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Potential effects of spawning habitat changes on the segregation of northern pike (Esox lucius) and muskellunge (E. masquinongy) in the Upper St. Lawrence River

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Abstract

Changes in spawning habitat of northern pike (Esox lucius) may affect their segregation from and coexistence with the closely related muskellunge (E. masquinongy). We estimated the areal coverage of robust and shallow emergent vegetation in three shared-spawning bays in the Upper St. Lawrence River from aerial photographs taken from 1948 to 2003. Robust emergent vegetation (e.g., cattail) increased in coverage by 155–241% while shallow emergents (sedges) decreased by 46–96%. The loss of sedges, an important northern pike-spawning habitat, may facilitate greater spawning overlap in offshore-submersed aquatic vegetation within bay habitats used by muskellunge. Development rates and characteristics of northern pike and muskellunge eggs and larvae were compared to better understand the implications of greater spawning overlap. Northern pike eggs developed faster than muskellunge eggs at temperatures of 4.7–19°C, and adhesive eggs and the presence of adhesive papillae were present in both species. Equations were used to predict degree-day requirements for hatching and swim-up in three habitats (shallow emergents, bay, and offshore shoal) along a temperature gradient. Northern pike required more estimated degree days to reach hatching in bay and offshore shoal habitat relative to shallow emergent habitat due to cooler temperatures. Significant spawning overlap is known to occur within bay habitats, but poor success of northern pike in deep bay habitats and overall reductions in abundance are hypothesized to currently buffer muskellunge from potential negative interactions between these species.

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Acknowledgments

This research was partially funded by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration grant FA-5-R), Wildlife Forever, Inc., and the Wilford A. Dence Memorial Fellowship (to JEC). We also thank Richard T. Colesante, Rodger Klindt, and Steven LaPan of NYSDEC, and Brian Smith, Ducks Unlimited. Kim Farrell provided a critical review of the work. This research is a contribution of the Thousand Islands Biological Station.

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Author notes

  1. Jerry V. Mead

    Present address: Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, 162 Hayden Hall, 240 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6319, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA

    John E. Cooper, Jerry V. Mead, John M. Farrell & Robert G. Werner

  2. Cooper Environmental Research, 1444 County Route 23, Constantia, NY, 13044, USA

    John E. Cooper

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  1. John E. Cooper
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Correspondence to John E. Cooper.

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Guest editors: J. M. Farrell, C. Skov, M. Mingelbier, T. Margenau & J. E. Cooper

International Pike Symposium: Merging Knowledge of Ecology, Biology, and Management for a Circumpolar Species

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Cooper, J.E., Mead, J.V., Farrell, J.M. et al. Potential effects of spawning habitat changes on the segregation of northern pike (Esox lucius) and muskellunge (E. masquinongy) in the Upper St. Lawrence River. Hydrobiologia 601, 41–53 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-9265-0

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