Abundance, growth, and food supply of white suckers (Catostomus commersoni) in relation to lake morphometry and pH

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Abstract
Associations between the abundance, body growth, and food supply (chironomid and ephemeropteran larvae) of white suckers, and lake morphometry and water chemistry were determined for eight Ontario [Canada] lakes. White sucker abundance was low in three deep-acid lakes, intermediate in two deep-circumneutral lakes, and high in three shallow-acid lakes. Abundance was negatively correlated with both maximum lake depth (r = -0.71) and mean lake depth (r = -0.67) and positively correlated with the morphoedaphic index (r = 0.67). Generally, 4-year-old white suckers were largest in deep-acid lakes, intermediate in size in deep-circumneutral lakes, and smallest in shallow-acid lakes. Fork length and somatic weight at age 4 were negatively correlated with white sucker abundance (r = -0.76 and -0.80, respectively), positively correlated with density of chironomid larvs (r = 0.62 and 0.68, respectively), and negatively correlated with pH (r = -0.67 and -0.70, respectively). The von Bertalanffy estimates of maximum attainable fork length (L.infin.) for both sexes were substantially larger in both deep-acid and deep-circumneutral than in shallow-acid lakes. Correlations indicated that oligotrophic lakes contain white suckers with a large L.infin., the strongest correlation being with maximum lake dept (female L.infin., r = 0.84; male L.infin., r = 0.89).

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