Prey fish returned to Forster's tern colonies suggest spatial and temporal differences in fish composition and availability.
Predators sample the available prey community when foraging; thus, changes in the environment may be reflected by changes in predator diet and foraging preferences. We examined Forster's tern (Sterna forsteri) prey species over an 11-year period by sampling approximately 10,000 prey fish return...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2018-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5854262?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818620603147485184 |
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| author | Sarah H Peterson Joshua T Ackerman Collin A Eagles-Smith Mark P Herzog C Alex Hartman |
| author_facet | Sarah H Peterson Joshua T Ackerman Collin A Eagles-Smith Mark P Herzog C Alex Hartman |
| author_sort | Sarah H Peterson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Predators sample the available prey community when foraging; thus, changes in the environment may be reflected by changes in predator diet and foraging preferences. We examined Forster's tern (Sterna forsteri) prey species over an 11-year period by sampling approximately 10,000 prey fish returned to 17 breeding colonies in south San Francisco Bay, California. We compared the species composition among repeatedly-sampled colonies (≥ 4 years), using both relative species abundance and the composition of total dry mass by species. Overall, the relative abundances of prey species at seven repeatedly-sampled tern colonies were more different than would be expected by chance, with the most notable differences in relative abundance observed between geographically distant colonies. In general, Mississippi silverside (Menidia audens) and topsmelt silverside (Atherinops affinis) comprised 42% of individuals and 40% of dry fish mass over the study period. Three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) comprised the next largest proportion of prey species by individuals (19%) but not by dry mass (6%). Five additional species each contributed ≥ 4% of total individuals collected over the study period: yellowfin goby (Acanthogobius flavimanus; 10%), longjaw mudsucker (Gillichthys mirabilis; 8%), Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii; 6%), northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax; 4%), and staghorn sculpin (Leptocottus armatus; 4%). At some colonies, the relative abundance and biomass of specific prey species changed over time. In general, the abundance and dry mass of silversides increased, whereas the abundance and dry mass of three-spined stickleback and longjaw mudsucker decreased. As central place foragers, Forster's terns are limited in the distance they forage; thus, changes in the prey species returned to Forster's tern colonies suggest that the relative availability of some fish species in the environment has changed, possibly in response to alteration of the available habitat. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T17:56:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-855165b659b34dbc9f4869ea94b33f33 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T17:56:00Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-855165b659b34dbc9f4869ea94b33f332022-12-21T22:22:09ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032018-01-01133e019343010.1371/journal.pone.0193430Prey fish returned to Forster's tern colonies suggest spatial and temporal differences in fish composition and availability.Sarah H PetersonJoshua T AckermanCollin A Eagles-SmithMark P HerzogC Alex HartmanPredators sample the available prey community when foraging; thus, changes in the environment may be reflected by changes in predator diet and foraging preferences. We examined Forster's tern (Sterna forsteri) prey species over an 11-year period by sampling approximately 10,000 prey fish returned to 17 breeding colonies in south San Francisco Bay, California. We compared the species composition among repeatedly-sampled colonies (≥ 4 years), using both relative species abundance and the composition of total dry mass by species. Overall, the relative abundances of prey species at seven repeatedly-sampled tern colonies were more different than would be expected by chance, with the most notable differences in relative abundance observed between geographically distant colonies. In general, Mississippi silverside (Menidia audens) and topsmelt silverside (Atherinops affinis) comprised 42% of individuals and 40% of dry fish mass over the study period. Three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) comprised the next largest proportion of prey species by individuals (19%) but not by dry mass (6%). Five additional species each contributed ≥ 4% of total individuals collected over the study period: yellowfin goby (Acanthogobius flavimanus; 10%), longjaw mudsucker (Gillichthys mirabilis; 8%), Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii; 6%), northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax; 4%), and staghorn sculpin (Leptocottus armatus; 4%). At some colonies, the relative abundance and biomass of specific prey species changed over time. In general, the abundance and dry mass of silversides increased, whereas the abundance and dry mass of three-spined stickleback and longjaw mudsucker decreased. As central place foragers, Forster's terns are limited in the distance they forage; thus, changes in the prey species returned to Forster's tern colonies suggest that the relative availability of some fish species in the environment has changed, possibly in response to alteration of the available habitat.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5854262?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Sarah H Peterson Joshua T Ackerman Collin A Eagles-Smith Mark P Herzog C Alex Hartman Prey fish returned to Forster's tern colonies suggest spatial and temporal differences in fish composition and availability. PLoS ONE |
| title | Prey fish returned to Forster's tern colonies suggest spatial and temporal differences in fish composition and availability. |
| title_full | Prey fish returned to Forster's tern colonies suggest spatial and temporal differences in fish composition and availability. |
| title_fullStr | Prey fish returned to Forster's tern colonies suggest spatial and temporal differences in fish composition and availability. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prey fish returned to Forster's tern colonies suggest spatial and temporal differences in fish composition and availability. |
| title_short | Prey fish returned to Forster's tern colonies suggest spatial and temporal differences in fish composition and availability. |
| title_sort | prey fish returned to forster s tern colonies suggest spatial and temporal differences in fish composition and availability |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5854262?pdf=render |
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