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Population Density of the Crayfish, Orconectes limosus , in Relation to Fish and Macroinvertebrate Densities in a Small Mesotrophic Lake – Implications for the Lake's Food Web
Author(s) -
HaertelBorer Susanne S.,
Zak Dominik,
Eckmann Reiner,
Baade Ulrich,
Hölker Franz
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
international review of hydrobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1522-2632
pISSN - 1434-2944
DOI - 10.1002/iroh.200510819
Subject(s) - predatory fish , crayfish , fishery , littoral zone , pelagic zone , biomass (ecology) , population , food web , stocking , biology , ecology , trophic level , fish <actinopterygii> , demography , sociology
The population density of Orconectes limosus in a mesotrophic lake was assessed in the context of fish and macroinvertebrate biomasses, and crayfish consumption by fish. The average O. limosus (≥6 cm total length) abundance and biomass in the littoral zone was 2200 ind ha –1 and 32.2 kg ha 1 , respectively. O. limosus biomass accounted for a large percentage (49%) of the lake's macroinvertebrate biomass. O. limosus was equal to 35% of the non‐predatory fish biomass and to 81% of the predatory fish biomass. O. limosus comprised 15 and 48% of the annual consumption of pike and predatory perch, respectively. Altogether, O. limosus was identified as quantitatively important for the lake's littoral food web, and might also subsidize the pelagic food web. This strengthens the need for an integrated view on lake food webs. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)