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Effect of prey type and inorganic turbidity on littoral predator–prey interactions in a shallow lake: an experimental approach

  • SHALLOW LAKES
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Abstract

Predation often represents the prevailing process shaping aquatic ecosystems. As foraging and antipredatory behaviour frequently relate to vision, turbidity may often impair the interactions between the predator and its prey, depending on prey type and source and level of turbidity. We studied the effect of inorganic turbidity (0–30 NTU) on the effectiveness of fish feeding on two types of prey in different habitats: free-swimming cladoceran (Daphnia pulex) in open water and plant-associated cladoceran (Sida crystallina) attached to Nuphar lutea leaves. For the planktivore, we used vision-oriented perch (Perca fluviatilis) common in the littoral zone of temperate lakes. In our study, increasing inorganic turbidity did not appear to initiate any significant change in the feeding efficiency of perch on free-swimming Daphnia pulex. However, we saw a markedly different feeding efficiency when perch targeted plant-attached Sida crystallina. Our results substantiate that floating-leaved macrophytes in turbid lakes may provide a favourable habitat for plant-attached cladocerans.

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Acknowledgements

The experiments conducted comply with the regulations of the University of Helsinki Animal Welfare Commission (HY 71-04). The study was financially supported by the Academy of Finland (project 124206) and University of Helsinki.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences/Aquatic Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Leena Nurminen, Zeynep Pekcan-Hekim, Sari Repka & Jukka Horppila

Authors
  1. Leena Nurminen
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  2. Zeynep Pekcan-Hekim
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  3. Sari Repka
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  4. Jukka Horppila
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Correspondence to Leena Nurminen.

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Guest editors: M. Meerhoff, M. Beklioglu, R. Burks, F. García-Rodríguez, N. Mazzeo & B. Moss / Structure and Function of World Shallow Lakes: Proceedings from the 6th Shallow Lakes Congress, held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, 23–28 November, 2008

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Nurminen, L., Pekcan-Hekim, Z., Repka, S. et al. Effect of prey type and inorganic turbidity on littoral predator–prey interactions in a shallow lake: an experimental approach. Hydrobiologia 646, 209–214 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0175-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-010-0175-1

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