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The effect of predation on stunted and nonstunted white perch
Author(s) -
Gosch N. J. C.,
Pierce L. L.,
Pope K. L.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
ecology of freshwater fish
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1600-0633
pISSN - 0906-6691
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0633.2010.00423.x
Subject(s) - perch , piscivore , predation , biology , population , white (mutation) , spawn (biology) , fishery , ecology , predator , fish <actinopterygii> , biochemistry , demography , sociology , gene
Gosch NJC, Pierce LL, Pope KL. The effect of predation on stunted and nonstunted white perch.
Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010: 19: 401–407. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – Predation is widely regarded as a means to prevent or minimise the establishment of a stunted (high density of slow growing individuals) population. We investigated the effect of predation on two different white perch Morone americana populations (stunted and nonstunted) by examining the stomach contents of piscivorous fishes. White perch and gizzard shad dominated piscivore diets in Branched Oak Lake, whereas white perch dominated piscivore diets in Pawnee Lake. White perch consumed in the stunted population (Branched Oak Lake) were larger and older than white perch consumed in the nonstunted population (Pawnee Lake). Many of the consumed white perch in the stunted population were sexually mature and had the opportunity to spawn at least once. In contrast, all of the consumed white perch in the nonstunted population were sexually immature. Predation may have reinforced the stunting of white perch in Branched Oak Lake through removal of the largest, oldest individuals.