Position Choice by Drift-Feeding Salmonids: Model and Test for Arctic Grayling (Thymallus arcticus) in Subarctic Mountain Streams, Interior Alaska

Abstract

We develop a model to predict position choice of drift-feeding stream salmonids, assuming a fish chooses the position that maximizes its net energy intake rate. The fish's habitat is represented as a series of stream cross-profiles, each divided into vertical strips characterized by water depth and velocity. The fish may select a focal point in any of these strips, and include several neighbouring strips in its foraging area. The number of prey the fish encounters depends on its reaction distance to prey, water depth, and water velocity; the proportion of detected prey the fish is able to capture declines with water velocity. The fish's net energy intake rate is its gross energy intake rate from feeding minus the swimming cost calculated by using water velocity at the fish's focal point. There was a close match between the positions predicted by this model and those chosen by solitary Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) in the pools of a mountain stream in Alaska.