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Relationship of lake herring (Coregonus artedi) gill raker characteristics to retention probabilities of zooplankton prey

Journal of Freshwater Ecology
By:  and 
https://doi.org/10.1080/02705060.1998.9663591

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Abstract

We measured morphometric and meristic parameters of gill rakers from the first gill arch of 36 adult lake herring (Coregonus artedi) from Lake Superior that ranged in length from 283–504 mm. These data, coupled with the mean of the smallest two body dimensions (length, width, or breadth) of various zooplankton prey, allowed us to calculate retention probabilities for zooplankton taxa that are common in Lake Superior. The mean of the smallest two body dimensions was positively correlated with body length for cladocerans and copepods. The large cladoceran, Daphnia g. mendotae, is estimated to be retained at a greater probability (74%) than smaller cladocerans (18%-38%). The same is true for the large copepod, Limnocalanus macrurus (60%), when compared to smaller copepods (6–38%). Copepods have a lower probability of being retained than cladocerans of similar length. Lake herring gill rakers and total filtering area are also positively correlated with fish total length. These data provide further evidence that lake herring are primarily planktivores in Lake Superior, and our data show that lake herring can retain a broad range of prey sizes.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Relationship of lake herring (Coregonus artedi) gill raker characteristics to retention probabilities of zooplankton prey
Series title Journal of Freshwater Ecology
DOI 10.1080/02705060.1998.9663591
Volume 13
Issue 1
Year Published 1998
Language English
Publisher Taylor & Francis
Contributing office(s) Great Lakes Science Center
Description 11 p.
First page 55
Last page 65
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
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