Effects of variability in food quantity and quality on the feeding, growth, and condition of larval fish under natural field conditions.

自然田间条件下食物数量和质量的变化对幼鱼摄食、生长和状况的影响。

• 批准号: 216861-2013
• 负责人: Dower, John
• 金额: $ 1.97万
• 依托单位: University of Victoria
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2014-01-01 至 2015-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=546459
• 关键词: Effects; variability; food; quantity; quality

It has long been believed that the amount of food encountered by larval fish determines their survival in the ocean, and that year-to-year variations in the amount of food available thus lead to year-to-year variations in year-class strength in fish populations. Although supported by lab experiments, convincing evidence for this relationship under field conditions is surprisingly rare. Recently, research has shown that variations in food quality (as opposed to quantity) may also play a significant role in the growth and survival of plankton. However, very little is currently known about whether natural variations in food quality also affect the growth and survival of larval fish. This project aims to test this possibility by conducting field work that will compare the effects of food availability and food quality on the growth rates of larval fish and on various measures of their "condition", or health, under natural conditions. We will also explore the extent to which larval fish may feed upon protozoans - a group of tiny soft-bodied plankton that are not usually considered in studies of larval fish feeding (as they are rapidly digested and hard to identify), but which may be an important prey source nonetheless. Research will be conducted in coastal Newfoundland and in the Strait of Georgia.

长期以来，人们一直认为，幼鱼所遇到的食物量决定了它们在海洋中的生存，每年可获得的食物量的变化导致鱼类种群的年级强度的变化。 虽然实验室实验支持，令人信服的证据，这种关系在现场条件下是令人惊讶的罕见。 最近的研究表明，食物质量（而不是数量）的变化也可能对浮游生物的生长和生存起着重要作用。 然而，目前对食物质量的自然变化是否也影响仔鱼的生长和存活知之甚少。 该项目旨在通过实地工作来检验这种可能性，实地工作将比较食物供应和食物质量对仔鱼生长率的影响以及对自然条件下仔鱼“状况”或健康的各种衡量标准的影响。 我们还将探索幼鱼可能以原生动物为食的程度-一组微小的软体浮游生物，通常不会在幼鱼摄食研究中考虑（因为它们被迅速消化且难以识别），但这可能是一个重要的猎物来源。 研究将在纽芬兰沿海和格鲁吉亚海峡进行。