MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 350:99-107 (2007) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07158 Predator-specific growth-selective predation on larval Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonicus Akinori Takasuka1,*, Ichiro Aoki2, Yoshioki Oozeki1 1National Research Institute of Fisheries Science, Fisheries Research Agency, 2-12-4 Fukuura, Kanazawa, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-8648, Japan 2Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan *Email: takasuka@affrc.go.jp ABSTRACT: Predator-specific growth-selective predation on larval Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonicus was demonstrated by comparing growth rates between the larvae ingested by predators and the larvae from the corresponding original populations through otolith microstructure analysis, based on original data and reanalyzed data from previous studies. Ingested larvae from the stomachs of small pelagic predators (juvenile Japanese anchovy, round herring Etrumeus teres, jack mackerel Trachurus japonicus and white croaker Pennahia argentatus) had significantly lower growth rates than the larvae from the original populations in general. For large piscivorous predators (sea bass Lateolabrax japonicus, greater amberjack Seriola dumerili and skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis), no measurable differences in the growth rates were observed between ingested larvae and larvae from the original populations. Small pelagic fish were therefore identified as growth-selective predators, whereas large piscivorous fish were identified as non-growth-selective predators. Exponential declines in the relative predation mortalities of larvae with higher growth rates suggest the potential for growth rate to exert a great effect on recruitment variability. However, the predator field would regulate selection for growth characteristics of survivors. KEY WORDS: Growth-selective predation hypothesis · Growth rate · Otolith · Early life stage · Japanese anchovy · Relative predation mortality · Optimal foraging theory Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Takasuka A, Aoki I, Oozeki Y (2007) Predator-specific growth-selective predation on larval Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonicus. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 350:99-107. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07158Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 350. Online publication date: November 22, 2007 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2007 Inter-Research.