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Seasonal Variation in Fish Assemblage Structure and Habitat Structure in the Nearshore Littoral Zone of Wisconsin Lakes
Author(s) -
Hatzenbeler Gene R.,
Bozek Michael A.,
Jennings Martin J.,
Emmons Edward E.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
north american journal of fisheries management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1548-8675
pISSN - 0275-5947
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8675(2000)020<0360:svifas>2.3.co;2
Subject(s) - littoral zone , habitat , perch , lepomis , ecology , abundance (ecology) , species richness , macrophyte , guild , relative species abundance , ichthyoplankton , seasonality , biology , fishery , environmental science , fish <actinopterygii> , predation
To evaluate whether fish abundance, fish habitat, and fish–habitat associations vary across seasons in nearshore littoral zones of five northern Wisconsin lakes, we assessed fish abundances and quantified habitat characteristics in littoral zones across three seasons (spring, summer, and fall) during 1996. Seasonal responses of the fish community in the nearshore littoral zone were taxa specific and guild specific. In the nearshore littoral zone, species richness and the abundance of pumpkinseeds Lepomis gibbosus , rock bass Ambloplites rupestris , yellow perch Perca flavescens , and centrarchids differed significantly across seasons. Some habitat characteristics, including mean water depth, maximum water depth, percent floating vegetation, and percent submersed vegetation, also differed significantly among seasons. Analysis of covariance indicated that changes in fish abundance for the three species coincided with variation in habitat characteristics in the nearshore littoral zone. Significant interactions (i.e., season × habitat characteristic) in the analyses suggest that some individual species responses to habitat variation were dependent upon seasons. However, despite some seasonal differences in fish assemblage structure, we also observed consistent fish–habitat associations for many fish species, regardless of season. Moreover, for the purpose of characterizing littoral zone fish communities and fish–habitat associations, it appears that sampling for most species can be done at any time from spring to early fall. However, evaluation of the effects of habitat modifications on fish assemblages should take into account the natural seasonal changes in abundance associated with changes in macrophyte growth and changing water levels.