Ecology of Freshwater Fish最新文献

{"title":"Niche Partitioning Among Three Apex Piscivorous Fishes: Evidence of Limited Intraguild Predation","authors":"Robert W. Eckelbecker,&nbsp;Christopher S. Guy,&nbsp;Paul C. Gerrity,&nbsp;Joe W. Deromedi,&nbsp;Travis E. Neebling,&nbsp;Mark A. Smith","doi":"10.1111/eff.70011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eff.70011","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study aimed to understand the ecological relationship among burbot <i>Lota lota</i>, brown trout <i>Salmo trutta</i> and lake trout <i>Salvelinus namaycush</i>, with a focus on burbot, a species of greatest conservation need in Wyoming. While we hypothesised a reciprocal intraguild predation dynamic, where competition and predation occur between predators based on size or age structure, our findings provided limited support for this hypothesis. Both dietary overlap and trophic position were minimal among burbot, brown trout and lake trout. Instances of reciprocal predation were rare; no predation between burbot and lake trout was observed; and brown trout was the only species consumed by all predators (burbot 0.02 mean proportion by weight; lake trout 0.09 mean proportion by weight). Predation by brown trout on burbot was negligible, contributing only 0.01 to the mean proportion by weight and frequency of occurrence. Additionally, both burbot and brown trout were less piscivorous than expected, with fish comprising 0.36 and 0.17 of their mean proportion by weight in their overall diets, respectively. Overall, our findings suggest that these predators coexist with limited competitive or predatory interactions, likely due to differences in prey selection.</p>","PeriodicalId":11422,"journal":{"name":"Ecology of Freshwater Fish","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eff.70011","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144332020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating Environmental Predictors of Fish Community Composition in a Semi-Arid River System Using a Model-Based Approach","authors":"Mojgan Zare Shahraki,&nbsp;Pejman Fathi,&nbsp;Sami Domisch,&nbsp;Andreas Bruder,&nbsp;Eisa Ebrahimi Dorcheh,&nbsp;Alireza Esmaeili Ofogh,&nbsp;Thomas Mehner","doi":"10.1111/eff.70013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eff.70013","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding how the environment shapes species distribution and affects biodiversity patterns is important in ecology and conservation. Environmental stressors like climate change and anthropogenic impacts may lead to a significant decline in aquatic biodiversity. Therefore, it is imperative to characterise the current community structure and explore environmental drivers that may be important for the future community structure, also in biogeographic areas that are largely outside of the main research focus. We investigated how fish species abundances in the Karun River basin, southwest of Iran, respond to environmental predictors along a longitudinal gradient of 108 sampling sites using Generalised Linear Latent Variable Models (GLLVMs). We evaluated the response of 46 fish species to seven environmental predictors and interpreted the bivariate species co-occurrences in the residual covariance matrix in the light of potential biotic interactions. The latent variable model explained 62% of data variability in fish abundance. We identified temperature as the most important predictor, with alien species responding positively to warmer conditions, suggesting potential distribution shifts due to climate change. In contrast, endemic species showed negative responses to higher temperatures, highlighting their vulnerability. Fish abundance responses to total nitrogen concentration and average precipitation were generally negative, indicating threats from nutrient enrichment and changing rainfall patterns. There were a few systematic negative co-occurrences between alien and native fish species, which may reflect both differing environmental preferences and potential negative interactions. The model showed high predictive accuracy for the occurrence of native species, while accuracy was lower for endemic and alien species, likely due to their more limited geographical distributions. This study contributes to the global understanding of how environmental drivers shape fish communities in semi-arid river systems. By highlighting the contrasting responses of endemic and alien species to selected stressors, it provides valuable insights for predicting and managing biodiversity under climate change, offering a framework applicable to similar ecosystems worldwide.</p>","PeriodicalId":11422,"journal":{"name":"Ecology of Freshwater Fish","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eff.70013","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144315064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seasonal Community Occupancy of Fishes in a Lowland (Arkansas, USA) Headwater Stream","authors":"Tara L. Schnelting,&nbsp;Kyler B. Hecke","doi":"10.1111/eff.70005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eff.70005","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Among lowland fish communities, there is limited knowledge of the importance of headwaters. This information is needed to understand their role in fish communities. We addressed this gap by assessing seasonal changes in fish communities in lowland headwater streams (Arkansas, USA). 16 sites were sampled seasonally (winter, spring, summer and fall) in four events from Jan. to Oct. 2023. Multiple sampling gears (backpack electrofishing, kick nets and seines) were used to increase species detection. Fish presence/absence data, site and survey covariates were analysed using multiseason, community occupancy models to estimate <i>μ</i>, a value between 0 and 1, which represents the likelihood that an individual species is a member of the community and essentially represents that species occupancy (species probability), <i>Ω</i>, a value between 0 and 1, which represents the average occupancy probability across all species in the community across sites (community occupancy mean), and <i>p</i>, a value between 0 and 1, which is the probability of observing a species at a site given that the species is present (detection probability). A total of 37 species from 10 families were observed. Of the many models, we explored the best three: <i>μ</i> (canopy cover), <i>Ω</i> (canopy cover), <i>p</i> (.); <i>μ</i> (catchment area), <i>Ω</i> (catchment area), <i>p</i> (stream flow); <i>μ</i> (catchment area), <i>Ω</i> (catchment area) and <i>p</i> (.). The model incorporating canopy cover suggests that <i>μ</i> varied by species, <i>Ω</i> (± SE) varied by season and that <i>p</i> was constant. Overall, seasonal variation exists at the species and community levels; canopy cover and catchment area are the main drivers of <i>μ</i> and <i>Ω</i> and stream flow is the main driver of <i>p</i>. This research aids in the understanding of fish patterns and species richness on a temporal scale, improving knowledge of lowland headwater stream functionality in South Central Plains watersheds.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":11422,"journal":{"name":"Ecology of Freshwater Fish","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144292297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"River Flow Regime Predicts Life History Traits in Poeciliid Fish","authors":"Raphaela Batista dos Santos,&nbsp;Luciana Lameira dos Santos,&nbsp;Romullo Guimarães de Sá Ferreira Lima,&nbsp;Bruno Eleres Soares,&nbsp;Carla Ferreira Rezende,&nbsp;José Roberto Feitosa Silva","doi":"10.1111/eff.70012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eff.70012","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Life history theory seeks to explain how the environment shapes life history traits. Based on this theory, we expected that <i>Poecilia vivipara</i> in rivers with intermittent and perennial flow regimes would show differences in maturation and reproductive investment. We sampled specimens from two rivers in the Brazilian semi-arid region with these contrasting river flow regimes. One is intermittent, where the flow ceases during the dry season and fish populations become confined to isolated pools on the riverbed, and the other is artificially perennial with continuous flow. We predicted that females would mature earlier and invest more in reproduction in the intermittent river than in the perennial river. Our findings supported the predictions; river intermittency apparently has shaped the traits of <i>P. vivipara</i> in natural environments as contrasted with those affected by anthropogenic alterations. Further study is needed to investigate whether these traits reflect genetic differences or phenotypic plasticity.</p>","PeriodicalId":11422,"journal":{"name":"Ecology of Freshwater Fish","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eff.70012","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144220200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prey Availability and Diet of Early Life Stages of Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in the Fishing Islands of Lake Huron","authors":"Issac Hébert,&nbsp;Erin S. Dunlop","doi":"10.1111/eff.70010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eff.70010","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Declines in recruitment of lake whitefish (<i>Coregonus clupeaformis</i>) in the Laurentian Great Lakes have been attributed to a reduction in the amount of zooplankton prey available to young life stages, stemming from the ecosystem effects of invasive dreissenid mussels. Here, we examine the diets of two life stages of lake whitefish, the larval and post-larval stages, in relation to zooplankton availability in the environment at a historically important spawning shoal complex in Lake Huron to better understand the potential for food limitation to influence the growth and survival of these critical early life stages. The digestive tracts of larval (size range 12–26 mm) and post-larval (size range 23–43 mm) lake whitefish were extracted, and contents were identified and enumerated to describe feeding strategies and calculate electivity indices to assess selection for specific prey groups and sizes. We found that the amount of food consumed varied among years and there was an ontogenetic shift in feeding strategy, with larval fish having a more generalist diet than post-larval fish. The most important prey items were calanoid copepods for larvae and copepods and adult/pupa staged dipterans for post-larval fish. Zooplankton densities in the environment were often low, variable among years, and mostly comprised of the smallest zooplankton taxa, nauplii, which were the least preferred prey group of larval fish. The peak in zooplankton density was variable among years, including being absent, and occurred after the peak of larval abundance. Thus, it is possible that low zooplankton availability is increasing the scope for food limitation and contributing to recruitment variation in this population.</p>","PeriodicalId":11422,"journal":{"name":"Ecology of Freshwater Fish","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eff.70010","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144140468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mesohabitat Evaluation Reveals Variable Abundances and Habitat Choice in Juvenile Atlantic Salmon Across Diverse Habitats in the Main Stem of a Large Sub-Arctic River","authors":"Tuomas Metsäniemi,&nbsp;Panu Orell,&nbsp;Anders Foldvik,&nbsp;Jorma Kuusela,&nbsp;Mika Kurkilahti,&nbsp;Jaakko Erkinaro","doi":"10.1111/eff.70009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eff.70009","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Large main stem rivers typically provide a variety of mesohabitat types, but their abundance, distribution and role in providing habitat for juvenile salmonids have rarely been analysed. The quantity of meso-scale habitats and their juvenile Atlantic salmon abundance was surveyed in the large sub-arctic River Teno in northernmost Fennoscandia. Different habitat types were mapped using the Norwegian Mesohabitat Classification Method (NMCM). Juvenile salmon abundance in different mesohabitats, on various substrates, depths and lateral positions across the channel was estimated by electrofishing boat surveys. Most of the Teno main stem (67%) was dominated by fine substrate and &gt; 50 cm s⁻¹ flow velocity. Typical juvenile salmon-rearing habitats, such as rapids, riffles and glides, comprised 32% of the riverbed. Data from NMCM and electrofishing surveys were used in generalised linear models to describe the relationship between habitat variables and juvenile salmon (YOY and parr) abundance. Juvenile abundance varied a lot across and within mesohabitats; in general, abundance was higher in areas with depth ≤ 70 cm than in deeper areas, and in middle sections of the river compared to those near shorelines. Juvenile salmon were documented also in sandy areas, although in low abundances, and in relatively high abundances in areas deeper than typically considered important for juvenile salmon. These areas should be considered in assessing habitat potential for juvenile salmon production. NMCM proved to be a fast, cost-effective method for surveying large areas for habitat assessment.</p>","PeriodicalId":11422,"journal":{"name":"Ecology of Freshwater Fish","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eff.70009","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143919522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hierarchical Modelling Reveals Local Environmental Metrics as Key Predictors of Fish Stream Assemblage Structure","authors":"Fabiane Barreto Souza,&nbsp;Alexandre Clistenes Alcântara Santos,&nbsp;André Teixeira da Silva,&nbsp;Nuno Caiola","doi":"10.1111/eff.70006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eff.70006","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Environmental factors act at multiple spatial scales, shaping the fish assemblage structure in streams. Understanding catchment-stream relationships through hierarchical classification can aid in the conservation and management of freshwater ecosystems. The main goal of our work was to use the Hierarchical Modelling of Species Communities framework to answer the following questions: Which environmental variables are more important in structuring stream assemblages? Do ecomorphological traits influence species' responses to environmental conditions? What is the pattern of species co-occurrences along the streams? We fitted models with two alternative response datasets: a community matrix (site × species) with presence/absence data (PA) and abundance data (ABU). Species ecomorphological traits were also included in the models. We tested models considering the environmental variables at each scale separately (local and catchment) and considering all variables together. Variables at the local scale explained 57.1% (PA) and 53.3% (ABU) of the overall variance portion partitioning, while catchment variables explained only 36.6% and 23.3%, respectively. Traits explained only 47.9% (PA) and 18.93% (ABU) of the variation. No significant correlation between species co-occurrences was found. Our results suggest that local-scale metrics better predict the structure of fish assemblages in headwater streams from the Chapada Diamantina region of Caatinga.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":11422,"journal":{"name":"Ecology of Freshwater Fish","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143889180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diet, Trophic Plasticity and Niche Dynamics of Four Barbel Species Across Elevational and Seasonal Gradients in a Mediterranean Stream","authors":"Abdelilah Ahnich,&nbsp;Fayçal Aitboumallassa,&nbsp;Hanane Khalki,&nbsp;Mohamed Naimi","doi":"10.1111/eff.70007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eff.70007","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Conservation and effective management of freshwater ecosystems require detailed insights into species-specific dietary strategies, resource partitioning and ecological interactions, including competition for shared resources. This study investigates seasonal dietary shifts within four barbel species (<i>Atlantor reinii</i>, <i>Luciobarbus magniatlantis</i>, <i>Luciobarbus ksibi</i> and <i>Carasobarbus fritschii)</i> in the Zat Basin (Morocco). The study's objective is to inform conservation and ecosystem management planning that should be considered for threatened species, such as <i>A. reinii</i> and <i>L. magniatlantis</i>. We evaluated feeding strategies and niche partitioning across species and seasons using stomach content analysis and alimentary indices, including Dietary Index (DI) and occurrence (OC). <i>L. ksibi</i> demonstrated the highest insect consumption (OC = 51.11%, DI = 0.84%). <i>L. magniatlantis</i> showed the most diverse animal prey composition, with the highest <i>Mollusca</i> occurrence (OC = 76.67%, DI = 0.59%), substantial insect intake (OC = 54.07%, DI = 1.43%) and significant <i>Arachnida</i> presence (OC = 60%, DI = 0.54%). <i>A. reinii</i> displayed the highest selectivity for insects (DI = 1.14%). <i>C. fritschii</i> exhibited moderate insect consumption (OC = 36.30%, DI = 0.88%) and an equal preference for <i>Mollusca</i> and <i>Tubellaria</i> (both OC = 53.33%, DI = 0.38% and 0.64%, respectively). NMDS analyses revealed partial dietary overlap among species, with <i>A. reinii</i> and <i>C. fritschii</i> exhibiting distinct clustering, while <i>L</i>. <i>ksibi</i> and <i>L</i>. <i>magniatlantis</i> displayed broader nutritional niches. Moderate-to-high dietary niche overlap, particularly between <i>C. fritschii</i> and <i>L. ksibi</i>, highlights the potential for significant competition for shared prey resources, which may intensify during periods of resource scarcity. This study highlights species-specific dietary flexibility, emphasising the importance of adaptive foraging strategies in conservation planning and the ecological resilience of freshwater fish in Mediterranean streams.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":11422,"journal":{"name":"Ecology of Freshwater Fish","volume":"34 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143889179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-Term Impact of Multiple Invasions on Fish Community Composition and Functional Richness","authors":"Fernando Córdova-Tapia,&nbsp;Abigail Santiago-Arellano,&nbsp;Isabel Salazar-Rueda,&nbsp;Alfredo F. Ojanguren,&nbsp;Morelia Camacho-Cervantes","doi":"10.1111/eff.12832","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eff.12832","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Invasive species are among the biggest threats to biodiversity and represent billions of dollars to the global economy. Invasive species pose a threat to the biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems, which are among the most vulnerable due to their isolation by terrestrial ecosystems and the impact of human activities. While invasive species in freshwater ecosystems are known to cause extinctions and therefore reduce species richness, little attention has been paid to their effects on functional richness. Here, we aimed to evaluate the species and functional richness of a wetland fish community that has been subjected to the introduction of exotic species in repeated events over four decades. Our study site, La Mintzita, was home to 15 native species, some of them endemic to the Central Mexican Plateau; the ongoing changes in the fish community have led to a current state where the richness of invasive species matches that of native species. Over the decades, functional richness has declined, dropping from 8.1 before 1985 to 2.8 in the 2020s. We found that in the 2020s, functional richness was significantly lower than expected by chance. The native species that might be locally extinct are those occupying similar functional niches as the invaders or those that are the most sensitive, thus indicating a process of fauna homogenisation. We highlight the importance of focusing conservation efforts on maintaining functional richness to preserve services derived from freshwater ecosystems.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":11422,"journal":{"name":"Ecology of Freshwater Fish","volume":"34 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143770007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative Diets of Invasive Blue Catfish: Differences Across Rivers and Ontogenetic Stages","authors":"Victoria D. Davis,&nbsp;Peter C. Sakaris,&nbsp;Timothy F. Bonvechio,&nbsp;Peter D. Hazelton,&nbsp;Martin J. Hamel","doi":"10.1111/eff.70001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/eff.70001","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Blue Catfish (<i>Ictalurus furcatus</i>) are an invasive species with expanding populations in freshwater systems, posing significant ecological challenges to native fauna. To assess their potential impacts in diverse aquatic ecosystems, we examined and compared the diets of non-native Blue Catfish from four rivers in Georgia, USA, two of which drain into the Atlantic Ocean. A total of 936 Blue Catfish were collected from the Altamaha, Ocmulgee, Oconee, and Satilla rivers, with 90.38% of stomachs containing identifiable prey. Stomach content analysis revealed that Asian Clam (<i>Corbicula fluminea</i>) dominated their diet in terms of number (96.76%), weight (69.33%), and to a lesser degree, frequency (36.96%). Across rivers, smaller Blue Catfish (≤ 300 mm TL) had diets with a higher relative importance of insects and vegetation. Ontogenetic dietary trends showed increasing consumption of fishes and crustaceans as fish size increased in the Altamaha, Ocmulgee, and Oconee rivers. In contrast, the Satilla River population exhibited broader dietary diversity and distinct ontogenetic shifts. Stable isotope analysis (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) revealed significant differences between Blue Catfish from the Altamaha and Satilla rivers, underscoring their opportunistic feeding strategies in varying habitats. Bayesian niche overlap analysis indicated that size classes within the Altamaha and Satilla rivers had substantial intraspecific overlap, with Satilla subadults exhibiting the broadest niche (SEA_B: 3.83). Factors such as prey availability, density dependence, and environmental conditions likely influence prey selection and feeding strategies in these systems. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for managing the ecological impacts of invasive Blue Catfish in freshwater systems of North America.</p>","PeriodicalId":11422,"journal":{"name":"Ecology of Freshwater Fish","volume":"34 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eff.70001","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143638876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}