Stable isotope values and trophic analysis of invasive three-spined stickleback in Upper Lake Constance points to significant piscivory

By

Gugele, Sarah
Baer, Jan
Spießl, Christina
Yohannes, Elizabeth
Blumenshine, Steve
Roberts, Barnaby
Mota-Ferreira, Mario R.
Brinker, Alexander

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023

Original Publication

NeoBiota : advancing research on alien species and biological invasions

Volume

87

Pages

73--102

Subjects

Carbon littoral source , Gasterosteus aculeatus , larvae predation , niche overlap , trophic position , whitefish

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sophia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.87.100355

 

Abstract

The three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus was introduced into Lake Constance in the 1940s and occupied a limited range until late 2012. Since then the species has expanded from a solely littoral habitat in Upper Lake Constance, but now makes seasonal migrations into the pelagic zone. This behavioral change has been accompanied by a drastic increase in stickleback abundance. In order to integrate information about feeding of sticklebacks in Upper Lake Constance over two consecutive years, stomach content analysis was combined with seasonal stable isotope analysis on two types of tissue (muscle and liver). Isotope values were also obtained for zooplankton, whitefish larvae and eggs. We calculated the contribution of potential food sources for sticklebacks’ diet using a Bayesian mixing model (SIMMR). Furthermore, we determined stickleback trophic position, and δ15N and δ13C values were compared with those of other fish species of Lake Constance. The results of the Bayesian model as well as the stomach content analysis showed clear evidence of stickleback predation on fish eggs and larvae. Stickleback δ15N values were elevated during winter and comparable to those of piscivorous pike, while δ15N values of zooplankton were reduced, and those of whitefish larvae were similar to those of sticklebacks after accounting trophic fractionation of N isotopes. Trophic position calculations further identified sticklebacks as piscivorous, while the δ13C values of the liver and stomach content analysis suggests that a benthic-pelagic species pair may exist in Lake Constance. These findings support the hypotheses that sticklebacks in Lake Constance can display piscivorous feeding behaviour on sympatric fish species, most likely whitefish larvae and eggs.