Feeding Ecology of Juvenile (Age-0) Silver Hake (Merluccius bilinearis) on the Scotian Shelf

1989 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 1762-1768 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Koeller ◽  
L. Coates-Markle ◽  
J. D. Neilson
Keyword(s):  
Prey Selection ◽  
Fish Length ◽  
Feeding Patterns ◽  
Migration Patterns ◽  
Early Juvenile Stage ◽  
Class Strength ◽  
Different Depths ◽  
Silver Hake ◽  
Merluccius Bilinearis ◽  
Survival Differences

Feeding patterns of juvenile silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis) (length range 19–90 mm) captured by midwater trawl were compared between seasons (fall and winter), years (1980 and 1981), fish lengths, and depth and time of capture. Prey selection shifted gradually with increasing fish length, from copepods at the smaller size ranges, to amphipods, euphausiids and silver hake at the larger sizes. An abrupt shift in the feeding pattern occurred as larvae metamorphosed into juveniles, but there were no similar "critical" changes during the juvenile phase itself. Cannibalism of juveniles by juveniles was pronounced and could be an important factor influencing year-class strength. Silver hake juveniles did not prey on the larvae or juveniles of other fish species, nor did they compete with them for available food, mainly because the juveniles of other species were rare during the period of greatest silver hake abundance in the pelagic zone. Evidence from abundance surveys and the feeding study suggests that increased size-at-date at the early juvenile stage, possibly due to more favourable growth and feeding conditions, resulted in increased survival. Differences in feeding patterns among fish in different size categories, and captured at different depths and times generally substantiate diet migration patterns inferred from previous vertical distribution experiments.

Multiple-Frequency Acoustic Backscattering and Zooplankton Aggregations in the Inner Scotian Shelf Basins

1991 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 340-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Cochrane ◽  
D. Sameoto ◽  
A. W. Herman ◽  
J. Neilson
Keyword(s):  
Target Strength ◽  
Scotian Shelf ◽  
Migration Patterns ◽  
Acoustic Backscattering ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Silver Hake ◽  
Merluccius Bilinearis ◽  
Domain Dependence

Acoustic backscatter observations at 12, 50, and 200 kHz in the inner Scotian Shelf basins reveal large populations of silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis) and its principal prey, the euphausiid Meganyctiphanes norvegica. Multichannel sonar colour imagery facilitates separation of fish from euphausiids and delineation of their separate diurnal migration patterns. Silver hake acoustic abundances are consistent with midwater trawl sampling. Acoustic column densities for mature M. norvegica of approximately 1000/m2 exceed net sampling column densities by over 1 order of magnitude indicating strong net avoidance. Numerical simulation of euphausiid backscattering using a fluid cylinder model and natural distribution of scatterer orientations yields an approximate 20 log L target strength length dependence and little frequency domain dependence in the "geometric" scattering regime. Quantitative interpretation of euphausiid scattering in situ must account for randomness in their orientations.

As the prey thickens: rainbow trout select prey based upon width not length

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Michael J. Dodrill ◽  
Charles B. Yackulic ◽  
Theodore A. Kennedy ◽  
Michael D. Yard ◽  
Josh Korman
Keyword(s):  
Rainbow Trout ◽  
Prey Size ◽  
Choice Model ◽  
Prey Selection ◽  
Invertebrate Drift ◽  
Fish Length ◽  
Larval Stages ◽  
Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus Mykiss ◽  
Selective Foraging ◽  
Length Width

Drift-feeding fish are typically considered size-selective predators. Yet, few studies have explicitly tested which aspect of prey “size” best explains size selection by drift-foraging fish. Here, we develop a Bayesian discrete choice model to evaluate how attributes of both prey and predator simultaneously influence size-selective foraging. We apply the model to a large dataset of paired invertebrate drift (n = 784) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) diets (n = 1028). We characterized prey “size” using six metrics (length, width, area, hemispherical area, volume, mass) and used pseudo-R2 to determine which metric best explained observed prey selection across seven taxa. We found that rainbow trout are positively size-selective, they are selecting prey based upon differences in prey width, and size-selectivity increases with fish length. Rainbow trout demonstrated strong selection for the adult and pupae stages of aquatic insects relative to their larval stages. Our study provides strong empirical evidence for size-selective foraging in rainbow trout and demonstrates prey selection is based primarily upon width, not length or area as has been widely reported.

Storage Life of Refrozen Silver Hake (Merluccius bilinearis) Processed as Fillets am Minced Flesh from Thawed, Stored, Round-Frozen Fish

1977 ◽  
Vol 34 (12) ◽  
pp. 2369-2373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doris Fraser Hiltz ◽  
D. H. North ◽  
Barbara Smith Lall ◽  
R. A. Keith
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
Frozen Storage ◽  
Storage Life ◽  
Freeze Thaw ◽  
Acceptable Quality ◽  
Frozen Fish ◽  
Silver Hake ◽  
Merluccius Bilinearis ◽  
Protein Extractability

Refrozen silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis), processed as fillets and minced flesh after thawing of stored round fish that had been frozen within 14 h of capture, underwent rapid deterioration during storage at −18 °C compared with once-frozen control materials from the same lot of fish. The estimated maximum storage life of silver hake refrozen as fillets after 3 and 6 mo storage of the round fish at −25 °C was reduced to about 4.5 and 1 mo, respectively, from 10 mo for once-frozen control fillets. Quality of the refrozen materials immediately after thawing and refreezing was similar to that of the round-frozen fish, except after 6 mo, where some initial deterioration occurred, particularly in minced flesh. Minced flesh was more unstable in frozen storage than fillets. In all once- and twice-frozen materials, formation of dimethylamine occurred concomitantly with decrease in protein extractability. Round-frozen fish underwent no loss in protein extractability during 6 mo storage at −25 °C, but some lipid hydrolysis occurred. These results suggest that the freeze–thaw–refreeze process as applied to silver hake will yield a final product of acceptable quality provided that storage of the round fish does not exceed 3–4 mo and that the refrozen materials are marketed within a month after processing. Key words: silver hake, Merluccius bilinearis, refrozen storage, dimethylamine, minced flesh

scholarly journals A zero percent plastic ingestion rate by silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis) from the south coast of Newfoundland, Canada

2018 ◽  
Vol 131 ◽  
pp. 267-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
France Liboiron ◽  
Justine Ammendolia ◽  
Jacquelyn Saturno ◽  
Jessica Melvin ◽  
Alex Zahara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ingestion Rate ◽  
South Coast ◽  
The South ◽  
Silver Hake ◽  
Merluccius Bilinearis

Paddlefish: Ecological, Aquacultural, and Regulatory Challenges of Managing a Global Resource

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
River Discharge ◽  
First Year ◽  
Side Channel ◽  
Fish Length ◽  
Detailed Understanding ◽  
Successful Recruitment ◽  
Class Strength ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Key Features

<i>Abstract</i>.—Inadequate recruitment is a concern in many stocks of Paddlefish <i>Polyodon spathula</i>. Despite the importance of maintaining adequate recruitment, little understanding exists of specific recruitment factors and mechanisms. In this chapter we review and synthesize the results of the relatively few studies and observations of Paddlefish reproduction and recruitment and the factors potentially responsible for observed variations. Comparisons are made with studies on sturgeons. Although Paddlefish and sturgeon show many anatomical, life history, and behavioral similarities, some key features of Paddlefish differing from other Acipenseriform species are lifelong zooplanktivory, filter feeding, midwater foraging behaviors, and lack of armoring. Data from both sturgeon and Paddlefish show higher reproductive success associated with higher river discharge; greater Paddlefish reproductive success in some adfluvial populations has also been linked to increasing and high reservoir levels. Whereas several sturgeon studies suggest that recruitment (and year-class strength) are determined within 2–3 months of hatching, results from Paddlefish suggest that year-class strength may be determined later in their first year or in their second year. Observations and field results lead to the hypothesis that young Paddlefish must grow fast in their first and early second years of life to reach a size where they can successfully overwinter, avoid predation from piscivorous fishes and birds, and recruit. Support for this grow-fast-or-be-eaten hypothesis comes from several sources, both indirect (e.g., the relation between fish length and rostrum length) and direct (higher survival of larger fish released and higher lipids in age-0 fish in years of good recruitment). However, more research is needed to adequately test this hypothesis. Paddlefish rearing habitat changes include river-backwater and side-channel sedimentation, reservoir sedimentation and aging, and threats from increased native and nonnative predator populations. Managers of Paddlefish will need a more detailed understanding of the habitat conditions needed for successful recruitment in the wild.

Behavioral inferences from regulatory observer data: catch rate variation in the Scotian Shelf silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis) fishery

1999 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 288-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
D M Gillis
Keyword(s):  
Interference Competition ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Catch Rate ◽  
Rate Variation ◽  
Scotian Shelf ◽  
Apparent Contradiction ◽  
Fishing Vessels ◽  
Catch Rates ◽  
Silver Hake ◽  
Merluccius Bilinearis

The detailed spatial and temporal data collected for the regulation of the silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis) fishery on the Scotian Shelf provide a unique opportunity to test hypotheses about variability in catch rates on the scale of individual trawls. I used these data to examine vessel interactions and long-term temporal trends in catchability. An index of course linearity, derived from observed positions, times, and speeds of fishing vessels, indicated that interference competition was present in the fishery. However, catch rate did not decline with local vessel density. This apparent contradiction is consistent with fleet dynamic theory and suggests that the direct examination of catch rates is a poor test for interference in the retrospective analysis of fisheries data. The study of extended periods of high, localized fishing activity revealed a cycle in catch rates with periods of about 6 days. Such periods may represent an interaction between tidal, diel, and (or) technological factors. Although more study is required to identify the cause of these cycles, their existence should be considered in the design of surveys and other population studies using catch and effort data.

Apparent digestibility coefficients of raw ground, acid and fermented silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis) feedstuffs for mink and an evaluation of the storage stability of the silages

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. B. White ◽  
D. M. Anderson ◽  
K. I. Rouvinen
Keyword(s):  
Formic Acid ◽  
Storage Stability ◽  
Storage Period ◽  
Apparent Digestibility ◽  
Standard Type ◽  
Randomized Design ◽  
Gross Energy ◽  
Silver Hake ◽  
Merluccius Bilinearis

A 3 × 4 factorial design experiment was conducted to determine digestibility coefficients (DC) of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), crude fat (CF), gross energy (GE) and amino acids (AA) in raw ground silver hake (RGSH), acid (ASHS) and fermented (FSHS) silver hake silages for mink. The ASHS was prepared with the addition of 2.5% (wt:wt) formic acid (85% concentration) and 200 ppm antioxidant (ethoxyquin) to the raw ground fish. The FSHS was produced with the addition of 1% Marisil® (Finn Sugar), 15% extruded wheat and 1% (wt:wt) formic acid (conc. 85%) to the raw ground fish. Twelve mature standard type male mink were confined to metabolism cages during the digestibility trial, which consisted of three experimental periods comprised of a 6-d adjustment period, followed by a 5-d collection period. Based on the total collection (TC) method and with graded levels (0, 15, 30 and 45%) of the test feedstuffs in the experimental diets, nutrient digestibilities in the pure feedstuffs were determined using a mathematical regression technique. The apparent digestibility (AD) of DM, CP, CF and GE were RGSH: 88.4, 93.6, 99.2 and 94.7%; ASHS: 90.6, 85.8, 96.1 and 87.2% and FSHS: 77.7, 84.5, 99.2 and 86.1%, respectively. The AD of all the AAs, except proline, in the RGSH was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that in the ASHS and FSHS. A quality evaluation of the silages was conducted in a completely randomized design with two replications to determine storage stability of the silages, on 10 different sampling days, (3 sampling days for AAs), over the storage period. Quality of the silages was stable up to 90 days for the ASHS and 180 days FSHS based on increases in pH and total volatile nitrogen (TVN) content and decreases in N and AA content. The silver hake feedstuffs would provide a good source of highly digestible nutrients for mink and should be considered as opportunity feeds for these animals. Key words: Apparent digestibility, fish by-products, mink, silage, silage quality, silver hake

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