A Synthesis of the Biology and Ecology of Sculpin Species in the Laurentian Great Lakes and Implications for the Adaptive Capacity of the Benthic Ecosystem

Abstract

The Laurentian Great Lakes have experienced recent ecosystem changes that could lead to reductions in adaptive capacity and ultimately a loss of biodiversity and production throughout the food web. Observed changes in Great Lakes benthic communities include declines of native species and widespread success of invasive species like dreissenid mussels in all but Lake Superior. Understanding the ecology of native benthic deepwater preyfish and the reasons for their declines is important for predicting future losses in adaptive capacity and diversity, as well as managing the Great Lakes ecosystem to avoid such losses. Native sculpin species (Cottus bairdii, C. cognatus, C. ricei, Myoxocephalus thompsonii) historically were among the most abundant of the Great Lakes native deepwater benthic preyfish community and are an important link between offshore benthic and pelagic food webs. With one exception, these species have declined in abundance throughout the Great Lakes in recent years, but relatively little is known about their biology and ecology. This review synthesizes the available knowledge for the Great Lakes sculpin species and provides suggestions for future research efforts, which include understanding reproductive ecology and spawning behavior, connectivity and dispersal of populations, early life history, and influences of interactions with native and non-native species.

Keywords:

• Slimy sculpin
• deepwater sculpin
• mottled sculpin
• spoonhead sculpin
• benthic forage fish

Acknowledgments

We thank T. Johnson, N. Mandrak, E. Marsden, and A. Muir for thoughtful discussions related to this paper, and J. Adams, A. Honsey, B. O’Malley, S. Shumway, and one anonymous reviewer, for providing feedback on the manuscript. Funding for a workshop that was the catalyst for this publication was provided by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission under the Re-establishment of Native Deepwater Fishes theme. The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. government. USGS data used in this paper can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.5066/F75M63X0. This is publication #2020-16 of the Quantitative Fisheries Center.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.