Importance of small fishes and invasive crayfish in otter Lutra lutra diet in an English chalk stream
The diet composition of the European otter Lutra lutra was assessed using spraint analysis in the Hampshire Avon, a lowland chalk stream in Southern England, over an 18-month period. Small cyprinid fishes were the main prey item taken in all seasons, with bullhead Cottus gobio and stone loach Barbat...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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EDP Sciences
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1051/kmae/2017004 |
| _version_ | 1828439261253206016 |
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| author | Britton J. Robert Berry Matthew Sewell Samantha Lees Corina Reading Peter |
| author_facet | Britton J. Robert Berry Matthew Sewell Samantha Lees Corina Reading Peter |
| author_sort | Britton J. Robert |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The diet composition of the European otter Lutra lutra was assessed using spraint analysis in the Hampshire Avon, a lowland chalk stream in Southern England, over an 18-month period. Small cyprinid fishes were the main prey item taken in all seasons, with bullhead Cottus gobio and stone loach Barbatula barbatula also important; there were relatively few larger fishes of interest to fisheries found. There were significant seasonal differences in diet composition by season, with signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus only being prominent prey items in warmer months and amphibians in winter, revealing that non-fish resources were seasonally important dietary components. Reconstructed body lengths of prey revealed the only species present in diet >350 mm was pike Esox lucius. These dietary data thus provide important information for informing conservation conflicts between otters and fishery interests. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T20:20:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-528748a3cde24d6ea4bc1e857e5ddace |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1961-9502 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T20:20:17Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | EDP Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems |
| spelling | doaj.art-528748a3cde24d6ea4bc1e857e5ddace2022-12-22T01:35:05ZengEDP SciencesKnowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems1961-95022017-01-0104181310.1051/kmae/2017004kmae160187Importance of small fishes and invasive crayfish in otter Lutra lutra diet in an English chalk streamBritton J. RobertBerry MatthewSewell SamanthaLees CorinaReading PeterThe diet composition of the European otter Lutra lutra was assessed using spraint analysis in the Hampshire Avon, a lowland chalk stream in Southern England, over an 18-month period. Small cyprinid fishes were the main prey item taken in all seasons, with bullhead Cottus gobio and stone loach Barbatula barbatula also important; there were relatively few larger fishes of interest to fisheries found. There were significant seasonal differences in diet composition by season, with signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus only being prominent prey items in warmer months and amphibians in winter, revealing that non-fish resources were seasonally important dietary components. Reconstructed body lengths of prey revealed the only species present in diet >350 mm was pike Esox lucius. These dietary data thus provide important information for informing conservation conflicts between otters and fishery interests.https://doi.org/10.1051/kmae/2017004otter spraintBarbus barbusanglingconservation conflict |
| spellingShingle | Britton J. Robert Berry Matthew Sewell Samantha Lees Corina Reading Peter Importance of small fishes and invasive crayfish in otter Lutra lutra diet in an English chalk stream Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems otter spraint Barbus barbus angling conservation conflict |
| title | Importance of small fishes and invasive crayfish in otter Lutra lutra diet in an English chalk stream |
| title_full | Importance of small fishes and invasive crayfish in otter Lutra lutra diet in an English chalk stream |
| title_fullStr | Importance of small fishes and invasive crayfish in otter Lutra lutra diet in an English chalk stream |
| title_full_unstemmed | Importance of small fishes and invasive crayfish in otter Lutra lutra diet in an English chalk stream |
| title_short | Importance of small fishes and invasive crayfish in otter Lutra lutra diet in an English chalk stream |
| title_sort | importance of small fishes and invasive crayfish in otter lutra lutra diet in an english chalk stream |
| topic | otter spraint Barbus barbus angling conservation conflict |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1051/kmae/2017004 |
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