Food habits of mink (Mustela vison) and otter (Lutra canadensis) in northeastern Alberta

1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 1282-1288 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. F. Gilbert ◽  
E. G. Nancekivell
Keyword(s):  
Food Habits ◽  
Food Item ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Mustela Vison ◽  
Culaea Inconstans ◽  
Lutra Canadensis ◽  
High Utilization ◽  
Brook Stickleback ◽  
Northeastern Alberta ◽  
Very High

Scats of mink (Mustela vison) and otter (Lutra canadensis) in northeastern Alberta contained different food items in different habitat types according to type of water body. Brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans) was the most frequently encountered food item in scats of both species from a drainage system dominated by lakes and for otter from a second drainage system dominated by streams. However, mink had varying hare (Lepus americanus) as their primary food item by frequency of occurrence in this latter situation and mammalian items were significantly (P < 0.01) more frequent. Otter scats contained more fish and invertebrates (P < 0.01) and fewer mammals (P < 0.01) and birds (P < 0.05) than mink scats. Both otters and mink appeared to exploit avian species to a greater degree (P < 0.01) in the lake-dominated drainage. The frequency of avain remains in otter scats was very high and probably reflected high utilization of breeding and moulting waterfowl.

Geographic and morphological variation in the presence and absence of the pelvic skeleton in the brook stickleback, Culaea inconstans (Kirtland), in Alberta and Saskatchewan

1971 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph S. Nelson ◽  
F. Mervyn Atton
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Variation ◽  
Fishery Management ◽  
Fish Introduction ◽  
Spine Length ◽  
Culaea Inconstans ◽  
Full Development ◽  
Normal Individuals ◽  
Brook Stickleback ◽  
Presence And Absence ◽  
Skeleton Formation

Brook sticklebacks, Culaea inconstans (Kirtland), are known from 20 locations in Alberta and Saskatchewan in which a high proportion of the individuals lack all or part of the pelvic skeleton. These locations are interspersed and surrounded by other locations containing individuals with a normal pelvic skeleton. Individuals which lack the skeleton are of both sexes and are fertile in at least one of the lakes.Considerable variation exists between locations in the proportion of individuals with and without the pelvic skeleton. Morphological intermediates are known from most of the 20 locations and virtually all degrees of pelvic skeleton formation exist between its absence and its full development. Little or no gradation exists, however, in pelvic spine length between their absence and presence. Although the pelvic spines are the first part of the pelvic skeleton to appear during ontogeny, they are present only in intermediates with a virtually complete skeleton base. In addition, many intermediates are highly asymmetrical in their pelvic skeleton while development during the ontogeny of normal individuals is symmetrical.There is a greater tendency for individuals in which the pelvic skeleton is deficient to occur in lakes which lack an outlet rather than to occur in lakes with a permanent outlet. An unusually high proportion of the lakes with these aberrant individuals have been subject to fishery management activities (fish introduction and poisoning), but these disturbances are not causing the loss of the pelvic skeleton.

scholarly journals Food Habits of Dabbling Ducks During Fall Migration in a Prairie Pothole System, Heron Lake, Minnesota

2005 ◽  
Vol 119 (4) ◽  
pp. 546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan M. Wersal ◽  
Brock R. McMillan ◽  
John D. Madsen
Keyword(s):  
Food Habits ◽  
Food Item ◽  
Dabbling Ducks ◽  
Prairie Pothole ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Dabbling Duck ◽  
Stuckenia Pectinata ◽  
Polygonum Lapathifolium ◽  
Volume Method

We conducted an analysis of dabbling duck food habits in the fall of 2002 and 2003 in the Heron Lake system. Gizzard contents of hunter-harvested birds were analyzed using the percent aggregate volume method to determine what food items were consumed and in what quantity. Curltop Ladysthumb (Polygonum lapathifolium) was the food item consumed most often (82.2%) and in the greatest volume (34.2 ml). Sago Pondweed (Stuckenia pectinata) was the only food item of which multiple plant parts were consumed. However, the seeds and tubers only comprised 1.27 and 0.07 of the total aggregate percent.

Geographic Variation in the Brook Stickleback, Culaea inconstans, and Notes on Nomenclature and Distribution

1969 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 2431-2447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph S. Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Geographic Variation ◽  
Northwestern Part ◽  
Clinal Variation ◽  
Body Depth ◽  
Spine Length ◽  
Culaea Inconstans ◽  
Dorsal Fin ◽  
Fin Rays ◽  
Historical Origin ◽  
Brook Stickleback

Clinal variation in dorsal and pelvic spine lengths was observed in the brook stickleback, Culaea inconstans, in an examination of 1366 specimens from 62 localities. Mean spine length was longest in the Wisconsin to Ohio area and generally decreased to the west, north, and east of this area. Shortest spines were observed in the northwestern part of the range of the species. A population in New Mexico, believed to be relict, was highly variable, but most specimens had long spines. Pelvic spines, and the supporting skeleton, were absent in most specimens from five localities in Alberta. Pelvic skeleton size and body depth were generally greatest in the area east of Wisconsin and least in the northwestern part of the range. Although C. inconstans is generally described as being naked, a series of about 30–36 small bony scutes was found along the lateral line in all populations examined. No marked geographic variation was observed in number of pectoral rays, caudal rays, soft dorsal-fin rays, soft anal-fin rays, gill rakers, scutes, or vertebrae. The nomenclature and distribution of C. inconstans are reviewed. The historical origin of clinal variation in spine length is discussed.

Unusual Occurrence of the Brook Stickleback (Culaea inconstans) in the Mackenzie River, Northwest Territories

1972 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 1655-1656 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Falk
Keyword(s):  
Northwest Territories ◽  
Red River ◽  
The South ◽  
Culaea Inconstans ◽  
Resident Population ◽  
Great Slave Lake ◽  
Unusual Occurrence ◽  
South Shore ◽  
Brook Stickleback ◽  
Mackenzie River

Two specimens of the brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans) were taken in the mouths of Pierre and Tsital Trien creeks near Arctic Red River on the Mackenzie River during 1971. Previous most northerly published records were from the south shore of Great Slave Lake. The specimens may have been carried downstream by spring floods and may not represent a resident population.

Culaeatrema inconstans gen.n., sp.n. (Digenea: Alloereadiidae) from the brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans) in Wisconsin and observations on parthenogenetic populations

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 1328-1333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Becky A. Lasee ◽  
William F. Font ◽  
Daniel R. Sutherland
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Anterior Testis ◽  
Posterior Region ◽  
Culaea Inconstans ◽  
Parasitic Helminths ◽  
Reproductive Structures ◽  
Brook Stickleback ◽  
Two Populations

Culaeatrema inconstans gen.n., sp.n. is described from the intestine of Culaea inconstans (Kirtland) collected in Wisconsin. Culaeatrema is a small, fusiform, nonspinous trematode resembling both allocreadiins and bunoderins. Culaeatrema is placed in the subfamily Bunoderinae because testes are oblique in position, uterus extends into the posterior region, and vitellaria do not extend beyond the anterior testis. Reproduction in two populations of the new species from Shell and Little Waumandee creeks appears to be parthenogenetic. Parthenogenetic worms exhibited larger phenotypic size, one or both testes lacking in 84% of the examined specimens, lack of spermatozoa, and reduced development of male reproductive structures. A discussion of parthenogenesis in parasitic helminths is included.

scholarly journals Effects of habitat and pulp and paper mill contamination on a population of brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans)

2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gillian Z. MacDonald ◽  
Natacha S. Hogan ◽  
Michael R. van den Heuvel
Keyword(s):  
Pulp Mill ◽  
Paper Mill ◽  
Gonadal Development ◽  
Resin Acids ◽  
Pulp And Paper Mill ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
Culaea Inconstans ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Brook Stickleback ◽  
Cyp1a Induction

Abstract This study examined the responses of a population of brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans) exposed to pulp mill effluent at Jackfish Bay, Lake Superior, Canada, in May 2007 and May 2011. Brook stickleback were extirpated from the effluent-receiving site, presumably due to anoxia after this period. Females at the effluent-receiving site had significantly larger gonad sizes in 2007 and 2011. In 2011, effluent-exposed female gonadal development was significantly advanced when compared with reference sites; they were the second most mature when compared among three different reference sites. Analysis of 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity revealed that effluent-receiving site females had greater CYP1A induction in 2007 and significantly greater CYP1A induction in 2011. Effluent-receiving site males showed significantly reduced CYP1A induction in 2007 and significantly greater induction in 2011. Chemical evaluation of sediment from the receiving environment showed elevated levels of resin acids and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, retene. Higher condition factors and more mature gonads were consistent with higher winter and spring temperatures modified by effluent or by lake vs. stream environments. Overall, effects on effluent-exposed brook stickleback were not consistent with reported effects in white sucker exposed to the same effluent in previous studies. This article has been made Open Access thanks to the kind support of CAWQ/ACQE (https://www.cawq.ca).

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