<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>In a reservoir tailwater of the large, lowland Warta River, perch and ruffe coexist in a macrophyte habitat, which develops as a result of low water discharge in the late spring and summer. At the beginning of each year the diet of both percids, when shorter than 100 mm, is dominated by large, benthic Hydropsyche. Later in the year, epiphytic Chironomidae and Simuliidae replace these trichopterans in the perch diet, and benthic Chironomidae replace them in the ruffe diet. Large cladoceran species then become accessory food items for perch. Consequently, the food niche overlap of these two percids during the research period is only marginal.</p>
</abstract>

In a reservoir tailwater of the large, lowland Warta River, perch and ruffe coexist in a macrophyte habitat, which develops as a result of low water discharge in the late spring and summer. At the beginning of each year the diet of both percids, when shorter than 100 mm, is dominated by large, benthic Hydropsyche. Later in the year, epiphytic Chironomidae and Simuliidae replace these trichopterans in the perch diet, and benthic Chironomidae replace them in the ruffe diet. Large cladoceran species then become accessory food items for perch. Consequently, the food niche overlap of these two percids during the research period is only marginal.

Percid occupation of submersed riverine macrophytes: food resource partitioning between perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) and ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus L.)

Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology

Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

In a reservoir tailwater of the large, lowland Warta River, perch and ruffe coexist in a macrophyte habitat, which develops as a result of low water discharge...

Percid occupation of submersed riverine macrophytes: food resource partitioning between perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) and ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus L.)

Published Online: Dec 27, 2011

Page range: 12 - 23

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s13545-012-0002-6

Keywords
impounded river, food selectivity, zooplankton, benthos, epiphytic fauna

© 2012 Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk, Poland

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Percid occupation of submersed riverine macrophytes: food resource partitioning between perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) and ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus L.)

Published Online: Dec 27, 2011

Page range: 12 - 23

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s13545-012-0002-6

Keywordsimpounded river, food selectivity, zooplankton, benthos, epiphytic fauna

© 2012 Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk, Poland

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
impounded river, food selectivity, zooplankton, benthos, epiphytic fauna