Lepak JM, Hansen AG, Cristan ET, Williams DA, Pate WM. Rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) influence on walleye (Sander vitreus) recruitment decline: mtDNA evidence supporting the predation hypothesis.
J Fish Biol 2023;
103:1543-1548. [PMID:
37551915 DOI:
10.1111/jfb.15523]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) have been introduced widely but are associated with declines in walleye (Sander vitreus) recruitment. A primary hypothesis for these declines is that O. mordax consume larval S. vitreus. We confirmed overlapping spatial-temporal distributions of larval S. vitreus and O. mordax in our study system and used mtDNA analyses to determine if O. mordax stomach contents contained S. vitreus. Approximately 20% of O. mordax composite stomach samples were considered positive for S. vitreus consumption. These findings support the predation hypothesis and have S. vitreus management/stocking implications.
Collapse