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Seasonal diet and amphipod size selection of juvenile common bully, Gobiomorphus cotidianus, in a coastal New Zealand lake

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Abstract

We examined the seasonal diet of juvenile (≤32 mm total length) common bullies, Gobiomorphus cotidianus, in Lake Waihola, South Island, New Zealand and whether they preyed selectively on the amphipod, Paracalliope fluviatilis, which was a dominant prey item. Generally, ≥75% of all fish sampled had consumed amphipods, which comprised 80%, or more, of the total prey volumes in fish stomachs over most of a year except on one sampling occasion. Copepods, snails, chironomids, Daphnia, mysids and isopods also contributed to the diet. Comparisons of the size distribution of amphipods in fish stomachs and the lake on the date of sampling showed that on four occasions, juvenile bullies selectively consumed small amphipods. No selective feeding was detected on the other occasions. The dominance of primarily benthic amphipods in the diet of juvenile bullies which, in turn, are preyed on by piscivores, suggests a strong benthic-pelagic link in the transfer of energy in Lake Waihola.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Marc Schallenberg and Jo Bishop for assistance with fieldwork. Mike Venarsky, Brian Parker and two anonymous reviewers provided critical reviews of the manuscript. This work was partially funded by a research grant from the University of Otago to C. W. Burns, and a post-doctoral fellowship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to F. M. Wilhelm. This research was carried out with permission of the University of Otago Animal Ethics Committee.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P. O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Frank M. Wilhelm, Gerard P. Closs & Carolyn W. Burns

  2. Department of Zoology and Center for Ecology, Southern Illinois University, 1125 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, IL, 62901-6501, USA

    Frank M. Wilhelm

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  1. Frank M. Wilhelm
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  2. Gerard P. Closs
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  3. Carolyn W. Burns
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Correspondence to Frank M. Wilhelm.

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Handling editor: J. Cambray

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Wilhelm, F.M., Closs, G.P. & Burns, C.W. Seasonal diet and amphipod size selection of juvenile common bully, Gobiomorphus cotidianus, in a coastal New Zealand lake. Hydrobiologia 586, 303–312 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-0703-9

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