Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Seasonal and ontogenetic variations in resource use by two sympatric Arctic charr morphs

  • Published:
Environmental Biology of Fishes Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The study compares the resource utilization of two sympatric Arctic charr morphs over an annual period in a subarctic lake. The two morphs are reproductively isolated in time and place of spawning, and are referred to as the littoral and profundal morphs (L-morph and P-morph) according to their spawning habitats. Fish were sampled monthly (ice-free season) or bimonthly (winter) using gillnets in the main lake habitats. The spatial range of the P-morph was restricted to the profundal zone throughout the whole annual period. The L-morph in contrast utilized all main habitats, exhibiting distinct seasonal and ontogenetic variations in habitat distribution. In the spring, the whole L-morph population was located along the bottom profile of the lake, in profundal and littoral habitats. During summer and autumn, habitat segregation occurred between different life-stages, juveniles mainly utilizing the profundal, pre-adults the pelagic and adult fishes the littoral zone. During winter the whole population was assembled in the littoral habitat. The L-morph also had large seasonal and ontogenetic variations in their feeding ecology, with littoral zoobenthos, zooplankton and surface insects being important prey. The P-morph had a narrower diet niche mainly consisting of chironomid larvae and other profundal zoobenthos. Hence, the two Arctic charr morphs exhibited a consistent resource differentiation during all annual seasons and throughout their life cycles, except for a dietary overlap between P-morph and juvenile L-morph charr in the profundal during summer. The findings are discussed in relation to resource polymorphism and incipient speciation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams CE, Huntingford FA, Fraser D, Greer RG, Askew CM, Walker AF (1998) Trophic polymorphism amongst Arctic charr from Loch Rannoch, Scotland. J Fish Biol 52:1259–1271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Adams CE, Huntingford FA (2002) The functional significance of inherited differences in feeding morphology in sympatric polymorphic population of Arctic charr. Evol Ecol 16:15–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alekseyev SS, Samusenok VP, Matveev AN, Pichugin MY (2002) Diversification, sympatric speciation, and trophic polymorphism of Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus complex, in Transbaikalia. Environ Biol Fish 64:97–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amundsen P-A (1995) Feeding strategy of Arctic charr: general opportunist, but individual specialist. Nordic J Freshw Res 71:150–156

    Google Scholar 

  • Amundsen P-A, Gabler H-M, Staldvik FJ (1996) A new method for graphical analysis of feeding strategy from stomach contents data. J Fish Biol 48:607–614

    Google Scholar 

  • Amundsen P-A, Knudsen R, Klemetsen A, Kristoffersen R (2004) Resource partitioning and interactive segregation between sympatric whitefish morphs. Ann Zool Fennici 41:301–307

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernatchez L (2004) Ecological theory of adaptive radiation. An empirical assessment from Coregonine fishes (Salmoniformes) In: Hendry AP, Stearns SC (eds) Evolution illuminated: salmon and their relatives. Oxford University Press, Oxford, p 175

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernatchez L, Dodson JJ (1990) Allopatric origins of sympatric populations of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) as revealed by mitochondrial DNA restriction analysis. Evolution 44:1263–1271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bjøru B, Sandlund OT (1995) Differences in morphology and Ecology within a stunted Arctic charr population. Nordic J Freshw Res 71:163–172

    Google Scholar 

  • Claessen D, Dieckmann U (2002) Ontogenetic niche shifts and evolutionary branching in size-structured populations. Evol Ecol Res 4:189–217

    Google Scholar 

  • Dieckmann U, Doebeli M, Metz JAJ, Tautz D (eds) (2004) Adaptive speciation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Dynes J, Magnan P, Bernatchez L, Rodriguez MA (1999) Genetic and morphological variation between two forms of lacustrine brook charr. J Fish Biol 54:955–972

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eiriksson G, Skulason S, Snorrason SS (1999) Heterochrony in skeletal development and body size in progeny of two morphs of Arctic charr from Thingvallavatn, Iceland. J Fish Biol 55:175–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guiger KRRA, Reist JD, Power M, Babaluk JA (2002) Using stable isotopes to confirm the trophic ecology of Arctic charr morphotypes from Lake Hazen, Nunavut, Canada. J Fish Biol 60:348–362

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hjelm J, Persson L, Christensen B (2000) Growth, morphological variation and ontogenetic niche shifts in perch (Perca fluviatilis) in relation to resource availability. Oecologia 122:190–199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henricson J, Nyman L (1976) The ecological and genetical segregation of two sympatric species of dwarfed char (Salvelinus alpinus (L.) species complex). Rep Inst Freshw Res, Drottninghom 55:15–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Hindar K, Jonsson B (1982) Habitat and food segregation of dwarf and normal Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) from Vangsvatnet lake, western Norway. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 39:1030–1045

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jansen PA, Finstad AG, Langeland A (2002) The relevance of individual size to management of Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus, populations. Env Biol Fish 64:313–320

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jonsson B, Jonsson N (2001) Polymorphism and speciation in Arctic charr. J Fish Biol 58:605–638

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jonsson B, Skulason S (2000) Polymorphic segregation in Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.) from Vatnshlidarvatn, a shallow Icelandic lake. Biol J Linnean Soc 69:55–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Klemetsen A (1984) The Arctic charr speciation problem as seen from Northern Norway. In: Johnson L, Burns B (eds) Biology of the Arctic charr. Proceedings of the international symposium on Arctic charr. University of Manitoba Press, Winnipeg, p 65

    Google Scholar 

  • Klemetsen A, Grotnes PE (1975) Food and habitat segregation of two sympatric Arctic char populations. Verh Internat Verein Limnol 19:2521–2528

    Google Scholar 

  • Klemetsen A, Grotnes PE (1980) Coexistence and immigration of two sympatric Arctic charr populations. In: Balon EK (ed) Charrs, salmonid fishes of the genus Salvelinus. Junk, The Hague, p 757

    Google Scholar 

  • Klemetsen A, Grotnes PE, Holthe H, Kristoffersen K (1985) Bear Island charr. Rep Inst Freshw Res Drottningholm 62:98–119

    Google Scholar 

  • Klemetsen A, Amundsen P-A, Muladal H, Rubach S, Solbakken JI (1989) Habitat shifts in a dense, resident Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus population. Physiol Ecol Japan, Special volume 1:187–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Klemetsen A, Amundsen P-A, Knudsen R, Hermansen B (1997) A profundal, winter-spawning morph of Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.) in lake Fjellfrøsvatn, northern Norway. Nordic J Freshw Res 73:13–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Klemetsen A, Elliott JM, Knudsen R, Sørensen P (2002) Evidence for genetic differences in the offspring of two sympatric morphs of Arctic charr. J Fish Biol 60:933–950

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klemetsen A, Amundsen P-A, Dempson B, Jonsson B, Jonsson N, O’Connell MF, Mortensen E (2003a) Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L., brown trout Salmo trutta L. and Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.): a review of aspects of their life histories. Ecol Freshw Fish 12:1–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klemetsen A, Staldvik FJ, Knudsen R, Amundsen P-A (2003b) Habitat, diet and food assimilation of Arcitic charr under the winter ice in two subarctic lakes. J Fish Biol 62:1082–1098

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klemetsen A, Knudsen R, Primicerio R, Amundsen P-A (2006) Divergent, genetically based feeding behaviour of two sympatric Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), morphs. Ecol Freshw Fish 15:350–355

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knudsen R, Kristoffersen R, Amundsen P-A (1997) Parasite communities in two sympatric morphs of Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.) in northern Norway. Can J Zool 75:2003–2009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knudsen R, Klemetsen A, Amundsen P-A, Hermansen B (2006) Incipient speciation through niche expansion: an example from the Arctic charr in a subarctic lake. Proc Roy Soc B 273:2291–2298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • L’Abée-Lund JH, Langeland A, Jonsson B, Ugedal O (1993) Spatial segregation by age and size in Arctic charr: a trade-off between feeding possibility and risk of predation. J Anim Ecol 62:160–168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu G, Bernatchez L (1999) Correlated trophic specialization and genetic divergence in sympatric lake whitefish ecotypes (Coregonus clupeaformis): support for the ecological speciation hypothesis. Evolution 53:1491–1505

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malmquist H J, Snorrason SS, Skulason S, Jonsson B, Sandlund OT, Jonasson PM (1992) Diet differentiation in polymorphic Arctic charr in Thingvallavatn, Iceland. J Anim Ecol 61:21–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McPhail JD (1994) Speciation and the evolution of reproductive isolation in the sticklebacks (Gasterosteus) of southwestern British Columbia. In: Bell MA, Foster SA (eds) Evolutionary biology of the three-spine stickleback. Oxford University Press, Oxford, p 399

    Google Scholar 

  • Nyman L, Hammar J, Gydemo R (1981) The systematics and biology of landlocked populations of Arctic charr from northern Europe. Rep Inst Freshw Res Drottningholm 59:128–141

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Connell MF, Dempson JB (2002) The biology of Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus, of Gander Lake, a large, deep, oligotrophic lake in Newfoundland, Canada. Env Biol Fish 64:115–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Østbye K, Amundsen P-A, Bernatchez L, Klemetsen A, Knudsen R, Kristoffersen R, Næsje T, Hindar K (2006) Parallel evolution of eco-morphological traits in European whitefish Coregonus lavaretus (L.) during postglacial times. Mol Ecol 15:3083–4001

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Proulx R, Magnan P (2004) Contribution of phenotypic plasticity and heredity to the trophic polymorphism of lacustrine brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis M.). Evol Ecol Res 6:503–522

    Google Scholar 

  • Reist JD, Gyselman E, Babaluk JA, Johnson JD, Wissink R (1995) Evidence for two morphotypes of Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.) from Lake Hazen, Ellesmere Island, Northwest Territories, Canada. Nordic J Freshw Res 71:396–410

    Google Scholar 

  • Riget FF, Nygaard KH, Christensen B (1986) Population structure, ecological segregation, and reproduction in a population of arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) from lake Tasersuaq, Greenland. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 43:985–992

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sacotte S, Magnan P (2006) Inherited differences in foraging behaviour in the offspring of two forms of lacustrine brook charr. Evol Ecol Res 8:843–857

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandlund OT, Gunnarson K, Jonasson PM, Jonsson B, Lindem T, Magnusson KP, Malmquist HJ, Sigurjonsdottir H, Skulason S, Snorrason SS (1992) The arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus in Thingvallavatn. Oikos 64:305–351

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savvaitova K (1995) Patterns of diversity and processes of speciation in Arctic charr. Nord J Freshw Res 71:81–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Schluter D (1996) Ecological speciation in postglacial fishes. Phil Trans R Soc Lond B 351:807–814

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schluter D (2000) The ecology of adaptive radiation. Oxford Univ Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Schluter D (2001) Ecology and the origin of species. Trends Ecol Evol 16:372–380

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schluter D (2003) Frequency dependent natural selection during character displacement in sticklebacks. Evolution 57:1142–1150

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schluter D, MaPhail JD (1992) Ecological character displacement and speciation in sticklebacks. Am Nat 140:85–108

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Skulason S, Smith TB (1995) Resource polymorphism in vertebrates. Trends Ecol Evol 10:366–370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skulason S, Snorrason SS, Jonsson B (1999) Sympatric morphs, populations and speciation in freshwater fish with emphasis on Arctic charr In: Magurran AE, May RM (eds) Evolution of biological diversity. Oxford University Press, Oxford, p 70

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith HD, Skulason S (1996) Evolutioninary significance of resource polymorphisms in fishes amphibians and birds. Ann Rev Ecol Syst 27:111–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Snorrason SS, Skulason S, Jonsson B, Sandlund OT, Malmquist HJ, Jonasson PM (1994) Trophic specialisation in Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (Pisces: Salmonidae): morphological divergence and ontogenetic niche shifts. Biol J Linnean Soc 52:1–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Svärdson G (1957) The coregonid problem. VI. The palearctic species and their intergrades. Rep Inst Freshw Res Drottningholm 38:267–356

    Google Scholar 

  • Svärdson G (1998) Postglacial dispersal and reticulate evolution of Nordic coregonids. Nordic J Freshw Res 74:3–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor EB, McPhail JD (2000) Historical contingency and ecological determinism interact to prime speciation in sticklebacks, Gasterosteus. Proc Roy Soc Lond B 267:2375–2384

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Westgaard JI, Klemetsen A, Knudsen R (2004) Genetic differences between two sympatric morphs of Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.) confirmed by microsatellite DNA. J Fish Biol 65:1185–1191

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson AJ, Gíslason D, Skúlason S, Snorrason SS, Adams CE, Alexander G, Danzmann RG, Ferguson MM (2004) Population genetic structure of Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus, from northwest Europe on large and small spatial scales. Mol Ecol 13:1129–1142

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Werner EE (1986) Species interactions in freshwater communities. In: Diamond J, Case T (eds) Community ecology. Harper and Row, New York, p 344

    Google Scholar 

  • Werner EE, Gilliam JF (1984) The ontogenetic niche and species interactions in size-structured populations. Ann Rev Ecol Syst 15:393–425

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Many people have contributed to this study, but we especially like to thank Laina Dalsbø, Jan Evjen and Bjørn Hermansen for their skilful assistance in the field and laboratory work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aquatic BioSciences, Norwegian College of Fishery Science, University of Tromsø, NO-9037, Tromsø, Norway

    Per-Arne Amundsen, Rune Knudsen & Anders Klemetsen

Authors
  1. Per-Arne Amundsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rune Knudsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Anders Klemetsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Per-Arne Amundsen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Amundsen, PA., Knudsen, R. & Klemetsen, A. Seasonal and ontogenetic variations in resource use by two sympatric Arctic charr morphs. Environ Biol Fish 83, 45–55 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-007-9262-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-007-9262-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation