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Feeding habits of Ictalurus punctatus in the downstream section of Nunome Dam reservoir in Japan

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Abstract

Invasive alien species often affect native ecosystems worldwide. In Japan, the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus is an invasive species in rivers. However, information regarding its feeding habits in rivers around dam reservoirs is still scarce. Thus, in this study, we assessed the feeding habits of I. punctatus collected from the Nunome River, a secondary tributary of the Yodo River, downstream of the Nunome Dam reservoir. Standard length and weight of the collected individuals were measured, and their stomach contents were analyzed under a stereomicroscope to identify prey species. Moreover, stable isotope analysis was conducted to determine their trophic niche. Overall, I. punctatus was shown to feed on a variety of food resources derived from the riparian forest and river ecosystem; in particular, algae represented 78.8% of its stomach contents. However, stable isotope analysis suggested that I. punctatus depended on benthic insects and fish to ensure adequate body composition, whereas algae were not assimilated by I. punctatus. Among benthic insects, I. punctatus relied on trichopteran larvae such as Macrostemum radiatum, which appears downstream of the dam reservoir and utilizes plankton algae from the dam. In conclusion, these findings provide additional clues for a better understanding of I. punctatus feeding activity and its relationship with its surrounding ecosystem.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Water Resource Agency for their cooperation in capturing I. punctatus. They would also like to thank Yasushi Mitsunaga, Yasuhisa Kobayashi, and colleagues at the Satoyama Ecology Lab for their cooperation in capturing I. punctatus. Some I. punctatus were provided by Satoshi Kubo and Yusuke Kish from Kamome Network Inc. Furthermore, the authors would like to thank Asako Uchida for algae identification. This study was conducted at the Cooperative Research Facilities (Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer) at the Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, and was partly supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in the Nara Prefecture for sample collection. Furthermore, this study received a commission from the Nara Prefecture for a prevention technology development project on alien species.

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  1. Department of Environmental Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Kindai University, Nakamachi, Nara, 631-8505, Japan

    Kaori Kochi, Makoto Kobayashi & Sora Hirotaka

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  1. Kaori Kochi
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  2. Makoto Kobayashi
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  3. Sora Hirotaka
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Correspondence to Kaori Kochi.

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Kochi, K., Kobayashi, M. & Hirotaka, S. Feeding habits of Ictalurus punctatus in the downstream section of Nunome Dam reservoir in Japan. Landscape Ecol Eng 17, 563–569 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-021-00463-w

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