Experimental evaluation of predation as a facilitator of invasion success in a stream fish

Predator-prey relationships in poikilotherms are often size dependent, such as when adults of two interacting species are capable of eating juveniles of the other species. Such bi-directional predation can be important during the establishment and spread of an invading species, but its role remains poorly understood. Using a combination of laboratory and mesocosm experiments and field introductions, we demonstrate that guppies, Poecilia reticulata, prey on juvenile killifish, Rivulus hartii, and thereby facilitate their establishment in the habitat of a potential predator. Laboratory studies found that mature guppies can consume larval Rivulus, and experimental stream studies showed that guppies reduced the number of Rivulus surviving from eggs. Growth trials found that interspecific competition, while significant, cannot account for the declines in the survival of juvenile Rivulus seen in field surveys. Finally, a field experiment, in which guppies were introduced into previously guppy-free stream reaches, resulted in a marked reduction in the abundance of juvenile Rivulus relative to guppy-free controls. Together, these results indicate that reducing the native Rivulus population represents an important mechanism promoting guppy invasion success.