Prosopium Cylindraceum and Coregonus Clupeaformis OF
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CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECOLOGY OF THE WHITEFISHES 'Prosopium cylindraceum AND Coregonus clupeaformis OF ALGONQUIN PARK, ONTARIO by FREDERICK KEITH SANDERCOCK B.Sc, The University of Toronto, 1962 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE in the Department of . Zoology We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA October, 1964 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of • British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study, I further agree that per• mission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by his representatives. It is understood that, copying or publi• cation of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission... Department of Z7~ The University of British/Columbia, Vancouver 89/Canada Date / ii ABSTRACT The distribution of Prosopium cylindraceum (Pallas) and Coregonus clupeaformis (MLtchill) in Algonquin Park, Ontario, suggested that there may be some interaction between these species. In large lakes where both species are present the C_. clupeaformis population is always dominant; in small lakes only, one species is present. During the summer of 1963 the ecological relationships between these species were studied. Lakes Opeongo and Lavieille each contained both species, while in Lakes Redrock and Happy Isle only P. cylindraceum was present. Gill nets were set at frequent intervals, to determine the depth range occupied by the two species and to provide material for stomach analysis and age and growth data. Temperature and dissolved oxygen levels were recorded regularly using standard limnological techniques. The depth range occupied by both species was not strongly correlated with the thermal structure or oxygen level of the lake. P. cylindraceum in sympatric situations invariably occupied a shallower depth range than did C. clupeaformis. Where the latter species was absent P. cylindraceum were frequently found in a wide range of depths. P. cylindraceum from Lake Opeongo fed heavily on larval insects and to a lesser extent on bottom-dwelling Crustacea. C_. clupeaformis from the same lake fed mainly on bottom-dwelling Crustacea plus some insects and molluscs. P. cylindraceum- in Lakes Redrock and Happy Isle fed almost entirely on plankton Crustacea. Zooplankton was of importance as a primary food source for whitefish. Age and growth data have shown that there is a direct correlation iii between the relative importance of plankton in the diet and the rate of growth of the fish.. Fish from Lakes Redrock and Happy Isle had a much higher growth rate in both length and weight than the two species in Lake Opeongo. In the latter lake C. ..clupeaformjs grew faster than P. cylind• raceum. Large lakes with adequate zooplankton production will support both P. cylindraceum and C_. clupeaformis. but the better adaptation of C..clupeaformis to plankton feeding may account for its greater success as indicated by its wide distribution, large numbers, and high rate of growth. viii ACOOWLiiDGEMENTS I wish to thank Mr. N.V. Ifertin, director of the Harkness Memorial Fisheries Research Laboratory, Algonquin Park, Ontario, for his continuing guidance throughout all stages of this study. Also Mr. K. Loftus, head of Fisheries Research Branch, Ontario Department of Lands and Forests, for providing all the necessary facilities and equipment, without which the problem could not have been undertaken. I am indebted to Dr. G.C. Lindsey, Institute of Fisheries, University of British Columbia, who supervised the writing of the thesis, and whose criticisms and advice have proven invaluable. Dr. N.J;. Wilimovsky and Dr. I.E. Efford critically reviewed the manuscript and made many helpful suggestions. The author wishes to express his thanks to the Institute of Fisheries, University of British Columbia, and The Fisheries Association of British Columbia for their financial assistance. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .ii LIST OF TABLES . .y LIST OF FIGURES. .vii ACMOWLEDGEMENTS viii INTRODUCTION. 1 DISTRIBUTION. 3 LAKE DESCRIPTIONS.... .9 METHODS OF OBTAINING FISH ....i.l5 DEPTH DISTRIBUTION. .17 FOOD HABITS, ................ .17 Opeongo Lake .27 Happy Isle Lake and Redroek Lake. 28 AGE AND GROWTH . .29 Lengths-weight relationship. .3.0 Calculated growth..;....."." .34 Growth in Length 37 Growth in Weight. .40 DISCUSSION 44 SUMMARY ••••56 LITERATURE CITED............................... .. .58 APPENDIX. .62 V LIST OF TABLES Page I. Distribution records of P. cylindraceum in Ontario excluding Algonquin Park. .7 II. Distribution of P. cylindraceum and C. clupeaformis in Algonquin Park. 8 III. A list of all food items found in the stomachs analysed, along with a comment on their relative abundance. .22 IV. Equations for length-weight relationship. ......30 V, Length-weight relationship of P. cylindraceum from Redrock Lake. ........ .31 VI. Length-weight relationship of P. cylindraceum from Happy Isle Lake. 7....v....... v........ 33 VII. Length-weight relationship of P. cylindraceum from Opeongo Lake. ..33 VIII. Length-weight relationship of G. p.1np<aaf<yi»mi a from Opwnnflft Lake. .7...................................34 IX. Relation between standard length and magnified (x35) scale diameter of P. cylindraceum from Redrock Lake. 35 X. Relation between standard length and magnified (s35) scale diameter of P. cylindraceum from Happy Isle Lake .35 XI. Relation between standard length and magnified (x35) scale diameter of P. cylindraceum from Opeongo Lake. 35 XII. Relation between standard length and magnified (x35) scale diameter of C. clupeaf ormis from Opeongo Lake. 36 XIII. Equations for length-scale diameter relationship 37 XIV. Calculated standard length at the end of each year of life of each age group of P. cylindraceum from Redrock Lake ....38 XV. Calculated standard length at the end of each year of life of each age group of P. cylindraceum from Happy Isle Lake 38 XVI. Calculated standard length at the end of each year of life of each age group of P. cylindraceum from Opeongo Lake. 39 XVII. Calculated standard length at the end of each year of life of each age group of £. clupeaf ormis from Opeongo Lake. 39 vi Page XVIII. Summary of the calculated growth in length of whitefish from Lakes Redroek, Happy Isle and Opeongo 42 XIX. Summary of the calculated growth in weight of whitefish from Lakes Redroek, Happy Isle and Opeongo .42 XX. Levels of food consumption by the major fi3h species in four Algonquin Park lakes. .51 XXI. The food of P. cylindraceum and C. clupeaformis from three Ontario lakes. ...62 vii LIST OF FIGURES IMS. 1. Map of Ontario showing distribution of Prosopium cylindraceum .. 5 2. Map of Algonquin Park showing distribution of Prosopium cylindraceum and Coregonus clupeaformis. .. 6 3. Contour map of Opeongo Lake, Ontario 10 4. Contour map of Happy Isle Lake, Ontario. .......11 5. Contour map of Redrock Lake, Ontario 13 6. Contour map of Lavieille Lake, Ontario. .......14 7. Depth distribution of Prosopium cylindraceum and Coregonus clupeaformis in Opeongo Lake. 18 8. Depth distribution of Prosopium cylindraceum in Lakes Happy Isle and Redrock. 19 9. Summary of the depth range occupied by sympatric pairs of whitefish. 20 10. Bimonthly food index values for P. cylindraceum and C. clupeaformis in Opeongo Lake. ...............................24 11. Bimonthly food index values for P. cylindraceum in Lakes Happy Isle and Redrock. 25 12. Summary of food index values. 26 13. Length-weight relationship of whitefish from Lakes Redrock, Happy Isle and Opeongo, based on calculated Weights. .32 14. Calculated growth in length of whitefish from Lakes Redrock, Happy Isle and Opeongo. .41 15. Calculated growth in weight of whitefish from Lakes Redrock, Happy Isle and Opeongo .43 INTRODUCTION During the course of an aquatic faunal survey of Algonquin Park, Ontario, it became apparent that the distribution of the Coregonine fishes contained some unusual features. The lake whitefish, Coregonus clupeaformis (Mitchill) in this area occurs in almost all lakes that are sufficiently deep to support a cold-water species. However the distribution of the round whitefish Prosopium cylindraceum (Pallas) is more restricted and reflects its rather sporadic North American distribution on a smaller scale. An examination of the lakes in which these species occur revealed the following: (l) that both species may occur separately in relatively small lakes (one-half square mile in area) in which the maximum depth does not exceed sixty feet; (2) that where these species occur together the lakes are for the most part greater than five square miles in area and have a maximum depth of over one hundred feet. It was also observed in the study area that in lakes where both species are present C. clupeaformis is much more common than P. cylindraceum. Cooper and Fuller (1945) determined some of the aspects of the. ecology of the aboye species in Moosehead Lake, Maine. Studies on other sympatric pairs of whitefish have been made by Godfrey (1955), Lindsey (1963), and Fenderson (1964). Similar investigations by Svardson (1953), Lindstrom and Nilsson (1962) and Nilsson (1958) have been made on European species of whitefish. Due to the commercial importance of C. clupeaformis a large number of papers have been published on this species, many of which deal with certain aspects of their ecology. Hart (1931), Qadri (1961), Watson (1963) and 2 others have described the food habits, age and growth and other factors. Kennedy (1943) examined the C. clupeaformis populations of Lake Opeongo, Algonquin Park, but restricted his work primarily to morphology. Although P. cylindraceum is widespread, it is only recently that much work has been done on this species. Other than Cooper and Fuller's (1945) paper, only Kennedy (1949), Rawson (1951), Bailey (1963) and Mraz (1964) have made detailed studies on the round whitefish. The latter two confined their work to Lakes Superior and Michigan respectively.