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- Olsson, Karin, et al.
(author)
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The influence of food quality and availability on trophic position, carbon signature, and growth rate of an omnivorous crayfish
- 2008
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In: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. - 1205-7533. ; 65:10, s. 2293-2304
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fourteen sites in 13 streams were surveyed to address the importance of food quality and quantity on trophic position, carbon signature, and growth rate of noble crayfish (Astacus astacus) by combining the analyses of gut content, stable isotopes, and RNA-DNA ratio. The gut content analysis showed an omnivorous feeding habit, but total animal food sources contributed more to the nitrogen and carbon isotope signals of this species. The biomass of invertebrates (i.e., high quality food) influenced the trophic position, carbon signature, and growth rate. Our results show that crayfish in streams with a high biomass of invertebrates were at a higher trophic position and had a higher growth rate than crayfish in streams with a low biomass of invertebrates. A high biomass of relatively sedentary invertebrates indicates a habitat with high algae biomass, which is reflected in the more autochthonous carbon signature of crayfish. Further, noble crayfish in temperate streams seem to have dual functional roles by acting as predator and as shredder by processing large amounts of detritus.
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- Stenroth, Patrik, et al.
(author)
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The influence of productivity and width of littoral zone on the trophic position of a large-bodied omnivore.
- 2008
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In: Oecologia. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-1939 .- 0029-8549. ; 156, s. 681-690
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Omnivory is common in many food webs. Omnivores in different habitats can potentially change their feeding behaviour and alter their trophic position and role according to habitat conditions. Here we examine the trophic level and diet of the omnivorous signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) in gradients of trophic status and lake size, both of which have been previously suggested to affect trophic position of predators separately or combined as productive space. We found the trophic position of omnivorous crayfish to be positively correlated with lake trophic status, but found no evidence for any influence of lake size or productive space on crayfish trophic position. The higher trophic position of crayfish in eutrophic lakes was largely caused by a shift in crayfish diet and not by an increase in trophic links in basal parts of the food web. Hence, our results support the "productivity hypothesis," suggesting that food chains can be longer in more productive systems. Furthermore, stable isotope data indicated that larger crayfish are more predatory than smaller crayfish in lakes with wider littoral zones. Wider littoral zones promoted the development of intrapopulation differences in trophic position whereas narrow littoral zones did not. Hence, differences in habitat quality between and within lakes seem to influence the trophic positions of omnivorous crayfish.
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