Food-limited growth of larval Atlantic herring Clupea harengus recurrently observed in a coastal nursery area. Issue 1 (January 2017)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Food-limited growth of larval Atlantic herring Clupea harengus recurrently observed in a coastal nursery area. Issue 1 (January 2017)
- Main Title:
- Food-limited growth of larval Atlantic herring Clupea harengus recurrently observed in a coastal nursery area
- Authors:
- Paulsen, Matthias
Clemmesen, Catriona
Hammer, Cornelius
Polte, Patrick
Malzahn, Arne - Abstract:
- Abstract Food-limited growth of larval fish, defined as growth rates lower than observed in other habitats or from laboratory experiments at a given temperature, is rarely reported in field studies. This would imply that either larval fishes are living in an environment characterized by plenty of food, that nutritional condition selective mortality (i.e., eliminating the weak) is very strong, or this impression is caused by misinterpretation of data concerning e.g., poor taxonomical resolution of potential prey items, i.e., total potential prey abundance is high, but positively selected food is actually scarce. We analyzed RNA:DNA derived growth rates of herring larvae (Clupea harengus L.) and taxonomically differentiated prey field data of six consecutive spring seasons from the Kiel Canal, an artificial waterway in northern Germany, in order to test if food-limited growth in larval fish can occur recurrently in coastal habitats. In all years analyzed, larval growth rates decreased simultaneously with prey abundance at the end of each larval season. Furthermore, larval growth rates were observed to be lower than mean growth rates observed in another herring larvae nursery area at temperatures above 15 °C. Asymptotic relationships between prey abundance and larval growth rates were observed, further supporting the hypothesis of food-limitation. As larval growth was best explained by the abundance of the numerically dominant calanoid copepodEurytemora affinis, the paramountAbstract Food-limited growth of larval fish, defined as growth rates lower than observed in other habitats or from laboratory experiments at a given temperature, is rarely reported in field studies. This would imply that either larval fishes are living in an environment characterized by plenty of food, that nutritional condition selective mortality (i.e., eliminating the weak) is very strong, or this impression is caused by misinterpretation of data concerning e.g., poor taxonomical resolution of potential prey items, i.e., total potential prey abundance is high, but positively selected food is actually scarce. We analyzed RNA:DNA derived growth rates of herring larvae (Clupea harengus L.) and taxonomically differentiated prey field data of six consecutive spring seasons from the Kiel Canal, an artificial waterway in northern Germany, in order to test if food-limited growth in larval fish can occur recurrently in coastal habitats. In all years analyzed, larval growth rates decreased simultaneously with prey abundance at the end of each larval season. Furthermore, larval growth rates were observed to be lower than mean growth rates observed in another herring larvae nursery area at temperatures above 15 °C. Asymptotic relationships between prey abundance and larval growth rates were observed, further supporting the hypothesis of food-limitation. As larval growth was best explained by the abundance of the numerically dominant calanoid copepodEurytemora affinis, the paramount importance of the dominant prey item is highlighted. We conclude that food limitation can be a severe and re-occurring issue for larval fish in coastal habitats, and that certain prey items play a crucial role in determining larval growth rates, and therefore potentially recruitment. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Helgoland marine research. Volume 70:Issue 1(2016)
- Journal:
- Helgoland marine research
- Issue:
- Volume 70:Issue 1(2016)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 70, Issue 1 (2016)
- Year:
- 2016
- Volume:
- 70
- Issue:
- 1
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2016-0070-0001-0000
- Page Start:
- 1
- Page End:
- 12
- Publication Date:
- 2017-01
- Subjects:
- RNA:DNA -- Eurytemora affinis -- Time series analysis -- Western Baltic Sea -- Kiel Canal
Marine biology -- Periodicals
Marine biology -- Europe -- Periodicals
578.77 - Journal URLs:
- http://link.springer-ny.com/link/service/journals/10152/index.htm ↗
http://www.springerlink.com/content/1438-387x ↗
http://www.springer.com/gb/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1186/s10152-016-0470-y ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 1438-387X
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 4284.940000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 10509.xml