Resource Partitioning in Food, Space and Time between Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus), Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) and European Whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) at the Southern Edge of Their Continuous Coexistence
Jensen, H., Kiljunen, M., Knudsen, R., & Amundsen, P.-A. (2017). Resource Partitioning in Food, Space and Time between Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus), Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) and European Whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) at the Southern Edge of Their Continuous Coexistence. PLoS ONE, 12(1), Article e0170582. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170582
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© the Authors, 2017. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the
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Arctic charr and European whitefish are considered to be strong competitors in lakes, with
the latter usually being the superior species. However, high niche plasticity and lake morphometry
may suggestively facilitate resource partitioning and coexistence between charr
and whitefish. Here, we explore the trophic niche utilization (diet and habitat use) of charr
and whitefish co-occurring with brown trout in the deep and oligotrophic Lake Fyresvatnet,
southern Norway (59˚05’N, 8˚10’E). Using CPUE, stomach contents and stable isotope
analyses, a distinct resource partitioning was revealed between brown trout and the other
two species. Brown trout typically occupied the littoral zone, feeding on benthic invertebrates,
surface insects and small-sized whitefish. In contrast, charr and whitefish were predominantly
zooplanktivorous, but diverged somewhat in habitat utilization as charr shifted
seasonally between the profundal and the littoral zone, whereas whitefish were found in the
upper water layers (littoral and pelagic habitats). Accordingly, the stable isotope values of
carbon (δ13C) reflected a pelagic orientated prey resource use for both charr and whitefish,
whereas brown trout had elevated carbon and nitrogen (δ15N) signatures that reflected their
benthivore and piscivore diet, respectively. The findings suggest that charr may not rely
upon the profundal zone as a feeding habitat but as a refuge area, and may coexist with
whitefish if a third competitive and predatory species like brown trout co-occur in the lake.
The study indicates that a general high habitat plasticity of Arctic charr may be essential in
the presently observed coexistence with a competitively superior fish species like whitefish,
and that a third fish species like brown trout may facilitate this particular fish community
structure.
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as © the Authors, 2017. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the
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