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Simulation of reproductive rate, prey selection and the survival of pelagic fish of the African Great Lakes

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From Limnology to Fisheries: Lake Tanganyika and Other Large Lakes

Part of the book series: Developments in Hydrobiology ((DIHY,volume 141))

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Abstract

Populations of two prey groups of pelagic mainly zooplanktivorous fish with differing life history strategies, were simulated with a Lotka-Volterra model with predation. Group r fish are r-selected species and have a high rate of biomass increase. These comprise of the small pelagic cyprinids of Lakes Malawi and Victoria and the clupeids of Lake Tanganyika. Group K fish are K-selected species and have a lower intrinsic rate of biomass increase. These comprise of the haplochromine cichlids of Lakes Victoria and Malawi. Piscivorous cichlids and Lates spp. form the predators. The model shows that the different rates of increase of the two prey groups and the relative predation pressure upon them, determines the equilibrium biomasses. The cyprinid/clupeid Group r fish only have a high biomass when heavy predation reduces the cichlid Group K fish populations. This is because more food is available to Group r fish, as well as a reduction in predation pressure from the piscivorous cichlids. Group K cichlid fish only have a high biomass when predation pressure is low. This occurs when adult zooplanktivorous cichlids are too large too be eaten by predators.

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Author notes

  1. A. B. Thompson

    Present address: F.M.S., House 42, Road 28, Gulshan, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh

Authors and Affiliations

  1. UK/SADC Pelagic Fish Resource Assessment Project, P.O. Box 311, Salima, Malawi

    A. B. Thompson

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  1. A. B. Thompson
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Kuopio, P.O.Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland

    Ossi V. Lindqvist

  2. Department of Applied Zoology and Veterinary Science, University of Kuopio, P.O. Box 1627, Finland

    Hannu Mölsä

  3. Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FIN-40351, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Kalevi Salonen

  4. Department of Biology, University of Turku, FIN-20014, Turku, Finland

    Jouko Sarvala

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© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Thompson, A.B. (1999). Simulation of reproductive rate, prey selection and the survival of pelagic fish of the African Great Lakes. In: Lindqvist, O.V., Mölsä, H., Salonen, K., Sarvala, J. (eds) From Limnology to Fisheries: Lake Tanganyika and Other Large Lakes. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 141. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-1622-2_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-1622-2_19

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5339-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-1622-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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