Interaction between non-native predatory fishes and native galaxiids (Pisces: Galaxiidae) shapes food web structure in Tasmanian lakes

Download

Date

2020-04-01

Author

Vidal, Nicolas
Trochine, Carolina
Amsinck, Susanne L.
Barmuta, Leon A.
Christoffersen, Kirsten S.
Ventura, Marc
Buchaca, Teresa
Landkildehus, Frank
Hardie, Scott A.
Meerhoff, Mariana
Jeppesen, Erik

Metadata

Show full item record

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Item Usage Stats

205
views

0
downloads

Non-native fish invasions threaten native fauna and ecosystem functioning, not least in isolated island lakes. In Tasmania, where the native fish are mostly galaxiids, 9 non-native freshwater fish species have been introduced over the past 150 years, with uncertain ecological outcomes. We evaluated the effects of non-native predatory fishes (NNPF) and various environmental and biological variables on the trophic niche of native fish (galaxiids) and potential cascading effects. We analysed Layman's food web metrics based on both stable isotope (delta N-15 and delta C-13) values and fish stomach contents in 14 shallow Tasmanian lakes along a NNPF abundance gradient. The food web metrics calculated were (1) range of delta C-13 (CR) and delta N-15 (NR) centroid distance (CD) and (2) standard ellipse area. Our results showed that NNPF relative abundance in the fish catch per unit effort was negatively related to the galaxiids' trophic niche metrics (e.g., CRG, NRG, and CDG), trophic position, and the pelagic contribution to the diet. Moreover, the proportion of galaxiids in the diet of NNPF was higher in turbid lakes. The zooplankton standard ellipse area was negatively correlated with the pelagic contribution to the NNPF diet, and NNPF relative abundance was positively correlated with the maximum body size of calanoid copepods. While our results suggest a negative effect of NNPF on the trophic niche of galaxiids, the cascading effect on phytoplankton biomass was weak. Non-native predatory fish affect native fish prey, and the outcome of these interactions should be considered for conservation purposes, particularly for island lakes, such as those in Tasmania.

Subject Keywords

Aquatic Science, Water Science and Technology

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/68563

Journal

INLAND WATERS

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1080/20442041.2020.1724047

Collections

Department of Biology, Article

Suggestions

OpenMETU
Core

Decadal changes in zooplankton biomass, composition, and body mass in four shallow brackish lakes in Denmark subjected to varying degrees of eutrophication He, Hu; Jeppesen, Erik; Bruhn, Dan; Yde, Morten; Hansen, Jacob Kjerulf; Spanggaard, Lasse; Madsen, Niels; Liu, Wei; Sondergaard, Martin; Lauridsen, Torben L. (Informa UK Limited, 2020-04-01) During the past century, many brackish shallow lakes worldwide have become eutrophic. How the zooplankton have responded to this development is not well elucidated. Here, we analysed the decadal changes (from 1999-2000 to 2017-2018) in zooplankton biomass, body mass, and potential top-down control on phytoplankton during summer in 4 Danish shallow brackish lakes (Lund Fjord, Han Vejle, Selbjerg, and Glombak) subjected to varying degrees of eutrophication. Significant reductions of zooplankton biomass, body ...
Climate change impacts on lakes: an integrated ecological perspective based on a multi-faceted approach, with special focus on shallow lakes Jeppesen, Erik; Meerhoff, Mariana; Davidson, Thomas A.; Trolle, Dennis; Sondergaard, Martin; Lauridsen, Torben L.; Beklioğlu, Meryem; Brucet, Sandra; Volta, Pietro; Gonzalez-Bergonzoni, Ivan; Nielsen, Anders (PAGEPress Publications, 2014-01-01) Freshwater ecosystems and their biodiversity are presently seriously threatened by global development and population growth, leading to increases in nutrient inputs and intensification of eutrophication-induced problems in receiving fresh waters, particularly in lakes. Climate change constitutes another threat exacerbating the symptoms of eutrophication and species migration and loss. Unequivocal evidence of climate change impacts is still highly fragmented despite the intensive research, in part due to the...
Impact of Nutrients, Temperatures, and a Heat Wave on Zooplankton Community Structure: An Experimental Approach Iskin, Ugur; Filiz, Nur; Cao, Yu; Neif, Erika M.; Oglu, Burak; Lauridsen, Torben L.; Davidson, Thomas A.; Sondergaard, Martin; Tavsanoglu, Ulku Nihan; Beklioğlu, Meryem; Jeppesen, Erik (MDPI AG, 2020-12-01) Shallow lakes are globally the most numerous water bodies and are sensitive to external perturbations, including eutrophication and climate change, which threaten their functioning. Extreme events, such as heat waves (HWs), are expected to become more frequent with global warming. To elucidate the effects of nutrients, warming, and HWs on zooplankton community structure, we conducted an experiment in 24 flow-through mesocosms (1.9 m in diameter, 1.0 m deep) imitating shallow lakes. The mesocosms have two nu...
Long-term changes in littoral fish community structure and resilience of total catch to re-oligotrophication in a large, peri-alpine European lake Sabel, Maike; Eckmann, Reiner; Jeppesen, Erik; Roesch, Roland; Straile, Dietmar (Wiley, 2020-08-01) The littoral zone of lakes is used as spawning, shelter, or feeding habitat for many fish species and hence is of key importance for overall lake functioning. Despite this, hardly any studies exist examining the long-term dynamics and response of the littoral fish community, composed mostly of juvenile fish, to environmental change. Here, we study the response of total catch per unit effort (CPUE) and individual species CPUE of such a community to 17 years of oligotrophication and examine whether the specie...
Lake types and their definition: a case study from Denmark Sondergaard, Martin; Johansson, Liselotte S.; Levi, Eti E.; Lauridsen, Torben L.; Jeppesen, Erik (Informa UK Limited, 2020-04-01) In the EU Water Framework Directive, lakes are classified into different types primarily on the basis of morphological and chemical characteristics. Lake type definition is not trivial because the different lake types may require different nutrient loading reduction targets to achieve the goal of at least "good" ecological status. Using data from 770 Danish lakes, we illustrate some of the problems associated with classification. In Denmark, 16 potentially different lake types are defined using an alkalinit...

Citation Formats

N. Vidal et al., “Interaction between non-native predatory fishes and native galaxiids (Pisces: Galaxiidae) shapes food web structure in Tasmanian lakes,” INLAND WATERS, pp. 212–226, 2020, Accessed: 00, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://hdl.handle.net/11511/68563.