Editorial Type:
Article Category: Research Article
 | 
Online Publication Date: Jan 01, 2000

Recruitment Dynamics and Size Structure in Experimental Populations of the Mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis

,
, and
Page Range: 216 – 221
DOI: 10.1643/0045-8511(2000)2000[0216:RDASSI]2.0.CO;2
Save
Download PDF

Abstract

Experimental populations of the cannibalistic livebearer, Gambusia affinis, were exposed to varying degrees of shelter for juveniles vulnerable to cannibalism by adults. High densities of shelter significantly reduced the effects of cannibalism and effectively maintained reproducing populations throughout the experiment (380 days). Population densities continuously declined in medium and low refuge density treatments due to a lack of recruitment. The size distributions of fish in these treatments narrowed with time, although the rate at which this occurred was greater in the low refuge density treatment.

  • Download PDF
Copyright: The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.

Mean density (± SE) of mosquitofish (number · L−1) in the three refuge treatments over the duration of the experiment


Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.

Length frequency distributions of mosquitofish (percent composition of seven size classes) in the six aquaria over the duration of the experiment; A and B refer to the two replicates


Accepted: Jul 02, 1999