Predatory impact of freshwater drum on dreissenid populations in western Lake Erie

Kevin R. Keretz; Richard Kraus; Corbin David Hilling; Joseph Schmitt

doi:10.1016/j.jglr.2026.102787

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Predatory impact of freshwater drum on dreissenid populations in western Lake Erie

Kevin R. Keretz·Richard Kraus·Corbin David Hilling·Joseph Schmitt

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Abstract

Impacts of dreissenid mussels ( Dreissena spp.) on Great Lakes ecosystems are well documented, but the mechanisms driving variation in their abundance remain poorly understood. Dreissenid mussels have been incorporated into fish diets throughout the Great Lakes; however, studies quantifying the amount of dreissenid mussels consumed by fish predators are limited. To date, attention has mainly focused on invasive round goby ( Neogobius melanostomus ) predation of dreissenid mussels. Biomass of native molluscivores, namely the freshwater drum ( Aplodinotus grunniens ), may exceed round goby biomass by an order of magnitude in some areas. Thus, the role of predation on dreissenid mussel population dynamics may be greater than currently assumed. Here, we combine estimates of diet composition and fish biomass to estimate kg/ha of dreissenid mussels consumed by freshwater drum in the West Basin of Lake Erie. Annual consumption estimates of dreissenids by freshwater drum were large (averaging 23.79 kg/ha shell-free mass), and generally exceeded existing dreissenid consumption estimates for round goby. Our results support evaluation of ecological mechanisms, such as predation, to improve our knowledge of factors that may influence dreissenid mussel abundance.

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Journal of Great Lakes Research Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 41.3860683° to 42.0939487° latitude; -83.5012018° to -82.2243401° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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BibTeX RIS

Kevin R. Keretz, Richard Kraus, Corbin David Hilling, Joseph Schmitt. 2026-06-11. Predatory impact of freshwater drum on dreissenid populations in western Lake Erie. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2026.102787

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