Trophic ecology of largemouth bass and northern pike in allopatric and sympatric assemblages in northern boreal lakes

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (10) ◽  
pp. 1759-1766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig A Soupir ◽  
Michael L Brown ◽  
Larry W Kallemeyn
Keyword(s):  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Aquatic Insects ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Northern Pike ◽  
Boreal Lakes ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Top Predators

Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and northern pike (Esox lucius) are top predators in the food chain in most aquatic environments that they occupy; however, limited information exists on species interactions in the northern reaches of largemouth bass distribution. We investigated the seasonal food habits of allopatric and sympatric assemblages of largemouth bass and northern pike in six interior lakes within Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota. Percentages of empty stomachs were variable for largemouth bass (38-54%) and northern pike (34.7-66.7%). Fishes (mainly yellow perch, Perca flavescens) comprised greater than 60% (mean percent mass, MPM) of the northern pike diet during all seasons in both allopatric and sympatric assemblages. Aquatic insects (primarily Odonata and Hemiptera) were important in the diets of largemouth bass in all communities (0.0-79.7 MPM). Although largemouth bass were observed in the diet of northern pike, largemouth bass apparently did not prey on northern pike. Seasonal differences were observed in the proportion of aquatic insects (P = 0.010) and fishes (P = 0.023) in the diets of northern pike and largemouth bass. Based on three food categories, jackknifed classifications correctly classified 77 and 92% of northern pike and largemouth bass values, respectively. Percent resource overlap values were biologically significant (greater than 60%) during at least one season in each sympatric assemblage, suggesting some diet overlap.

scholarly journals Year-class variation drives interactions between warm-water predators and yellow perch

2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (9) ◽  
pp. 1330-1341 ◽  
Author(s):  
William W. Fetzer ◽  
Collin J. Farrell ◽  
James R. Jackson ◽  
Lars G. Rudstam
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Smallmouth Bass ◽  
Micropterus Dolomieu ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Class Strength

Walleye (Sander vitreus), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) are common top predators across many north temperate lakes, but no previous analyses have assessed factors driving their combined impact on mortality of a shared prey, yellow perch (Perca flavescens). We estimated consumption dynamics of walleye, smallmouth bass, and largemouth bass during 3 years that differed in age-0 yellow perch year-class strength and evaluated the relative contribution of each predator to age-0 yellow perch mortality, in Oneida Lake, New York, USA. Habitat-specific diet composition and population densities were integrated with temperature and growth rates to parameterize a bioenergetics model and estimate annual consumption of major diet items. Walleye were the dominant predator in both offshore and inshore habitats, while smallmouth bass and largemouth bass were also important inshore predators. Consumption of age-0 yellow perch by all three predators was positively correlated to age-0 yellow perch year-class strength, but our ability to account for age-0 yellow perch mortality decreased during years when year-class strength was strong. Within each year, predation by the three species accounted for all observed age-0 yellow perch mortality in late summer and fall, but not in the early summer, suggesting other predators in the lake likely predate on the youngest, most vulnerable yellow perch. These results are important for understanding how diverse predator communities can alter the spatial and temporal availability of prey refuges and influence mortality of a shared prey.

Drought-driven lake level decline: effects on coarse woody habitat and fishes

2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 315-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jereme W. Gaeta ◽  
Greg G. Sass ◽  
Stephen R. Carpenter
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Lake Level ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Little Rock ◽  
Littoral Habitat ◽  
Littoral Zones ◽  
Coarse Woody Habitat ◽  
Rock Lake

Research testing for the effects of climate change on lentic fishes has focused on changing thermal and dissolved oxygen regimes, but has often overlooked potential influences of altered lake levels on littoral habitat availability and species interactions. Natural littoral structures such as coarse woody habitat (CWH) can be critical to fishes for prey production, refuge, and spawning. Drought-driven lake level declines may strand these structures above the waterline and thereby remove them from littoral zones. A prolonged drought in northern Wisconsin, USA, allowed us to test for effects of lake level decline on CWH and the response of a fish community. During our study (2001–2009), the lake level of Little Rock Lake South declined over 1.1 m and >75% of the previously submerged CWH was lost from the littoral zone. The loss of CWH coincided with the forage fish species (yellow perch, Perca flavescens) falling below detection and reduced growth of the top piscivore (largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides). Our study highlights the importance of lake level fluctuations as a mechanism by which climate change may affect aquatic ecosystems and species interactions.

Mortality, Hematocrit, Osmolality, Electrolyte Regulation, and Fat Depletion of Young-of-the-Year Freshwater Fishes under Simulated Winter Conditions

1980 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L. Toneys ◽  
Daniel W. Coble
Keyword(s):  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Brook Trout ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Plasma Osmolality ◽  
Fat Content ◽  
Winter Conditions ◽  
All Solutions ◽  
Young Of The Year ◽  
Green Sunfish

In laboratory experiments young-of-the-year green sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus, largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, and yellow perch, Perca flavescens, were held for 4 mo under simulated winter conditions (2–4 °C; photoperiod of 9 h light: 15 h dark) in solutions of various osmotic strengths, from 90% distilled water to 1.0% NaCl. Mortality in three of five experiments often was greater in salt solutions, indicating that NaCl did not increase survival. Survival was greater for larger yellow perch than smaller but was not related to size in the other species. Hematocrit was depressed below control levels in all solutions at the end of experiments. The fish generally were able to regulate plasma osmotic concentration in all solutions except the highest NaCl concentrations, where plasma osmolality was often significantly higher than in the control at the end of experiments. Plasma Na+ and Cl− typically decreased and then recovered at low temperatures. Presence of Na+ and Cl− in the external medium tended to alleviate their loss from plasma. Changes in plasma Na+ and Cl− were not related to mortality in hypoionic solutions but usually did correspond to changes in plasma osmolality. Fat content of survivors declined and water content increased for all species, but the losses and gains were not related to osmolality of solutions. Low fat content probably was not a cause of death.Key words: Mortality, electrolyte regulation, osmolality, hematocrit, fat depletion, winter conditions, green sunfish, largemouth bass, brook trout, yellow perch, sodium, chloride

The effect of prey morphology and size on handling time in a piscivore, the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (8) ◽  
pp. 1972-1977 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Hoyle ◽  
Allen Keast
Keyword(s):  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Rana Catesbeiana ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Lepomis Macrochirus ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Handling Time ◽  
Morphological Type ◽  
Unit Weight ◽  
Prey Length

Handling time for prey of different sizes and morphological types was studied in the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Prey ranged in size from about 1/10 to 2/3 the length of the bass. Handling time increased rapidly with prey of increasing size. For prey of equivalent length, crayfish were the most time-consuming morphological type to handle and swallow, followed by bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans), bluntnose minnow (Pimephales notatus), and finally bullfrog tadpoles (Rana catesbeiana). The ratio of prey length to bass length that minimized handling time per unit weight of prey consumed, for prey types common in the diet of largemouth bass, was 0.22 for tadpoles, 0.24 for yellow perch and crayfish, and 0.29 for bluegill. Comparison of the experimentally derived optimum prey size based on handling time with that consumed by three natural populations showed that bass commonly chose prey of similar or smaller size than the optimal predicted. The reasons for this are discussed.

scholarly journals Comparative Vulnerability of Three Esocids to Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) predation

1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (12) ◽  
pp. 2095-2103 ◽  
Author(s):  
David H. Wahl ◽  
Roy A. Stein
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Northern Pike ◽  
Parent Species ◽  
Esox Masquinongy ◽  
Predation Rates

We compared vulnerability among tiger muskellunge (Esox masquinongy × E. lucius) (TM), northern pike (E. lucius) (NP), and muskellunge (E. masquinongy) (M) to predation by largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Equal numbers (about 25/ha) and sizes (either 145, 180, or 205 mm) of each esocid taxa were stocked into three reservoirs (40–89 ha) during 3 yr (five stockings total). Tiger muskellunge were significantly more susceptible to predation ([Formula: see text], range 1–53% mortality) than muskellunge ([Formula: see text], range 2–26%); northern pike were intermediate in susceptibility ([Formula: see text], range 2–35%). Esocid size influenced predation rates for all taxa; losses to predation by largemouth bass decreased from an average of 31% at 145 mm to 2% at 205 mm. Pond experiments (N = 7) provided results similar to reservoirs: TM>NP>M. In laboratory pools with simulated vegetation (N = 106 experiments), susceptibility to predation among esocids did not differ. Dispersal rates by esocids were similar in reservoirs and all taxa preferred vegetated habitats. However, differential habitat selection may partially explain why tiger muskellunge are more vulnerable to largemouth bass predation, as they spent more time in open than vegetated habitats in both pond and pool experiments than either of the parent species. For all taxa, stocking lengths [Formula: see text] in fall will increase survival by reducing predatory losses.

Influence of Environmental Factors and Piscivory in Structuring Fish Assemblages of Small Alberta Lakes

1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clifford L. K. Robinson ◽  
William M. Tonn
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Pimephales Promelas ◽  
Hierarchical Classification ◽  
Detrended Correspondence Analysis ◽  
Northern Pike ◽  
Boreal Lakes ◽  
Culaea Inconstans ◽  
Dominant Process

We surveyed 45 small lakes in central Alberta to determine if discrete, repeatable types of fish assemblages exist, to identify the main environmental and biotic processes likely responsible for assemblage-level patterns, and to compare and contrast Alberta patterns with those observed in other regions of North America. Overall, 11 species of fish were caught in 36 lakes; nine lakes were fishless. Hierarchical classification and detrended correspondence analysis of fish species presence/absence identified two main assemblage types, characterized by northern pike (Esox lucius) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) versus brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans) and fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). Pike/perch lakes were significantly deeper and larger than lakes of the stickleback/fathead assemblage type; however, a subset of the former group lacking yellow perch was environmentally similar to stickleback/fathead lakes. Piscivory by northern pike appears to be the dominant process maintaining nearly complete negative associations between members of the two assemblage types. Despite environmental and faunal-richness differences, our results were not unlike those from southern Ontario and northern Wisconsin. For small boreal lakes of North America, piscivory and processes related to a small number of environmental variables, such as maximum depth, surface area, and isolation, appear to be most important in structuring fish assemblages.

Comparative thermal biology and depth distribution of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and northern pike (Esox lucius) in an urban harbour of the Laurentian Great Lakes

2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (11) ◽  
pp. 767-776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler B. Peat ◽  
Lee F.G. Gutowsky ◽  
Susan E. Doka ◽  
Jonathan D. Midwood ◽  
Nicholas W.R. Lapointe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Largemouth Bass ◽  
Spatial Ecology ◽  
Habitat Management ◽  
Micropterus Salmoides ◽  
Northern Pike ◽  
Esox Lucius ◽  
Laurentian Great Lakes ◽  
Pike Esox Lucius

Understanding how individuals are distributed in space and time, as well as how they interact with dynamic environmental conditions, represent fundamental knowledge gaps for many fish species. Using acoustic telemetry tags, we monitored the temperatures and depths used by northern pike (Esox lucius L., 1758) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède, 1802)) in Toronto Harbour (Lake Ontario). Northern pike and largemouth bass had similar thermal experiences throughout the year, except during summer, when northern pike were observed in cooler waters than largemouth bass. Both species used different depths throughout the year, with northern pike occupying deeper depths. Statistical modelling indicated that depth usage was influenced by all variables (season, species, and body size) and interactions between them, whereas thermal preferences were influenced by the main effects and interactions between species:season and species : body size. Both species were observed at temperatures warmer than those in the vicinity of nearby telemetry stations, but as station temperatures exceeded 20 °C, northern pike moved into cooler water, indicating active thermoregulation. These data will be useful for refining our understanding of the spatial ecology of fish and for informing fisheries and habitat management in this and other urban harbours of the Laurentian Great Lakes.

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