Zooplankton Migration in Three Lakes of Western New York

We examined the diel vertical migration (DVM) of zooplankton in three lakes of western New York; Lakes Conesus, Lime, and McCargo. In all three lakes, the dipteran predator Chaoborus was a more dramatic migrator than any of the cladocerans or copepods. In contrast, another invertebrate predator, Leptodora , seemed to have the least vertical dispersal. In Conesus Lake, following the evening ascent and upper‐water night‐positioning of Chaoborus flavicans, Daphnia pulicaria expanded its own vertical range of dispersal thereby decreasing its degree of overlap with Chaoborus. The vertical distribution of Diaptomus sicilis was mostly below that of Daphnia pulicaria , thus reducing possible competition for food resources. Poor oxygen conditions in the lower waters of Lakes Lime and McCargo restricted all zooplankton (except Chaoborus ) to an epilimnetic zone where the regions of niche overlap and predation were narrowed. Such annually‐induced restrictions on vertical dispersal are probably common features of numerous stratified lakes with hypolimnetic reducing conditions. No fixed pattern of vertical dispersal or migration is likely in lakes where stratification and non‐stratification follow each other seasonally. Vertical migration does provide some flexibility in niche separation, but the potential for chaotic behavior in interacting predators and prey may confound simple explanations of DVM.