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Intraguild predation between small pelagic fish in the Bay of Biscay: impact on anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus L.) egg mortality

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Abstract

Small pelagic fish can play an important role in various ecosystems linking lower and upper trophic levels. Among the factor behind the observed inter-annual variations in small pelagic fish abundance, intra- and inter-specific trophic interactions could have a strong impact on the recruitment variability (e.g. anchovy). Egg cannibalism observed in anchovies has been postulated to be a mechanism that determines the upper limit of the population density and self-regulates the population abundance of the species. On the other hand, predation by other guild species is commonly considered as a regulation mechanism between competing species. This study provides empirical evidence of anchovy cannibalism and predation of the main small pelagic fish species on anchovy eggs and estimates the effect of intraguild predation on the anchovy egg mortality rate. Results show that, depending on the year (2008–2009), up to 33 % of the total anchovy egg mortality was the result of sardine predation and up to 4 % was the result of egg cannibalism together with predation by Atlantic and Atlantic Chub mackerel and sprat. Results also indicate that in the Bay of Biscay, fluctuations in the survival index of the early life stages of anchovy are likely to be attributable at least in part to egg cannibalism and especially to a high sardine predation on anchovy eggs.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the captains and crew of the research vessel R/V Emma Bardán, as well as to the onboard scientists and analysts for their support during the sampling and laboratory work. Very special thanks are due to Marcelo Pájaro (INIDEP) for his help with the parameter calculations. We would also like to thank the Editor and the four anonymous reviewers who provided insightful comments that greatly improved the manuscript. This work was funded by the Ecoanchoa project (FEP Project, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of the Basque Country Government) and the EU FP7 FACTS (Forage Fish Interactions) project, Grant Agreement No. 244966. Eneko Bachiller was supported by a doctoral fellowship (2007–2011) from the Iñaki Goenaga Zentru Teknologikoen Fundazioa (IG-ZTF) and by a postdoctoral fellowship (2014–2016) from the Department of Education, Language policy and Culture of the Basque Country Government (EJ-GV). This is Contribution No. 712 from AZTI-Tecnalia (Marine Research Division).

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  1. Eneko Bachiller

    Present address: Pelagic Fish Research Group, Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Nordnes 33, PO box 1870, 5817, Bergen, Norway

  2. Xabier Irigoien

    Present address: Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Research Division, AZTI Foundation, Herrera Kaia Portualdea z/g, 20110, Pasaia, Gipuzkoa (Basque Country), Spain

    Eneko Bachiller, Unai Cotano, Leire Ibaibarriaga, Maria Santos & Xabier Irigoien

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  1. Eneko Bachiller
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Correspondence to Eneko Bachiller.

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Communicated by M. Peck.

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Bachiller, E., Cotano, U., Ibaibarriaga, L. et al. Intraguild predation between small pelagic fish in the Bay of Biscay: impact on anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus L.) egg mortality. Mar Biol 162, 1351–1369 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-015-2674-0

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