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ARTICLE

Interactions between Hatch Dates, Growth Rates, and Mortality of Age-0 Native Rainbow Smelt and Nonnative Alewife in Lake Champlain

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Pages 649-656 | Received 16 Oct 2015, Accepted 12 Jan 2016, Published online: 27 Apr 2016
 

Abstract

Timing of hatch in fish populations can be critical for first-year survival and, therefore, year-class strength and subsequent species interactions. We compared hatch timing, growth rates, and subsequent mortality of age-0 Rainbow Smelt Osmerus mordax and Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus, two common open-water fish species of northern North America. In our study site, Lake Champlain, Rainbow Smelt hatched (beginning May 26) almost a month earlier than Alewives (June 20). Abundance in the sampling area was highest in July for age-0 Rainbow Smelt and August for age-0 Alewives. Late-hatching individuals of both species grew faster than those hatching earlier (0.6 mm/d versus 0.4 for Rainbow Smelt; 0.7 mm/d versus 0.6 for Alewives). Mean mortality rate during the first 45 d of life was 3.4%/d for age-0 Rainbow Smelt and was 5.5%/d for age-0 Alewives. Alewife mortality rates did not differ with hatch timing but daily mortality rates of Rainbow Smelt were highest for early-hatching fish. Cannibalism is probably the primary mortality source for age-0 Rainbow Smelt in this lake. Therefore, hatching earlier may not be advantageous because the overlap of adult and age-0 Rainbow Smelt is highest earlier in the season. However, Alewives, first documented in Lake Champlain in 2003, may increase the mortality of age-0 Rainbow Smelt in the summer, which should favor selection for earlier hatching.

Received October 16, 2015; accepted January 12, 2016 Published online April 27, 2016

Acknowledgments

We thank Richard Balouskus, Kiley Briggs, Dave Gibson, Brent Boscarino, Isaac Chellman, Ryan Butryn, Nick Staats, Ellen Marsden, Nick Gotelli, Howard Simonin, Mike Harrington, Roland Wang, Jim Watkins, and several Vermont Fish and Wildlife technicians. This work was sponsored in part by a grant from the National Sea Grant College Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, to Lake Champlain Sea Grant under grant NA16RG2206. Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife provided in-kind support. The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors. Mention of brand names does not constitute product endorsement by the U.S. federal government. This study was performed under the auspices of the University of Vermont protocol 23153. The Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit is jointly supported by the U.S. Geological Survey, Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, the University of Vermont and the Wildlife Management Institute.

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