A1 Journal article (refereed)
Nutritional quality of littoral macroinvertebrates and pelagic zooplankton in subarctic lakes (2021)

Vesterinen, J., Keva, O., Kahilainen, K. K., Strandberg, U., Hiltunen, M., Kankaala, P., & Taipale, S. J. (2021). Nutritional quality of littoral macroinvertebrates and pelagic zooplankton in subarctic lakes. Limnology and Oceanography, 61(S1), S81-S97. https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.11563

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Vesterinen, Jussi; Keva, Ossi; Kahilainen, Kimmo K.; Strandberg, Ursula; Hiltunen, Minna; Kankaala, Paula; Taipale, Sami J.

Journal or series: Limnology and Oceanography

ISSN: 0024-3590

eISSN: 1939-5590

Publication year: 2021

Publication date: 24/07/2020

Volume: 61

Issue number: S1

Pages range: S81-S97

Publisher: Wiley

Publication country: United States

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.11563

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/71247

Abstract

Littoral benthic primary production is considered the most important energy source of consumers in subarctic lakes. We analyzed essential fatty acid (EFA) and amino acid (EAA) content of 23 littoral benthic macroinvertebrate taxa as well as cladocerans and copepods from pelagic and littoral habitats of 8–9 subarctic lakes to compare their nutritional quality. Pelagic crustacean zooplankton had significantly higher EFA and total FA content (on average 2.6‐fold and 1.6‐fold, respectively) than littoral macroinvertebrates in all our study lakes. Specifically, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), one of the most important EFA for juvenile fish, was almost exclusively found in pelagic copepods. In littoral macroinvertebrates, only Lymnaea (Gastropoda), Eurycercus (Cladocera), and Gammarus (Amphipoda) contained a low amount of DHA, whereas most littoral invertebrate taxa contained moderate amounts of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The difference in DHA content may explain why so many generalist fish shift their diet to pelagic zooplankton at their peak abundance in mid/late‐summer. Meanwhile, the differences in EAA content between pelagic zooplankton and littoral invertebrates were much lower than for EFA suggesting a wider availability of EAA in subarctic lakes, except for methionine. In the studied subarctic lakes, EFA and EAA variation in consumers was more related to taxon‐specific than lake‐specific characteristics. This indicates that climate‐induced changes in the abundance and community structure of zooplankton vs. littoral macroinvertebrates will be important parameters in determining the availability of EFA and EAA to juvenile fish, and potentially fish production.

Keywords: plankton; invertebrates; fatty acids; amino acids

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2021

JUFO rating: 2