Feeding ecology of age-0 lake whitefish in Saginaw Bay,Lake Huron |
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| Affiliation: | 1. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 1431 Beach Street, Muskegon, MI 49441, USA;2. Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, 195 Marstellar St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA;1. University of Toledo, Department of Environmental Sciences, Toledo, OH 43606, USA;2. U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA;3. Michigan State University, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA;4. Central Michigan University, Department of Biology, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859, USA;1. Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, 1600 West Bank Drive, Trent University, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada;2. Aquatic Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada;3. Department of Biology, Lakehead University, 855 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada;4. IISD Experimental Lakes Area Inc., 161 Portage Ave West, Winnipeg, MB R3B 0Y4, Canada;1. U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, 1451 Green Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, United States of America;2. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research Station, 33135 South River Road, Harrison Township, MI 48045, United States of America;3. Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Michigan State University, 115 Manly Miles Building, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States of America |
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| Abstract: | Age-0 lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis (11–160 mm total length) were collected from Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron during April–November 2009 and 2010 for diet analysis and for the evaluation of ontogenetic changes in feeding ecology. Lake whitefish ≤ 50 mm ate mainly zooplankton, after which their diets switched mainly to benthic macroinvertebrates. Cyclopoida were the dominant prey consumed by very small lake whitefish (< 17 mm) and the most frequently selected zooplankton type for individual small fish. Once lake whitefish reached 18–19 mm, Cyclopoida in the diet declined and cladocerans emerged as an important diet item. Daphnia were the most common cladoceran in the diets, but for fish 31–50 mm Bosminidae were also relatively important. Although the shift to Daphnia could represent an ontogenetic point when lake whitefish were large enough to effectively handle this prey, it also took place when the relative availability of Daphnia increased. Once lake whitefish were > 50 mm, Chironomidae larvae became a dominant prey item and this shift to benthivory coincided with a 55% increase in length-adjusted energy content between June and July. However, as fish grew (around 110–120 mm), Sphaeriidae and the benthic zooplankton Chydoridae became increasingly important in the diet. As these less energetically rich prey were incorporated into the diet, there were corresponding 21 and 15% decreases in length-adjusted energy content from July to August and September, respectively. |
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