Interactions between hatch dates, growth rates, and mortality of Age-0 native Rainbow Smelt and nonnative Alewife in Lake Champlain

Donna L. Parrish; Paul W. Simonin; Lars G. Rudstam; Bernard Pientka; Patrick J. Sullivan

doi:10.1080/00028487.2016.1143401

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Interactions between hatch dates, growth rates, and mortality of Age-0 native Rainbow Smelt and nonnative Alewife in Lake Champlain

Donna L. Parrish·Paul W. Simonin·Lars G. Rudstam·Bernard Pientka·Patrick J. Sullivan

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Abstract

Timing of hatch in fish populations can be critical for first-year survival and, therefore, year-class strength and subsequent species interactions. We compared hatch timing, growth rates, and subsequent mortality of age-0 Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax and Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus , two common open-water fish species of northern North America. In our study site, Lake Champlain, Rainbow Smelt hatched (beginning May 26) almost a month earlier than Alewives (June 20). Abundance in the sampling area was highest in July for age-0 Rainbow Smelt and August for age-0 Alewives. Late-hatching individuals of both species grew faster than those hatching earlier (0.6 mm/d versus 0.4 for Rainbow Smelt; 0.7 mm/d versus 0.6 for Alewives). Mean mortality rate during the first 45 d of life was 3.4%/d for age-0 Rainbow Smelt and was 5.5%/d for age-0 Alewives. Alewife mortality rates did not differ with hatch timing but daily mortality rates of Rainbow Smelt were highest for early-hatching fish. Cannibalism is probably the primary mortality source for age-0 Rainbow Smelt in this lake. Therefore, hatching earlier may not be advantageous because the overlap of adult and age-0 Rainbow Smelt is highest earlier in the season. However, Alewives, first documented in Lake Champlain in 2003, may increase the mortality of age-0 Rainbow Smelt in the summer, which should favor selection for earlier hatching.

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Transactions of the American Fisheries Society Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 44.37540429036203° to 44.450447876762844° latitude; -73.32206726074219° to -73.2183837890625° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Donna L. Parrish, Paul W. Simonin, Lars G. Rudstam, Bernard Pientka, Patrick J. Sullivan. 2016-04-27. Interactions between hatch dates, growth rates, and mortality of Age-0 native Rainbow Smelt and nonnative Alewife in Lake Champlain. https://doi.org/10.1080/00028487.2016.1143401

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