2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

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5/21/2019 | 3:15 PM - 3:30 PM | INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PREDATOR TRAITS AND PRODUCER STRUCTURE: THE ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION OF FINDING FOOD IN COMPLEX AQUATIC HABITATS | 250 CF

INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PREDATOR TRAITS AND PRODUCER STRUCTURE: THE ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION OF FINDING FOOD IN COMPLEX AQUATIC HABITATS

Evolutionary diversification in the traits of predatory fish has consequences for a wide range of ecosystem functions, including the composition of primary producers. At the same time, the structure of producer communities shapes the diversity and availability of prey resources, which constrains the potential niche differentiation of predators. To investigate the interactions between diversity in predator traits and diversity in producer structure, we used a large-scale mesocosm experiment with threespine stickleback fish from lake and stream ecotypes in central Switzerland. We manipulated the presence of aquatic macrophytes and found that they increased the abundance and diversity of benthic invertebrates, which in turn increased the survival of divergent juvenile stickleback phenotypes competing for food. Using stable isotopes and body condition, we found that habitat complexity and fish density interactively affected the potential strength of selection on fish feeding morphology. Because fish feeding niche is both a cause and a consequence of habitat structure, this work demonstrates a potential eco-evolutionary feedback between the ecology of aquatic habitats and food webs and the evolution of predator strategies for detecting and consuming prey.

Fish
Macrophyte
Functional Feeding Groups

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Presenters/Authors

Rebecca Best (), Northern Arizona University, rebecca.best@nau.edu;