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Habitat use of arctic charrSalvelinus alpinus in Thingvallavatn, Iceland

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Habitat use by four morphs of arctic charr,Salvelinus alpinus, was investigated in Thingvallavatn, Iceland, by sampling with pelagic and benthic gill nets. Sampling was done in May/June and August/September. Greatest abundance of fish was recorded in the littoral and epipelagic zone in early autumn. Catches were low in early summer. The four morphs are partly segregated in habitat. Small (SB-) and large benthivorous (LB-) charr have a more restricted spatial distribution than piscivorous (PI-), and especially planktivorous (PL-) charr. Both benthivorous morphs are mainly found in the littoral zone, and occur in largest numbers in stony shallows at depths between 0 and 10 m. PL-charr usually dominates in numbers in all habitats. PI-charr is most abundant in epibenthic habitats, although numbers are always low. All morphs are caught in higher numbers at night than during the day, but the diurnal activity difference is highest among SB-charr. The habitat use by different morphs is as may be expected from their morphology and diets. Within the population of PL-charr, young and small fish are more abundant on the bottom than in the pelagic zone, and there is a surplus of females in the pelagic zone. Along the benthic profile, young, small and immature PL-charr are more abundant in deep than in shallow waters. The results are discussed in relation to food supply, competition and predation. Possible reasons for the occurrence of four arctic charr morphs are also discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Norwegian Society for Rural Development, P. O. Box 115, N-2013, Skjetten, Norway

    Odd Ter Sandlund

  2. Directorate for Nature Management, Fish Research Division, Tungasletta, 2, N-7004, Trondheim, Norway

    Bror Jonsson

  3. Freshwater Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Helsingørsgade, 51, DK-3400, Hillerød, Denmark

    Hilmar J. Malmquist & Pétur M. Jónasson

  4. Institute of Freshwater Research, S-17011, Drottningholm, Sweden

    Rolf Gydemo

  5. Institute of Physics, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1054, Blindern, N-0316, Oslo, 3, Norway

    Torfinn Lindem

  6. Institute of Biology, University of Iceland, Grensdsvegur, 12, 108, Reykjavik, Iceland

    Skúli Skúlason & Sigurdur S. Snorrason

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  1. Odd Ter Sandlund
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  2. Bror Jonsson
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  3. Hilmar J. Malmquist
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  4. Rolf Gydemo
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  6. Skúli Skúlason
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  7. Sigurdur S. Snorrason
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  8. Pétur M. Jónasson
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Contribution from the Thingvallavatn project.

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Sandlund, O.T., Jonsson, B., Malmquist, H.J. et al. Habitat use of arctic charrSalvelinus alpinus in Thingvallavatn, Iceland. Environ Biol Fish 20, 263–274 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00005297

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