scholarly journals Night-time predation on post-settlement Japanese black rockfish Sebastes cheni in a macroalgal bed: effect of body length on the predation rate

2013 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 1022-1029 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hikari Kinoshita ◽  
Yasuhiro Kamimura ◽  
Ken-Ichiro Mizuno ◽  
Jun Shoji
Keyword(s):  
Body Length ◽  
Juvenile Fish ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Predation Rate ◽  
Selective Predation ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Black Rockfish ◽  
Piscivorous Fish ◽  
Fish Predators ◽  
Sebastes Cheni

Abstract Recent field studies have pointed out that the vulnerability of juvenile fish to predation is higher than anticipated during night-time in vegetated habitats. Effects of abundance, body length, and growth rate on predation were examined in juvenile Japanese black rockfish in 2009–2011 in a macroalgal bed. Juvenile rockfish abundance ranged between 2.5 and 49.0 ind. 100 m–2 and the biomass of potential predators (piscivorous fish >82.5 mm) between 140.0 and 601.3 g 100 m−2. Sebastes inermis was the most dominant predator, compromising more than 50% by wet weight on all sampling days. Comparison of the total length of juveniles surviving (as original population, OP) and that of juveniles ingested (IG) by predators provided the evidence of the size-selective predation on juvenile rockfish on three of seven sampling days. The juvenile predation rate estimated as abundance of IG (N 100 m−2)/(abundance of IG + OP (N 100 m−2)) × 100100 varied between 0.4 and 12.5%. Neither juvenile rockfish abundance nor predator biomass had a significant effect on the juvenile predation rate, whereas the juvenile body length had a significant effect, smaller individuals being more vulnerable to predation. The growth-selective predation was not detected. Macroalgal habitats, although functioning as nurseries during the day, may contribute as feeding grounds for piscivorous fish predators at night leading to enhanced nocturnal predation rates.

CHAETOPHLEPSIS NASELLENSIS, A DIPTEROUS PARASITOID OF THE WESTERN HEMLOCK LOOPER (LEPIDOPTERA: GEOMETRIDAE)

1977 ◽  
Vol 109 (8) ◽  
pp. 1121-1128
Author(s):  
Richard D. Medley ◽  
V. M. Carolin
Keyword(s):  
Body Length ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Instar Larva ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Larval Instars ◽  
First Instar ◽  
Western Hemlock Looper ◽  
Lambdina Fiscellaria Lugubrosa ◽  
Hemlock Looper

AbstractPreserved material from 1962 field studies provided information on the habits and morphology of the tachinid parasitoid Chaetophlepsis nasellensis Reinhard. Parasitization of the larvae of the western hemlock looper, Lambdina fiscellaria lugubrosa (Hulst), continues over a 30- to 40-day period. Maggots issue from the host larvae and drop to the ground to pupate. The pupae normally overwinter, with adults emerging the following spring or summer. The early first-instar larva differs markedly from the late first-instar. The three instars can be distinguished on the basis of body length and the structure and form of the buccopharyngeal apparatus. The first and third larval instars and the puparium are distinctive enough to permit easy identification during studies of the western hemlock looper and associated loopers.

scholarly journals Juvenile fish in Cystoseira forests: influence of habitat complexity and depth on fish behaviour and assemblage composition

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
AMALIA CUADROS ◽  
JOAN MORANTA ◽  
LUIS CARDONA ◽  
PIERRE THIRIET ◽  
PATRICE FRANCOUR ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Length ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Juvenile Fish ◽  
The Body ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Independent Effect ◽  
Depth Range ◽  
Canopy Volume

The sublittoral forests formed by the fucoid algae Cystoseira spp. are important juvenile habitats for many Mediterranean fish species. However, the spatial variability of juvenile fish assemblages within the forests and the potential environmental drivers, such as depth and habitat complexity, remain poorly understood. We estimated densities, sizes and behaviours of juvenile fish assemblages in subtidal (0-15 meters) Cystoseira brachycarpa var. balearica forests in north Minorca Island (North-western Mediterranean Sea) over two consecutive autumns (2012 and 2013). Depth and forest complexity, here measured as canopy volume, had both a significant and independent effect on the juvenile fish assemblages in terms of species abundance composition and body size. Assemblages found in the shallowest depth range (3-4m) were characterized by greater densities of the ornate wrasse Thalassoma pavo, while those deeper (10-12m) had higher densities of the rainbow wrasse Coris julis, independently of its size composition. Juveniles of both species were more abundant in less complex forests; conversely juveniles of wrasses of the genus Symphodus were more abundant in more complex forests. The smallest sizes of T. pavo occurred in the most complex forests. On the other hand, our results demonstrated that juvenile fish behaviours were unrelated to the complexity of the Cystoseira forests but mainly related to the body length. The effects of body length on behaviour were however species dependent. Cryptic and transitory behaviours were mostly observed in the smallest and largest juveniles of T. pavo and C. julis, respectively, while the behaviour of Symphodus spp. was unrelated to their body length. Our study emphasises the importance of preserving healthy Cystoseira forests and their intrinsic patchy nature, as this habitat, with its mosaic of different complexity degrees and bathymetrical variability, enable the presence of different fish species at various life stages.

Size-selective predation by river otter (Lontra canadensis) improves refuge properties of shallow coastal marine nursery habitats

2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (11) ◽  
pp. 1324-1328 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Cote ◽  
R. S. Gregory ◽  
H. M.J. Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Shallow Water ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Juvenile Fish ◽  
Lontra Canadensis ◽  
River Otter ◽  
Fish Nursery ◽  
Piscivorous Fish ◽  
Risk Of Predation ◽  
Nursery Habitats

Young fish often avoid deep water to reduce predation risk from larger fish. Less clear are explanations for the avoidance of shallows by large piscivorous fish; however, one hypothesis suggests that this distribution reduces contact with depth-limited semi-aquatic mammal and bird piscivores. We determined prey size selection of the river otter ( Lontra canadensis (Schreber, 1777)) to test the hypothesis that larger fish are at elevated risk in shallow coastal waters in Newman Sound, Newfoundland, during June–November 2001 and May 2002. We compared otter diet (scat analysis) and prey availability (seine sampling) to test this hypothesis. Five fish taxa (Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua L., 1758), Greenland cod ( Gadus ogac Richardson, 1836), shorthorn sculpin ( Myoxocephalus scorpius (L., 1758)), cunner ( Tautogolabrus adspersus (Walbaum, 1792)), and winter flounder ( Pseudopleuronectes americanus (Walbaum, 1792))) dominated the shallow-water fish community and were sufficiently abundant in otter scats to examine feeding preferences. Larger, piscivorous fish were selected by otters, suggesting that they were at greater risk of predation than smaller fish, consistent with our hypothesis that depth-limited, diurnally active predators restrict large fish from hunting in shallow water during daytime. We suggest that depth-limited air-breathing predators may reduce the presence of such predatory fish in shallow-water juvenile fish nursery habitats.

scholarly journals Carotenoid-based colour of acanthocephalan cystacanths plays no role in host manipulation

2008 ◽  
Vol 276 (1654) ◽  
pp. 169-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Kaldonski ◽  
Marie-Jeanne Perrot-Minnot ◽  
Raphaël Dodet ◽  
Guillaume Martinaud ◽  
Frank Cézilly
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Selective Predation ◽  
Trophic Transmission ◽  
Pomphorhynchus Laevis ◽  
Fish Predators ◽  
Yellow Orange ◽  
Behavioural Alteration ◽  
Orange Spot

Manipulation by parasites is a catchy concept that has been applied to a large range of phenotypic alterations brought about by parasites in their hosts. It has, for instance, been suggested that the carotenoid-based colour of acanthocephalan cystacanths is adaptive through increasing the conspicuousness of infected intermediate hosts and, hence, their vulnerability to appropriate final hosts such as fish predators. We revisited the evidence in favour of adaptive coloration of acanthocephalan parasites in relation to increased trophic transmission using the crustacean amphipod Gammarus pulex and two species of acanthocephalans, Pomphorhynchus laevis and Polymorphus minutus . Both species show carotenoid-based colorations, but rely, respectively, on freshwater fish and aquatic bird species as final hosts. In addition, the two parasites differ in the type of behavioural alteration brought to their common intermediate host. Pomphorhynchus laevis reverses negative phototaxis in G. pulex , whereas P. minutus reverses positive geotaxis. In aquaria, trout showed selective predation for P. laevis -infected gammarids, whereas P. minutus -infected ones did not differ from uninfected controls in their vulnerability to predation. We tested for an effect of parasite coloration on increased trophic transmission by painting a yellow–orange spot on the cuticle of uninfected gammarids and by masking the yellow–orange spot of infected individuals with inconspicuous brown paint. To enhance realism, match of colour between painted mimics and true parasite was carefully checked using a spectrometer. We found no evidence for a role of parasite coloration in the increased vulnerability of gammarids to predation by trout. Painted mimics did not differ from control uninfected gammarids in their vulnerability to predation by trout. In addition, covering the place through which the parasite was visible did not reduce the vulnerability of infected gammarids to predation by trout. We discuss alternative evolutionary explanations for the origin and maintenance of carotenoid-based colorations in acanthocephalan parasites.

scholarly journals Conspecifics, not plant reproductive tissues, reduce omnivore prey consumption

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Rinehart ◽  
J.D. Long
Keyword(s):  
Population Level ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Predation Rate ◽  
Scale Insect ◽  
Prey Consumption ◽  
Intraspecific Interactions ◽  
Conspecific Density ◽  
Reproductive Tissues ◽  
Consumption Rates ◽  
Per Capita

AbstractPlant reproductive tissues (PRTs) can decrease (via reduced consumption) or increase (via numerical response) an omnivores consumption of animal prey. Although PRTs can increase predation pressure through numerical responses of omnivores, PRTs may also suppress predation by increasing omnivore interactions with conspecifics. Despite this potential, studies of the impacts of PRTs on predation by omnivores often overlook the effect of these tissues on intraspecific interactions between omnivores. We designed three studies to examine how PRTs and conspecific density impact prey consumption by ladybeetle omnivores. First, we assessed how PRTs impact scale insect consumption by isolated ladybeetles. Second, we measured how PRTs influence ladybeetle prey suppression when numerical responses were possible. Third, because initial experiments suggested the consumption rates of individual ladybeetles depended upon conspecific density, we compared per capita consumption rates of ladybeetles across ladybeetle density. PRTs did not influence prey consumption by isolated ladybeetles. When numerical responses were possible, PRTs did not influence total predation on prey despite increasing ladybeetle density, suggesting that PRTs decreased per capita prey consumption by ladybeetles. The discrepancy between our lab and field studies is likely a consequence of differences in ladybeetle density - the presence of only two other conspecifics decreased per capita prey consumption by 76%. Our findings suggest that PRTs may not alter the population level effects of omnivores on prey when omnivore numerical responses are offset by reductions in per capita predation rate.

Planktivorous fish positively select Daphnia bearing advanced embryos

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Zemanová ◽  
Michal Šorf ◽  
Josef Hejzlar ◽  
Vanda Šorfová ◽  
Jaroslav Vrba
Keyword(s):  
Body Length ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Fish Predation ◽  
Lower Proportion ◽  
Planktivorous Fish ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Selective Elimination ◽  
Fish Predators ◽  
Food Conditions

The top-down effect of fish predation on reproduction success of Daphnia females was investigated in an outdoor mesocosm experiment with natural (oligotrophic) food conditions. The planktivorous fish, sunbleak (Leucaspius delineatus, 4.9 individuals m–3) was introduced into a half of mesocosms after the first sampling of zooplankton to compare daphnid life-history traits with and without fish predators. Our results showed selective fish predation on the daphnid females with advanced developmental stages of embryos. The Daphnia populations exposed to fish exhibited a lower proportion of females with advanced embryos over those with earlier embryonal stages. Fish predators obviously were attracted to more visible females bearing larger embryos, with well-developed pigmented eyes. Simultaneously, we found a smaller daphnid body length in the mesocosms with fish than in those that were fishless. However, the daphnid clutch size did not reflect their body-length pattern and, surprisingly, decreased regardless of fish presence or absence since the first sampling day, probably owing to deterioration of food quality (mean seston carbon:phosphorus ratio ~238). Nevertheless, this selective elimination of the females with advanced embryos, together with the overall decrease in daphnid fitness, can strengthen the deceleration of its population growth under fish predation.

scholarly journals Consumption of juvenile herring (Clupea harengus) by cod (Gadus morhua) in the Barents Sea: a new approach to estimating consumption in piscivorous fish

2004 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geir Odd Johansen ◽  
Bjarte Bogstad ◽  
Sigbjørn Mehl ◽  
Øyvind Ulltang
Keyword(s):  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Predation Rate ◽  
Clupea Harengus ◽  
Time Range ◽  
Digestion Time ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Piscivorous Fish ◽  
The Barents Sea

Consumption of different age groups of juvenile, Norwegian, spring-spawning herring (Clupea harengus) by northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua) in the Barents Sea in 1992–1997 is estimated using cod stomach content data. We present a new approach to the problem of estimating consumption by fish. The new method is based on the estimation of digestion time for single prey items based on the difference between fresh weight at ingestion and weight in the stomach at time of sampling. Estimation is based on a gastric evacuation model for cod and area-specific sea temperatures. This is used to estimate the time (tmax) it takes for a prey to become digested to a stage where length is no longer measurable. Predation rate is then estimated for all prey with digestion time ≤tmax as number of prey eaten in the time range defined by tmax. This rate is combined with estimates of the proportion of the cod stock consuming the prey and area-specific abundance of cod, giving consumption of herring on a seasonal and yearly basis. The consumption estimates differ from those obtained using current methods. Predation mortality of herring is estimated directly from the consumption estimates by combining them with acoustic herring abundance data.

Move Over! Studying Flatfish Travel Patterns to Profile Fish Behavior

2012 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 164-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry Aultman ◽  
Mary Carla Curran
Keyword(s):  
Body Length ◽  
Juvenile Fish ◽  
Human Movement ◽  
Step Length ◽  
Fish Behavior ◽  
Science Laboratory ◽  
Marine Science ◽  
Travel Patterns ◽  
The Way

The way an animal moves from place to place can inform us about its life and environment. In this lesson, students examine the travel patterns of juvenile flatfishes in an estuary. The process of sampling bottom-dwelling fishes is explained, and data from a university-based marine science laboratory are evaluated. Students compare the distance traveled by juvenile fish to human movement by determining their own average step length. Comparing step length to the distance-to-body-length traveled by flatfish enables students to put in perspective the journey taken by the fish.

scholarly journals Effects of Fish Predators on the Mass-Related Energetics of a Keystone Freshwater Crustacean

Biology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas S. Glazier ◽  
Jonathan J. Borrelli ◽  
Casandra L. Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Investment ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Selective Predation ◽  
Scaling Exponents ◽  
Mass Scaling ◽  
Fish Predators ◽  
The Face ◽  
Food Assimilation ◽  
Reported Data

Little is known about how predators or their cues affect the acquisition and allocation of energy throughout the ontogeny of prey organisms. To address this question, we have been comparing the ontogenetic body-mass scaling of various traits related to energy intake and use between populations of a keystone amphipod crustacean inhabiting freshwater springs, with versus without fish predators. In this progress report, we analyze new and previously reported data to develop a synthetic picture of how the presence/absence of fish predators affects the scaling of food assimilation, fat content, metabolism, growth and reproduction in populations of Gammarus minus located in central Pennsylvania (USA). Our analysis reveals two major clusters of ‘symmorphic allometry’ (parallel scaling relationships) for traits related to somatic versus reproductive investment. In the presence of fish predators, the scaling exponents for somatic traits tend to decrease, whereas those for reproductive traits tend to increase. This divergence of scaling exponents reflects an intensified trade-off between somatic and reproductive investments resulting from low adult survival in the face of size-selective predation. Our results indicate the value of an integrated view of the ontogenetic size-specific energetics of organisms and its response to both top-down (predation) and bottom-up (resource supply) effects.

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