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Regulation of plankton and benthic communities and water quality by cyprinid fish
Author(s) -
Tátrai István,
Oláh János,
Józsa Vilmos,
Kawiecka Barbara J.,
Mátyás Kálmán,
Paulovits Gábor,
Pekár Ferenc,
Szabó Pal
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
lakes and reservoirs: research and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.296
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1440-1770
pISSN - 1320-5331
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1770.1996.tb00061.x
Subject(s) - rutilus , plankton , biology , cyprinidae , cyprinus , biomass (ecology) , benthic zone , fishery , biomanipulation , eutrophication , fish farming , fish mortality , carp , trophic cascade , ecology , trophic level , fish <actinopterygii> , aquaculture , food web , nutrient
During the first year of a 4 year pond experiment, the conditions under which fish manipulation has any effect on lower trophic levels and water clarity was studied. Cyprinid fish of mature age classes (3+‐ 4+) were introduced into each of three experimental ponds with an area of 0.3 ha (average depth ∼1.7 m), while a fourth pond was left free of fish. Bream ( Abramis brama L.), white bream ( Blicca bjoerkna L.) and roach ( Rutilus rutilus L.) made up 75% of the total cyprinid biomass, with wild carp ( Cyprinus carpio L.) as the remaining 25%. The introduced fish spawned successfully. Different fish stocks (100, 300 and 500 kg ha −1 ) were simulated in each of the three experimental ponds. The high (above 300 kg ha −1 ) planktivorous and benthivorous fish stocks resulted in several qualitative and quantitative alterations to the food chain structure in these simulation pond experiments. These alterations must largely be assigned to changes caused by both the zooplanktivorous and benthivorous nature of the stocked fish populations. At the higher levels of fish biomass, Secchi depth was influenced significantly by chlorophyll a concentration. Most of the variance in suspended solids concentration could be explained by the biomass ratio of the mature benthivorous fish. There was a clear shift in algal cell size in the ponds with the higher fish stocks; ponds with more fish had large cells later in the summer. The relative influence of young cyprinid fish on crustacean species composition and biomass, and mature populations on benthic fauna abundance and biomass, was significantly greater at higher (300‐500 kg ha −1 ) fish stock rates.