Feeding performance superiority of non-native salmonids over a native Patagonian fish

Abstract

Our objective was to assess the effects of interactions between the native Percichthys trucha and both Salmo trutta and Oncorhynchus mykiss during the juvenile period. We conducted single and multipredator (conspecific and heterospecific) functional response (FR) experiments with Meridialaris chiloeensis as native prey and estimated the functional response ratio as a predator impact metric. Our results showed that all species have type II FR, with salmonids having a greater impact on prey than native fish. In multipredator experiments, O. mykiss had a greater negative impact on P. trucha than S. trutta. The individual feeding performance of P. trucha was better under conspecific than heterospecific conditions. This study shows that the vulnerability of juvenile P. trucha to salmonid competition could be a real threat in Patagonian lotic environments.