Ontogenetic diet shifts and temporal separations in gonad development of two icefish species in Hongze Lake, China

Abstract

Abstract Resource partitioning through temporal, spatial and/or trophic dimensions is suggested as a mechanism for long‐term coexistence among sympatric species. However, how the combined effects of the different dimensions contribute to the partitioning during the ontogenetic process is unclear. We sampled two sympatric icefish species [Protosalanx hyalocranius (Abbott, 1901) and Neosalanx taihuensis (Chen, 1956)] monthly from July 2015 to June 2016 in Hongze Lake, China. We evaluated the hypothesis that combined effects of separation in gonad development dynamics and ontogenetic diet shifts facilitate resource partitioning in temporal and trophic dimensions during the entire life cycle process of the two icefish species. Increased gonadosomatic index (GSI) of female P. hyalocranius occurred during October 2015 to January 2016, and that of female N. taihuensis occurred during January to March 2016. Thus, energy and nutrition investments in gonad development separated seasonally between the two species. Consequently, temporal separations in gonad development between P. hyalocranius (GSI peaked in January) and N. taihuensis (GSI peaked in March) indicated potential segregations in spawning time and consequent larval abundance peaks, suggesting reduced overlap of prey consumption during the early life stages. The dominant diet of P. hyalocranius shifted from cladocerans to copepods, and then shrimp, and finally to fish during its ontogeny, whereas the dominant diet of N. taihuensis changed gradually from cladocerans to copepods during its ontogeny. The diet overlap in cladocerans during May was high between the two species. Our findings support the hypothesis of an associative strategy, combining temporal (separations in gonad development and subsequently spawning time) and trophic (ontogenetic diet shifts) dimensions, for the resource partitioning between P. hyalocranius and N. taihuensis, which may be an important mechanism for long‐term coexistence among sympatric short‐lived fishes.