Growth chronologies of white sucker, Catostomus commersoni, and lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush: a comparison among lakes and between trophic levels

February 2, 2007 - Nathan G. Smith; Charles C. Krueger; John M. Casselman

Journal or Book Title: Environmental Biology of Fishes

Keywords: Age; Temperature; Zebra mussels; Nutrient input; Pinatubo

Volume/Issue: 81

Page Number(s): 375-386

Year Published: 2008

A growth chronology index was used to determine whether changes in ecosystem structure and function in lakes could be associated with fish growth histories. Growth chronologies were compared for white suckers, Catostomus commersoni, from Little Moose ( oligotrophic), Oneida (eutrophic), and Cayuga (mesotrophic) lakes (New York) from opercular bone growth increments, and for lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush, from Little Moose Lake using otolith growth. The longevity of these species allowed the development of chronologies from 17 to 33 years in length using only contemporary collections. We used these chronologies to examine whether fish growth histories could be used as an index for ecosystemscale changes. Specifically, we examined whether zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, invasion in Oneida and Cayuga lakes in the early 1990s, and treatment of sewage effluent from dwellings around Little Moose Lake beginning during the late 1980s could be detected in white sucker and lake trout growth chronologies. White sucker growth in Oneida and Cayuga Lakes did not differ before and after zebra mussel invasions. Neither white sucker nor lake trout growth chronologies from Little Moose Lake reflect changes in growth expected with reduced productivity levels associated with improved sewage treatment. Growth chronologies of these two species did not detect the ecosystem-scale changes that occurred in the study lakes.

DOI: 10.1007/s10641-007-9207-8

Type of Publication: Working Paper/White Paper

Publisher: Springer Science+Business Media

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Tag List
  • age,
  • center for systems integration and sustainability,
  • nutrient input,
  • pinatubo,
  • temperature,
  • zebra mussels
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