Abstract
Establishment of four fish-farms during the period 1971 to 1994 in the oligotrophic lake Skogseidvatnet affected Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus, but not brown trout, Salmo trutta. From 1971 to 1987, an increase in mean individual size of Arctic charr was recorded, while the mean individual size of brown trout remained stable. Arctic charr were found to use deeper benthic areas than brown trout. Approximately 8% of the Arctic charr population (>26 cm), were found to switch to waste food from fish-farms, resulting in a novel feeding habitat for the species. They were, however, found in gillnets distant from the fish farm cages, indicating high mobility. The habitat segregation between the two species can most likely be explained by selective differences and asymmetric competition with brown trout as the dominant species. Based on the present results, changes in the Arctic charr population may be due to increased food availability and due to a new habitat use as a waste food feeder. The reason for the brown trout population to have remained stable with respect to mean size, growth pattern and habitat use, may be due to a different diet choice than Arctic charr in this lake. Brown trout were found to feed mainly on terrestrial insects, while Arctic charr fed mainly on zooplankton and on waste food.
Similar content being viewed by others
References cited
Brooks, J.L. & S.I. Dodson. 1965. Predation, body size, and composition of zooplankton. Science 150: 28-35.
DeMott, W.R. & W.C. Kerfoot 1982. Competition among cladocerans: nature of the interaction between Daphnia and Bosmina. Ecology 63: 1949-1966.
Hall, D.J., S.T. Threlkeld., C.W. Burns & P.H. Crowley. 1976. The size-efficiency hypothesis and the size structure of zooplankton communities. Annual Review Ecology Systems 7: 177-208.
Hall, D.J., W.E. Cooper & E.E Werner. 1970. An experimental approach to the production dynamics and structure of freshwater animal communities. Limnol. Oceanogr. 15: 839-928.
Hanson, J.M. & W.C. Legget. 1982. Empirical prediction of fish biomass and yield. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 39: 257-263.
Hanson, J.M. & R.H. Peters. 1984. Empirical prediction of crustacean zooplankton biomass and profundal machrobenthos biomass in lakes. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 41: 439-445.
Heath, D.D. & D.A. Roff. 1996. The role of trophic bottlenecks in stunting: a field test of an allocation model of growth and reproduction in yellow perch, Perca flavescens. Env. Biol. Fish. 45: 53-63.
Hrbáček, J. 1962. Species composition and the amount of zooplankton in relation to the fish stock. Rozprávy Československé Akademie Věd, Řada Matematických a Přírodnich Věd 72: 1-116.
Hurlbert, S.H., J. Zelder & D. Fairbanks. 1972. Ecosystem alteration by mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, predation. Science 175: 639-641.
Hurlbert, S.H. & M.S. Mulla. 1981. Impacts of mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, predation on plankton communities. Hydrobiologia 83: 125-151.
Jensen, K.W. 1977. Om garnseleksjon (Nettselection). Fauna 31: 77-79.
Jonsson, B. 1976. Comparison of scales and otolithes for age determination in brown trout, Salmo trutta L. Norwegian J. Zool. 24: 295-301.
Kerfoot, W.C. & W.R. DeMott. 1984. Food web dynamics: dependent chains and vaulting. pp. 347-382. In: D.G. Meyers & J.R. Strickler (ed.) Trophic Interactions Within Aquatic Ecosystems, AAAS Selected Symposium #85, Westview Press, Washington, D.C.
Kerfoot, W.C. 1987. Cascading effects and indirect pathways. pp. 57-70. In: W.C. Kerfoot & A. Sih (ed.) Predation, University Press of New England, Hanover.
Kerfoot, W.C. & W.R. DeMott. 1980. Foundations for evaluating community interactions: the use of enclosures to investigate coexistence of Daphnia and Bosmina. pp. 726-741. In: W.C. Keerfoot (ed.) Evolution and Ecology of Zooplankton Communities, AAAS Selected Symposium #85, Westview Press, Washington, D.C.
Langeland, A., J.H. L'Abèe-Lund & B. Jonsson. 1995. Konflikt mellom næringsopptak og predasjonsrisiko (Conflict between foodintake and predationrisk). pp. 109-112. In: R. Borgstrøm, B. Jonsson & L'Abèe-Lund (ed.) Ferskvannsfisk, Norges Forskningsråd.
Langeland, A., J.H. L'Abèe-Lund & B. Jonsson. 1995. Ørret og røyesamfunn-habitatbruk og konkurranse (Community of brown trout and Arctic charr-habitat use and competition). pp. 35-43. In: R. Borgstrøm, B. Jonsson & L'Abèe-Lund (ed.) Ferskvannsfisk, Norges Forskningsråd.
Langeland, A., J.H. L'Abèe-Lund, B. Jonsson & N. Jonsson. 1991. Resource partitioning and niche shift in Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus and brown trout Salmo trutta. J. Anim. Ecol. 60: 895-912.
Lynch, M. 1979. Predation, competition and zooplankton community structure: an experimental study. Limnol. Oceanogr. 24: 253-272.
May, R.M. 1973. Stability and complexity in model ecosystems. Princeton University Press, Princeton. 265 pp.
Pace, M.L. 1984. Zooplankton community structure, but not biomass, influences the phosphorus-chlorophyll a relationship. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 41: 1089-1096.
Persson, L. 1987. Asymmetries in competitive and predatory interactions in fish populations. pp. 203-218. In: B. Ebenman & L. Persson (ed.) Size-Structured Populations, Ecology and Evolution, Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Stockner, J.G. & K.S. Shortreed. 1985. Whole lake fertilization experiments in coastal British Colombia lakes; empirical relationships between nutrient inputs and phytoplankton biomass and production. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 42: 649-658.
Werner, E.E. & D.J. Hall. 1977. Competition and habitat shift in two sunfishes (Centrarchidae). Ecology 58: 869-876.
Zar, J.H. 1984. Biostatistical analysis. Prentice-Hall, Engelwood Cliffs. 200 pp.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gabrielsen, SE. Effects of Fish-farm Activity on the Limnetic Community Structure of Brown Trout, Salmo trutta, and Arctic Charr, Salvelinus alpinus. Environmental Biology of Fishes 55, 321–332 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007519631384
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007519631384