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Selective predation of the pike Esox lucius : comparison of lateral plates and some metric features of the three‐spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus
Author(s) -
BAŃBURA JERZY,
PRZYBYLSKI MIROSŁAW,
FRANKTEWTCZ PIOTR
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
zoologica scripta
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.204
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1463-6409
pISSN - 0300-3256
DOI - 10.1111/j.1463-6409.1989.tb00456.x
Subject(s) - gasterosteus , stickleback , esox , pike , predation , biology , three spined stickleback , population , predator , selection (genetic algorithm) , ecology , zoology , fish <actinopterygii> , fishery , demography , sociology , artificial intelligence , computer science
Selective predation of Esox lucius on Gasterosteus aculeatus in a natural assemblage of fish of a stream in Central Poland is described and analysed. The number of lateral plates, the standard length and four size‐dependent traits were significantly smaller for sticklebacks from stomach samples than for those from population samples. Thc remaining three metric traits were not significantly different among the samples. The regressions of five metric features (out of seven) on the standard length were significantly different between the sample of caten sticklebacks and that from the free‐living population. This supports the supposition that the selectivity of pikc predation with respect to metric traits is not attributable to selection on body size of the prey. Thus, it is reasonable to claim that the sample of caten sticklebacks is selectively taken from the natural population. It justifies the selective predation assumption of some hypotheses of the causes of the pattern of geographic variation in the three‐spined stickleback.