Aquatic insects differentially affect lake sturgeon larval phenotypes and egg surface microbial communities

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277336
• Publication Date: 2022-11-21T18:42:41Z
• Authors: Ryan W. Walquist; Kim T. Scribner; Justin Waraniak; John M. Bauman; Terence L. Marsh; Jeannette Kanefsky; Douglas L. Larson
• Keywords: Lake sturgeon; Affect

Documentation of how interactions among members different stream communities [e.g., microbial and aquatic insect taxa exhibiting feeding strategies (FS)] collectively influence the growth, survival, recruitment fishes is limited. Considerable spatial overlap exists between early life stages fishes, including species conservation concern like lake sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens ), insects that abundantly occupy substrates on which spawning occurs. Habitat suggests across trophic levels may be common, but outcomes these are poorly understood. We conducted an experiment where eggs were fertilized incubated in presence individuals from one four FS predators, facultative obligate-scrapers, collector-filterers/facultative a control (no insects). quantified compared effects taxonomic composition relative abundance egg surface bacterial lower eukaryotic communities, size, incubation time to hatch, free embryo body size (total length) at yolk-sac area, (a measure resource utilization), percent survival hatch. Mean varied significantly treatments. Eggs exposed predators had mean shorter periods. At embryos smaller yolk sacs total length. Multivariate analyses revealed community treatments periods (1 vs 4 days post-fertilization). Quantitative PCR documented significant differences 16S copy number, thus surfaces Results indicate lethal non-lethal associated with insects, particularly contributed trait variability affect population recruitment.