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Comparative spatial ecology of sympatric adult muskellunge and northern pike during a one-year period in an urban reach of the Rideau River, Canada

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Abstract

The reach of the Rideau River that flows through Ottawa, Ontario supports a recreational fishery for northern pike (Esox lucius) and muskellunge (Esox masquinongy). The reach is unique not only because such a vibrant esocid-based recreational fishery exists in an urban center, but that these two species co-occur. Typically, when these species occur sympatrically, northern pike tend to exclude muskellunge. To ensure the persistence of these esocid populations and the fisheries they support it is important to identify key spawning, nursery, foraging and over-wintering locations along this reach, and to evaluate the extent to which adults of the two species exhibit spatio-temporal overlap in habitat use. Radio-telemetry was used to track adult northern pike (N = 18; length 510 to 890 mm) and adult muskellunge (N = 15; length 695 to 1200 mm) on 73 occasions over one year, with particular focus on the breeding seasons (early April until the end of May [56 % tracking effort]). For the two esocids, we observed 19–60 % overlap in key aggregation areas during each season and during the spawning period. The minimum activity (average linear river distance travelled between consecutive tracking events) and core range (linear river distance within 95 % C.I. of mean river position) were greatest in the winter and fall for northern pike and in the spring for muskellunge. On average, northern pike were considerably smaller than muskellunge and had lower minimum activities and smaller core ranges, which could be a result of thermal biology, limited suitable habitat, prey availability or predation. Results from this study will inform future management of these unique esocid populations and should be considered before any habitat alterations occurs within or adjacent to the Rideau River.

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Acknowledgments

The Ottawa Chapter of Muskies Canada and the Becker Foundation provided funding to support this study. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry kindly provided a scientific collection permit. All work was conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the Canadian Council of Animal care as administered by Carleton University (protocol number B12-10). Additional support was provided by NSERC, the Canada Research Chairs Program and Carleton University. We thank Maja Cvetkovic, Taylor Ward, Daniel Struthers, Graham Raby, Shannon Brower, Ryan Pusiak, Kathryn Dufour, Sofia Jain-Schlaepfer, Florence Poon, Sarah Richardson, Melody Sabourin, Oda Waldeland, Maxime Veilleux, Ian Byerley, Alice Wilson and Jennifer Lamoureux for their assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada

    Karsten Pankhurst, Jonathan D. Midwood & Steven J. Cooke

  2. Muskies Canada Inc., Ottawa Chapter, 2201 Riverside Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A 8K9, Canada

    Hedrik Wachelka

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  1. Karsten Pankhurst
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  2. Jonathan D. Midwood
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  3. Hedrik Wachelka
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  4. Steven J. Cooke
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Correspondence to Steven J. Cooke.

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Pankhurst, K., Midwood, J.D., Wachelka, H. et al. Comparative spatial ecology of sympatric adult muskellunge and northern pike during a one-year period in an urban reach of the Rideau River, Canada. Environ Biol Fish 99, 409–421 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-016-0482-0

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