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MEPS
Marine Ecology Progress Series

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MEPS 377:227-237 (2009)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07833

Effects of preferred prey density and temperature on feeding success and recent growth in larval mackerel of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence

Dominique Robert1,3,*, Martin Castonguay2, Louis Fortier1

1Québec-Océan, Département de Biologie, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada
2Institut Maurice-Lamontagne, Ministère des Pêches et des Océans, CP 1000, Mont-Joli, Québec G5H 3Z4, Canada
3Present address: Fisheries Research Station, Kyoto University, Nagahama, Maizuru, Kyoto-fu 625-0086, Japan

ABSTRACT: We evaluated the effects of preferred prey density and temperature on the feeding success and recent growth of Atlantic mackerel larvae from 4 consecutive annual cohorts (1997 to 2000) in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. Individual feeding success (residuals of the linear regression of preferred prey carbon in the gut content on larval length) and recent growth (average width of last 3 otolith increments) were determined for a stratified subsample of larvae in each year and among different length classes. The density of preferred prey best explained variations in feeding success and growth in first-feeding larvae (<7 mm), while temperature was the main source of growth variability during older larval stages. The feeding success and growth of early larvae increased with the density of Pseudocalanus sp. nauplii until a similar satiation threshold of 1 µgC l–1. Recent growth increased linearly with temperature during the late larval stage, without any indication of a temperature optimum. These results suggest that high abundance of the preferred prey at the onset of exogenous feeding and relatively warm temperature during the larval growth season are important prerequisites for the emergence of a strong year class in Atlantic mackerel.


KEY WORDS: Fish larvae · Prey availability · Temperature · Feeding success · Recent growth · Otolith microstructure · Atlantic mackerel · Scomber scombrus


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Cite this article as: Robert D, Castonguay M, Fortier L (2009) Effects of preferred prey density and temperature on feeding success and recent growth in larval mackerel of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 377:227-237. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07833

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