Resource Partitioning in Food, Space and Time between Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus), Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) and European Whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) at the Southern Edge of Their Continuous Coexistence.
Arctic charr and European whitefish are considered to be strong competitors in lakes, with the latter usually being the superior species. However, high niche plasticity and lake morphometry may suggestively facilitate resource partitioning and coexistence between charr and whitefish. Here, we explor...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:dcdd2bf5bad04f7faddce69df94b1017 2023-05-15T14:30:03+02:00 Resource Partitioning in Food, Space and Time between Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus), Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) and European Whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) at the Southern Edge of Their Continuous Coexistence. Hallvard Jensen Mikko Kiljunen Rune Knudsen Per-Arne Amundsen 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170582 https://doaj.org/article/dcdd2bf5bad04f7faddce69df94b1017 EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5266286?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0170582 https://doaj.org/article/dcdd2bf5bad04f7faddce69df94b1017 PLoS ONE, Vol 12, Iss 1, p e0170582 (2017) Medicine R Science Q article 2017 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170582 2022-12-31T14:55:10Z Arctic charr and European whitefish are considered to be strong competitors in lakes, with the latter usually being the superior species. However, high niche plasticity and lake morphometry may suggestively facilitate resource partitioning and coexistence between charr and whitefish. Here, we explore the trophic niche utilization (diet and habitat use) of charr and whitefish co-occurring with brown trout in the deep and oligotrophic Lake Fyresvatnet, southern Norway (59°05'N, 8°10'E). Using CPUE, stomach contents and stable isotope analyses, a distinct resource partitioning was revealed between brown trout and the other two species. Brown trout typically occupied the littoral zone, feeding on benthic invertebrates, surface insects and small-sized whitefish. In contrast, charr and whitefish were predominantly zooplanktivorous, but diverged somewhat in habitat utilization as charr shifted seasonally between the profundal and the littoral zone, whereas whitefish were found in the upper water layers (littoral and pelagic habitats). Accordingly, the stable isotope values of carbon (δ13C) reflected a pelagic orientated prey resource use for both charr and whitefish, whereas brown trout had elevated carbon and nitrogen (δ15N) signatures that reflected their benthivore and piscivore diet, respectively. The findings suggest that charr may not rely upon the profundal zone as a feeding habitat but as a refuge area, and may coexist with whitefish if a third competitive and predatory species like brown trout co-occur in the lake. The study indicates that a general high habitat plasticity of Arctic charr may be essential in the presently observed coexistence with a competitively superior fish species like whitefish, and that a third fish species like brown trout may facilitate this particular fish community structure. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic charr Arctic Salvelinus alpinus Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Norway PLOS ONE 12 1 e0170582 |
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English |
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Medicine R Science Q |
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Medicine R Science Q Hallvard Jensen Mikko Kiljunen Rune Knudsen Per-Arne Amundsen Resource Partitioning in Food, Space and Time between Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus), Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) and European Whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) at the Southern Edge of Their Continuous Coexistence. |
topic_facet |
Medicine R Science Q |
description |
Arctic charr and European whitefish are considered to be strong competitors in lakes, with the latter usually being the superior species. However, high niche plasticity and lake morphometry may suggestively facilitate resource partitioning and coexistence between charr and whitefish. Here, we explore the trophic niche utilization (diet and habitat use) of charr and whitefish co-occurring with brown trout in the deep and oligotrophic Lake Fyresvatnet, southern Norway (59°05'N, 8°10'E). Using CPUE, stomach contents and stable isotope analyses, a distinct resource partitioning was revealed between brown trout and the other two species. Brown trout typically occupied the littoral zone, feeding on benthic invertebrates, surface insects and small-sized whitefish. In contrast, charr and whitefish were predominantly zooplanktivorous, but diverged somewhat in habitat utilization as charr shifted seasonally between the profundal and the littoral zone, whereas whitefish were found in the upper water layers (littoral and pelagic habitats). Accordingly, the stable isotope values of carbon (δ13C) reflected a pelagic orientated prey resource use for both charr and whitefish, whereas brown trout had elevated carbon and nitrogen (δ15N) signatures that reflected their benthivore and piscivore diet, respectively. The findings suggest that charr may not rely upon the profundal zone as a feeding habitat but as a refuge area, and may coexist with whitefish if a third competitive and predatory species like brown trout co-occur in the lake. The study indicates that a general high habitat plasticity of Arctic charr may be essential in the presently observed coexistence with a competitively superior fish species like whitefish, and that a third fish species like brown trout may facilitate this particular fish community structure. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hallvard Jensen Mikko Kiljunen Rune Knudsen Per-Arne Amundsen |
author_facet |
Hallvard Jensen Mikko Kiljunen Rune Knudsen Per-Arne Amundsen |
author_sort |
Hallvard Jensen |
title |
Resource Partitioning in Food, Space and Time between Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus), Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) and European Whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) at the Southern Edge of Their Continuous Coexistence. |
title_short |
Resource Partitioning in Food, Space and Time between Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus), Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) and European Whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) at the Southern Edge of Their Continuous Coexistence. |
title_full |
Resource Partitioning in Food, Space and Time between Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus), Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) and European Whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) at the Southern Edge of Their Continuous Coexistence. |
title_fullStr |
Resource Partitioning in Food, Space and Time between Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus), Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) and European Whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) at the Southern Edge of Their Continuous Coexistence. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Resource Partitioning in Food, Space and Time between Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus), Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) and European Whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) at the Southern Edge of Their Continuous Coexistence. |
title_sort |
resource partitioning in food, space and time between arctic charr (salvelinus alpinus), brown trout (salmo trutta) and european whitefish (coregonus lavaretus) at the southern edge of their continuous coexistence. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170582 https://doaj.org/article/dcdd2bf5bad04f7faddce69df94b1017 |
geographic |
Arctic Norway |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Norway |
genre |
Arctic charr Arctic Salvelinus alpinus |
genre_facet |
Arctic charr Arctic Salvelinus alpinus |
op_source |
PLoS ONE, Vol 12, Iss 1, p e0170582 (2017) |
op_relation |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5266286?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0170582 https://doaj.org/article/dcdd2bf5bad04f7faddce69df94b1017 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170582 |
container_title |
PLOS ONE |
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12 |
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1 |
container_start_page |
e0170582 |
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