a domestic strain, during the 2 yr following planting, in six small oligotrophic lakes of the Laurentian Shield. Native brook trout and white sucker, Catostomus commersoni, had a significant impact on planted brook trout. Recovery, percent of increment in weight and yield of each planted strain were inversely correlated with (1) the relative abundance of native brook trout, and (2) the occurrence of white sucker, supporting hypotheses of intra- and interspecific competition. Furthermore, the response variables were also inversely correlated with the number of potential competitors, indicating that the impact of native brook trout and white sucker was additive. The recovery in number of planted trout (both years and all strains) was approximately four times higher in lakes with effectively no competitors than in lakes containing both white sucker and native brook trout; the increase in weight was nearly three times higher, and the yield was more than nine times higher. The performances of planted fish were intermediate in the lake containing only native brook trout as competitor.


2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 747-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Magnan ◽  
Raphaël Proulx ◽  
Michel Plante

We used data from 17 populations of lacustrine brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) of the Canadian Shield, southern Quebec, to test whether early maturity (in males and females) and high reproductive effort (in females) are associated with increased (i) fish exploitation (sportfishing) and (ii) interspecific competition through their effects on growth and survival. The age at maturity of males and females was inversely related to the intensity of both fishing and interspecific competition. Fishing and interspecific competition affect the age at maturity through their effect on adult survival but not on growth, supporting predictions of life history models based on survival. In contrast, we did not find consistent effects of interspecific competition and fishing on the gonadosomatic index of females, which was directly related to survival (in all populations) and to the age at maturity (in exploited populations). These latter results are contrary to the predictions of life history models under the assumption that survival is directly related to growth rate. Our results suggest that reproductive effort and age at maturity are not dependent on growth when survival is independent of growth, as is the case in exploited and sympatric populations experiencing low adult survival but high growth.


1991 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 857-867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serge Tremblay ◽  
Pierre Magnan

We compared spatial distribution and food habits of an allopatric brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) population to one living sympatrically with white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) in two small oligotrophic lakes. Small brook trout (< 20 cm) of both sympatric and allopatric populations were more abundant in the littoral than in the offshore zone whereas large [Formula: see text] were found equally in both habitats in May. From June to August, small and large trout from both populations shifted to the offshore zone; this shift was more pronounced for small sympatric trout. Allopatric trout fed mainly on zoobenthos whereas sympatric trout fed mainly on zooplankton except small ones which ate mostly zoobenthos during May and June. White sucker (< 20 and [Formula: see text]) were generally found in the littoral zone, feeding mainly on zoobenthos. These results suggest that brook trout shifted their spatial distribution and/or their feeding habits in the presence of white sucker and that the nature of these interactions varied according to fish size. Diet overlap between trout and sucker was the lowest when the biomass of benthic prey in the littoral zone was lowest (July), indicating that the intensity of interaction among these species varies according to the abundance of food resources.


1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (7) ◽  
pp. 1304-1312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Dubois ◽  
Pierre Magnan ◽  
David J. Marcogliese

White sucker, Catostomus commersoni, has been introduced in many brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, lakes of the Laurentian Shield, Quebec, Canada. The goal of this study was to assess the impact of these introductions on the parasite fauna of brook trout. Three lakes containing brook trout only and three lakes containing both brook trout and white sucker were studied. The objectives were (i) to determine if white sucker parasites were able to colonise the relatively oligotrophic lakes of the Laurentian Shield, (ii) to establish if parasites were exchanged between sucker and trout, and (iii) to study the effect of trout feeding habits on their parasite fauna, since this fish shifts its diet from zoobenthos to Zooplankton when living with white sucker. Eight of the 12 parasite species found on white sucker probably colonised the lakes with their host. Among the 11 parasite species identified from trout, it is unlikely that any were introduced by white sucker. Trout living with white sucker have more parasites transmitted by Zooplankton (Diphyllobothrium ditremum and Eubothrium salvelini) and fewer parasites transmitted by zoobenthos (Crepidostomum farionis and Sterliadochona ephemeridarum) than trout living in allopatry. Local factors such as lake morphometrics also seemed to play an important role in the composition of the trout parasite fauna.


1990 ◽  
Vol 47 (12) ◽  
pp. 2285-2292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Lachance ◽  
Pierre Magnan

Two years after planting in six small oligotrophic lakes, domestic, hybrid and wild strains of brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, used space and food resources in the same way as native trout. Although trout living with or without white sucker, Catostomus commersoni, were similarly spatially distributed, they had different diets, suggesting a feeding niche shift of trout in the presence of sucker; we concluded that this shift is under phenotypic control because each planted strain came from similar genetic backgrounds. Sexual maturity was related to the size of individuals, regardless of the strain, and males matured before females. Almost all males and females were sexually mature in the first fall after stocking except wild females (3.0 and 75% matured during the first and second fall, respectively). Gonadosomatic indices (GSI) of domestic and hybrid females were similar during the first fall, but the GSI of domestic females was significantly higher than that of hybrid and wild strains in the second fail. Mean egg diameters were similar among the three strains during the two falls, but fecundity of domestic females, after correction for size differences, was significantly higher than that of hybrid females which, in turn, was significantly higher than that of wild ones.


1971 ◽  
Vol 28 (11) ◽  
pp. 1745-1748 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Beamish ◽  
H. Tsuyuki

White (Catostomus commersoni) and longnose (C. catostomus) suckers possess diploid complements of 98 chromosomes, including metacentrics, submetacentrics, and acrocentrics. White sucker karyotypes differ consistently from longnose karyotypes by the presence of an additional four metacentrics. The karyotypes of the size and age at maturity of variants of white suckers were indistinguishable. Biochemically, longnose and white suckers are distinctive with respect to muscle myogens, hemoglobins, serum esterases, serum and muscle lactate dehydrogenases, and serum transferrins. The last group of proteins provides a clear genetic separation of the large-sized, late-maturing, and the dwarf, early-maturing white suckers. The former is polymorphic for serum transferrins.


1981 ◽  
Vol 38 (12) ◽  
pp. 1672-1684 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Fraser

Matched plantings of domestic strain and interstrain hybrid (or wild strain) brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) were made annually in nine small Precambrian Shield lakes during 1973–77. Recoveries of planted fish were made by gillnetting and/or angling during 1974–80. In six study lakes, hybrids (and wild strains) were recovered at rates two to four times greater than the domestic strain; in three lakes recoveries were similar. Most domestic strain trout were caught in the year following planting whereas recoveries of hybrids and wild strains were spread over 3–4 yr. Each kilogram of hybrid (or wild) planted yielded 5.6 kg (1.2–12.3); each kilogram of domestic strain planted yielded 0.8 kg (0.2–2.1). Lakes containing only minnows and sticklebacks yielded the highest returns of brook trout; lakes containing competitive species yielded low returns. Rapid growth of brook trout occurred in lakes containing only minnows and sticklebacks; slowest growth was noted in lakes supporting white suckers (Catostomus commersoni). Domestic strain brook trout and the matched hybrid grew at approximately the same rate within a lake and in seven of the nine lakes ate the same food. The performance of the Nipigon × domestic hybrid qualifies it for consideration as a replacement for the domestic brook trout presently planted in Ontario lakes.Key words: planting, brook trout, trout strain, hybrid, Precambrian Shield, survival, stock


1992 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 1001-1009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvain Lacasse ◽  
Pierre Magnan

From a survey of 12 lakes containing brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, 12 lakes containing brook trout and creek chub, Semotilus atromaculatus, and 13 lakes containing brook trout and white sucker, Catostomus commersoni, we built seven multiple linear regression models to account for the mean percent weight of different prey categories in the diet of brook trout. Presence of chub and sucker, zooplankton community structure, sampling date, morphoedaphic index, and the importance of rock outcrops accounted for 88% of the variation in weight of zoobenthos eaten by trout, which was the preferred prey in allopatry. Thirty percent of the variation in weight of zooplankton eaten by trout was explained by the importance of macrophytes and other refuges for fish. Models for amphipods, dipteran pupae, swimming insects, terrestrial insects, and prey-fish explained between 36 and 63% of the variation. The presence of white sucker or an index of their impact (mean length or density of Cladocera) and the characteristics of littoral habitats appeared in six of seven models. Littorasl habitats seemed particularly determinant for the inclusion of prey-fish in the diet, more prey-fish being eaten when regufes were abundant. Variables related to lake morphometry and physicochemistry appeared less regularly in the models.


1964 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 847-856 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. W. H. Beamish

Oxygen consumption was determined in relation to spontaneous activity and standard metabolism estimated by extrapolating the values to zero activity, Standard oxygen consumption was determined in relation to different partial pressures of carbon dioxide and oxygen for brook trout. Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill), at 10 °C, and carp, Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, at 25 °C. In general, at each partial pressure of oxygen applied, standard oxygen consumption did not change significantly over the range of partial pressures of carbon dioxide followed. The relation for brook trout operated on a level characteristic of the partial pressure of oxygen. Although the effect of different levels of oxygen was not established for carp at 25 °C, it is presumed that the relation operated also in that species in a similar way.Acclimation to the different levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen to be tested was examined and, ordinarily, found not to change significantly the standard rate of oxygen consumption.


1998 ◽  
Vol 55 (9) ◽  
pp. 2078-2086 ◽  
Author(s):  
L M Hewitt ◽  
K R Munkittrick ◽  
G J Van Der Kraak ◽  
I M Scott ◽  
L P Schleen ◽  
...  

Recent laboratory studies with nontarget fish species have shown that the lampricide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) exhibits estrogenic activity through binding to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) hepatic estrogen receptors and induction of vitellogenin in hepatocyte cultures. In addition, mixed function oxygenase (MFO) activity associated with exposure to field formulations has been attributed in part to the presence of chloro-nitro-trifluoromethyl-dibenzo-p-dioxin impurities. To investigate the environmental effects associated with these findings, the temporal and spatial patterns of MFO activity and vitellogenin induction were monitored in three nontarget fish species following a TFM field treatment. Elevated MFO activity was detected as early as 1 day in caged rainbow trout and activity in trout, wild white sucker (Catostomus commersoni), and longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae) peaked 2 or 3 days after treatment. Highest activities were observed in fish exposed closest to lampricide application points and declined with increasing distance downstream. After 18 days, MFO activity was reduced but remained almost sevenfold reference values at several sites. Plasma vitellogenin was not detected in caged trout sampled 6 and 18 days post-treatment, and dioxin impurities were not detected in sediments after treatment. It was concluded that laboratory testing underestimated the duration of MFO activity under field conditions and that an assessment of formulation exposure during sensitive life stages represents an area for further study.


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