Prey diversity as a driver of resource partitioning between river-dwelling fish species.

ABSTRACT: Although food resource partitioning among sympatric species has often been explored in riverine systems, the potential influence of prey diversity on resource partitioning is little known. Using empirical data, we modeled food resource partitioning (assessed as dietary overlap) of coexisting juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and alpine bullhead (Cottus poecilopus). Explanatory variables incorporated into the model were fish abundance, benthic prey diversity and abundance, and several dietary metrics to give a total of seventeen potential explanatory variables. First, a forward stepwise procedure based on the Akaike information criterion was used to select explanatory variables with significant effects on food resource partitioning. Then, linear mixed-effect models were c

SUBMITTER: Sanchez-Hernandez J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5383502 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature