Energetic consequences of diet shifts in Lake Erie rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax)

The diet of eastern Lake Erie rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) has changed since the 1960s, reflecting food resource shifts due to phosphorus reductions and the invasion of exotic species (dreissenid mussels and Bythotrephes longimanus). Since rainbow smelt growth was lower in the 1990s than in the 1960s, we considered diet changes as an explanation. A decrease in the proportion of zooplankton occurred in the summer (May-August) diet of two size classes (63-88 and 89-114 mm fork length) between 1961 and 1999. Within the zooplankton, the proportion of Bythotrephes increased. In spite of these changes, energy density (joules per gram) of the summer (June-August) diet has not changed since 1961. However, during the late-summer and fall, predation on Bythotrephes, and therefore the proportion of indigestible spines in the stomach, increases. Using bioenergetics models, we show that Lake Erie rainbow smelt could achieve 66%-155% greater growth between June and October if Bythotrephes spines were replaced with digestible prey items, resulting in end-of-season weights and lengths similar to the 1985-1990 period. Our results indicate that indigestible Bythotrephes spines may reduce growth by occupying space in the stomach but providing no nutritional value to the fish, thereby reducing the realized daily ration for rainbow smelt.