Predation on Larval Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) and Lake Herring (C. artedii) by Adult Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax)

1986 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 812-818 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. Loftus ◽  
P. F. Hulsman
Keyword(s):  
Osmerus Mordax ◽  
Natural Mortality ◽  
Combined Effects ◽  
Coregonus Clupeaformis ◽  
Lake Whitefish ◽  
Daily Consumption ◽  
Rainbow Smelt ◽  
Recruitment Failure ◽  
Coregonid Larvae ◽  
Lake Herring

Rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) predation on larval lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) and lake herring (C. artedii) in Twelve Mile Lake, Ontario, was intense in 1984. Coregonid larvae hatched in early April as smelt spawning was ending. Predation was continuous for a 7-wk period, beginning at the onset of hatching. Numbers of coregonid larvae observed in smelt stomachs were directly proportional (p ≤ 0.005) to their abundance in the lake. During the week when the larvae were most abundant, they occurred in 93% of the smelt stomachs containing food. The corresponding average daily consumption was 8.4 larvae per smelt. Simulation of the combined effects of smelt predation and "natural" mortality indicated that mortality of lake whitefish may be 100%. Survival of herring larvae must be greatly reduced as well. Rainbow smelt became established in Twelve Mile Lake in the 1950's; their effect on larval whitefish survival may have been aggravated by intensified dipnetting of spawning lake whitefish during the 1960's. There has been little or no recruitment of young whitefish to the population since 1975, although dipnetting for adults ceased in about 1970. Our results support the hypothesis that the primary cause of recruitment failure of this whitefish population is predation by smelt.

Changes in the Multispecies, Winter Angling Fishery of Lake Simcoe, Ontario, 1961–83: Invasion by Rainbow Smelt, Osmerus mordax, and the Roles of Intra- and Interspecific Interactions

1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (S2) ◽  
pp. s182-s197 ◽  
Author(s):  
David O. Evans ◽  
Peter Waring
Keyword(s):  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Osmerus Mordax ◽  
Lake Whitefish ◽  
Rainbow Smelt ◽  
Lake Simcoe ◽  
Young Of The Year ◽  
Lake Herring

Winter creel surveys revealed major changes in the abundance of five fish species (lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush, lake whitefish, Coregonus clupeaformis, lake herring, Coregonus artedii, yellow perch, Perca flavescens, and rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax) in Lake Simcoe (1961–83). Variations in abundance were in part caused by intra- and interspecific factors. Catches in alternate years for both lake herring and rainbow smelt were inversely correlated, suggesting negative interactions between their young-of-the-year and yearlings. Similarly an inverse relation between parental stock size and recruitment explained a significant component of the catch variation of lake herring and yellow perch. Natural recruitment of lake trout declined during the 1950s (associated with eutrophication effects), and in the early 1960s, rainbow smelt invaded the fake. Lake whitefish abundance declined in the early 1970s as smelt abundance increased; the decline in whitefish recruitment was probably caused by interaction between smelt and whitefish young-of-the-year. Catches of yellow perch were positively correlated with rainbow smelt and negatively correlated with lake whitefish. Lake herring also increased when lake whitefish density was low. Increased abundance of lake trout after 1975 (due to stocking) appears to have resulted in lower densities of lake herring, rainbow smelt, and yellow perch and the reestablishment of lake whitefish recruitment at a low level. These results suggest that a large predator (lake trout) can have a major influence on the structure of a fish community, by direct and indirect effects.

Lake Herring (Coregonus artedi) and Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) Diets in Western Lake Superior

2004 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 407-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy B. Johnson ◽  
William P. Brown ◽  
Timothy D. Corry ◽  
Michael H. Hoff ◽  
Jill V. Scharold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lake Superior ◽  
Osmerus Mordax ◽  
Rainbow Smelt ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Coregonus Artedi ◽  
Lake Herring

scholarly journals Long-term Changes in the Fish Assemblage in Sandybeach Lake, Northern Ontario, Following the Introduction of Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax)

2017 ◽  
Vol 130 (4) ◽  
pp. 344
Author(s):  
Scott M Reid ◽  
Duncan B Wain
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblage ◽  
Pelagic Fish ◽  
Osmerus Mordax ◽  
Lake Whitefish ◽  
Rainbow Smelt ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Gill Nets ◽  
Long Term Changes ◽  
Native Fishes

Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax, Mitchill, 1814) has been widely introduced into lakes across North America and are reported to have an adverse effect on native fishes. In this study, we investigated the long-term changes to the pelagic fish assemblage in a northwestern Ontario lake (Sandybeach Lake) after Rainbow Smelt were introduced in the 1980s. We repeated an earlier summer, pelagic gill-netting survey of Sandybeach Lake and a nearby reference lake (Little Vermillion Lake) that does not contain Rainbow Smelt. Fishes throughout the water column were sampled with overnight sets of 5.2-m-deep, multi-mesh horizontal gill-nets. Compared with 1990 pelagic sampling, native fishes were significantly less abundant, less diverse, and largely absent from the deeper parts of Sandybeach Lake in 2012. Cisco (Coregonus artedi, Lesueur, 1818), Emerald Shiner (Notropis atherinoides Rafinesque, 1818), and Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis, Mitchill, 1814) were notably absent in 2012. In contrast, Rainbow Smelt remained abundant at all depths sampled. A small number of ciscoes — including Shortjaw Cisco (Coregonus zenithicus (Jordan and Evermann, 1909)) — and Lake Whitefish were captured from benthic gill-nets. Based on the lack of ciscoes in pelagic gill-nets, the very old ages (mean 30 years) of the few individuals captured in benthic gill-nets, and a severely skewed sex ratio, it is highly likely that ciscoes will be extirpated from Sandybeach Lake. Although the composition of the pelagic fish assemblage differed between years, Cisco was still abundant in Little Vermillion Lake with the presence of young individuals indicating ongoing recruitment.

Interspecific Relations among Fish Species in South Bay, Lake Huron, 1949–84

1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (S2) ◽  
pp. s10-s14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan A. Henderson ◽  
F. E. J. Fry
Keyword(s):  
Fish Species ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Lake Huron ◽  
Osmerus Mordax ◽  
Alosa Pseudoharengus ◽  
White Sucker ◽  
Lake Whitefish ◽  
Rainbow Smelt ◽  
Coregonus Artedii

Of the nine species caught in pound and gill nets in South Bay, Lake Huron (lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax), lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), splake (S. namaycush × S. fontinalis), burbot (Lota lota), lake hering (Coregonus artedii), alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), white sucker (Catostomus commersoni), and yellow perch (Perca flavescens)), only yellow perch, white sucker, and lake whitefish were significantly related to the abundances of all other fish species (multiple regression) from 1965 to 1984. For the longer period (pound nets 1949–84), all but smelt, burbot, and white sucker were dependent upon variations in the abundance of the nine other species. For the same period (1965–84) and species (nine), the abundances only of yellow perch and white suckers were significantly and positively related in two basins of the Bay. None of the inverse correlations between species abundances was significant in both basins. Within the Outer Basin, only the correlations between alewife and lake herring (r = −0.49, r = −0.45) and yellow perch and white sucker (r = +0.55, r = +0.47) were significant in the same direction for both time periods (1949–64 and 1965–84, respectively). We concluded that there was little evidence that the abundances of species were affected significantly by interspecific influences.

Lake Superior Revisited 1984

1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (S2) ◽  
pp. s23-s36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne R. MacCallum ◽  
James H. Selgeby
Keyword(s):  
Fish Community ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Pacific Salmon ◽  
Lake Superior ◽  
Sea Lamprey ◽  
Osmerus Mordax ◽  
Coregonus Clupeaformis ◽  
Rainbow Smelt ◽  
Coregonus Artedii ◽  
Historical Levels

The Lake Superior fish community has changed substantially since the early 1960s, when control of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) became effective. Self-reproducing stocks of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) have been reestablished in many inshore areas, although they have not yet reached pre-sea lamprey abundance; offshore lake trout are probably at or near pre-sea lamprey abundance. Stocks of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) appear to have fully recovered; commercial catches are at or above historical levels. Lake herring (Coregonus artedii) are recovering rapidly in U.S. waters and are abundant in western Canadian waters. The population of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax), which declined in the 1970s, is recovering. Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus) are becoming more abundant as a result of increased stocking in U.S. waters and are reproducing in most suitable tributaries; they have become significant in anglers' creels.

Balancing Fisheries Management and Water Uses for Impounded River Systems

2008 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Net Energy ◽  
Osmerus Mordax ◽  
Natural Mortality ◽  
Prey Fish ◽  
Rainbow Smelt ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Bioenergetics Modeling ◽  
Energy Gains ◽  
Regulation Changes

<em>Abstract</em>.—Following the collapse of the primary prey fish species in Lake Oahe (rainbow smelt <em>Osmerus mordax</em>), liberalized harvest regulations were imposed on walleyes <em>Sander vitreus</em>, the primary piscivore, to decrease predation on smelt and facilitate their recovery. To evaluate the success of this regulation, we conducted a 5-year tagging study to evaluate fishing and natural mortality rates before and after the regulation went into effect. Total annual mortality for both male and female walleyes increased substantially in the 3 years following liberalized regulations (53% preregulation to 75% postregulation). Mortality rates were similar across the size range of female walleyes during the 2 years prior to the liberalized regulation but increased with female size after regulations were enacted. Mortality rates for males generally increased with total length but in a similar fashion before and after the regulation. Exploitation rates increased slightly after the regulation (18% preregulation to 22% postregulation), primarily due to harvest of smaller than 381mm walleyes. Although fishing mortality increased after liberalization, the overall decline in walleye abundance was primarily due to natural mortality of larger (>381 mm) individuals. Bioenergetics modeling showed that smelt accounted for 86–99% of consumed energy by walleyes when smelt were abundant (1993–1994) but only 20–46% after the smelt population declined (2001–2002). Size-specific patterns in net energy gain showed distinct differences between the two periods. In the 1990s, consumption of rainbow smelt alone resulted in positive net energy gains ranging from 370 to 2,304 kcal/fish/year. However, in the 2000s, consumption of rainbow smelt was insufficient to meet daily energy requirements, resulting in negative net energy values (–1,015 to –133 kcal/fish/year). To grow under these conditions, walleyes larger than 350 mm had to consume alternative prey that included macroinvertebrates and other prey fish taxa. Because the predator–prey imbalance in our study was largely compensatory, regulation changes aimed at improving the prey base (i.e., increasing smelt abundance) should be carefully planned and implemented. Our analyses showed that rapid implementation of regulation changes (i.e., minimize lag time) combined with increased harvest of older, larger predators provided the most parsimonious response to this situation by allowing harvest of fish that were otherwise lost to natural mortality.

Predation by Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) on Lake Herring (Coregonus artedii) in Western Lake Superior

1978 ◽  
Vol 35 (11) ◽  
pp. 1457-1463 ◽  
Author(s):  
James H. Selgeby ◽  
Wayne R. MacCallum ◽  
Donald V. Swedberg
Keyword(s):  
Lake Superior ◽  
Commercial Production ◽  
Osmerus Mordax ◽  
Rainbow Smelt ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Coregonus Artedii ◽  
Historical Levels ◽  
Lake Herring

The stock of lake herring (Coregonus artedii) in the Apostle Islands (Wisconsin) region of western Lake Superior has diminished severely during the past 30 yr, and predation by rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) on herring larvae has been considered a possible cause of this decline. In contrast, the herring stock in Black Bay, 160 km to the northeast, has remained nearly stable despite the presence of large numbers of smelt and high commercial production of herring. Predator–prey interactions were studied in both areas during 1974. Herring larvae and smelt were about 120 and 3 times as dense, respectively, in Black Bay as in the Apostle Islands region. Substantial predation by smelt on young herring was evident in Black Bay, where 17% of 1195 smelt stomachs examined contained herring larvae. From calculations of the relative densities of the two species, and of the daily ration of the predators, we estimated that smelt consumed 3.3–11% of the herring larvae. Nevertheless, the herring stocks have sustained average historical levels of commercial production. In contrast, no herring larvae were found in the stomachs of 1711 smelt collected in the Apostle Islands region. We conclude that predation by smelt on herring larvae is not the major factor controlling or suppressing herring stocks in either region. Key words: lake herring, rainbow smelt, predation, Lake Superior

Colonization of Inland Lakes in the Great Lakes Region by Rainbow Smelt, Osmerus mordax: Their Freshwater Niche and Effects on Indigenous Fishes

1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (S2) ◽  
pp. s249-s266 ◽  
Author(s):  
David O. Evans ◽  
David H. Loftus
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Lake Trout ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Osmerus Mordax ◽  
Rainbow Smelt ◽  
Predator Species ◽  
Inland Lakes ◽  
Recruitment Failure ◽  
Indigenous Fishes

Rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax, have colonized numerous inland lakes in eastern North America, primarily as a result of introductions by humans. Smelt often establish large populations in these lakes and influence indigenous fishes both directly (predation) and indirectly (competition). Smelt have a eurythermal life history, which results in spatial segregation of their larvae, juvenile, and adults, and are omnivorous feeders, eating a range of food types from zooplankton to fish. As a result, smelt interact strongly with a wide spectrum of prey and predator species. Effects on other species are mediated via food web interactions resulting in recruitment and growth changes in some species and redirection of energy flow and storage. Species most often affected are cold-water and cool-water species whose niches are most similar to juvenile and adult smelt. Increased growth rates of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and recruitment failure of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) are the best documented responses to invasion by smelt. Many other species are probably also affected, although the effects vary greatly between lakes. Variation in the smelt metabolic niche (as expressed by relative growth efficiency) is due to variations in prey size and availability and is reflected in differences in smelt body size between lakes. Smelt body size, in turn, is related to the variable effects that they have on other species.

Temperature Tolerance of Young-of-the-Year Lake Whitefish, Coregonus clupeaformis

1976 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Edsall ◽  
Donald V. Rottiers
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Tolerance ◽  
Coregonus Clupeaformis ◽  
Lake Whitefish ◽  
Lethal Temperature ◽  
Young Of The Year ◽  
Coregonus Artedii ◽  
Coregonus Hoyi ◽  
Lake Herring

The ultimate upper lethal temperature of young-of-the-year lake whitefish, Coregonus clupeaformis, was 26.65 C; this value is closely similar to that reported for yearling bloaters, Coregonus hoyi (26.75 C) and young-of-the-year lake herring, Coregonus artedii (26.0 C).

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