Temperature mediation of competitive interactions among three fish species that replace each other along longitudinal stream gradients

Abstract

Competitive ability changed across a range of 3-26°C among three fish species that show longitudinal replacement in Rocky Mountain streams: brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) at high elevations, brown trout (Salmo trutta) at middle elevations, and creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) at low elevations. Competitive ability was measured by food consumption and aggression in a stream tank. At 20°C, the trout species were competitively equal, and both were competitively superior to creek chub. Creek chub began to have competitive success against brook trout at 22°C and brown trout at 24°C, temperatures stressful but not lethal for the trout. Creek chub became competitively dominant over brook trout at 24°C and brown trout at 26°C, temperatures lethal to a portion of each trout species. We examined whether reduced food consumption was due to appetite loss or the presence of other species. For brook trout, interactions influenced feeding behavior at 22°C, but appetite loss became important at 24°C. For brown trout, interactions influenced feeding behavior at 24°C, but appetite loss became important at 26°C. For creek chub, there was an interaction between behavioral interactions and appetite in determining food consumption. Field data support a transition from trout to non-trout fishes at 22-25°C.