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Sexual size dimorphism of two common European percid fish: linkage with spatial distribution and diet

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Abstract

Many fish species exhibit female-biased size dimorphism that may lead to spatial segregation of sexes. We selected two common European percids (Percidae, European perch Perca fluviatilis and ruffe Gymnocephalus cernua) differing in total body size, reproduction mode, habitat use and diurnal activity, to test whether they display size dimorphism and its effect on habitat use and diet. Females were significantly larger than equally old males (by 76% in perch, 23% in ruffe). No differences in habitat use by sexes were found along depth and longitudinal gradients of reservoir or between inshore and offshore habitats. Perch females had fuller guts, but both sexes were equally likely to consume same prey items (Leptodora kindtii, Daphnia spp., Chironomidae larvae, fish). Both sexes of ruffe had similar stomachs fullness, but females preferred L. kindtii and males Asellus aquaticus. In summary, perch and ruffe show strong female-biased size dimorphism, but sexes do not segregate spatially. Their unequal sex-specific dietary demands are satisfied by higher feeding rate of female perch and by preference for different prey items in ruffe. The magnitude of dimorphism was related to species body size and reproduction mode being larger in larger species and in total spawner (perch).

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Martin Čech, Tomáš Jůza, Michal Tušer and Daniel Bartoň for fish sex determination, Kateřina Soukalová and Jaroslava Frouzová for age determination, Vilém Děd for data processing, Ivana Vaníčková for diet analyses and all other FishEcU members who helped with the field data collection (http://www.fishecu.cz). The research was conducted in accordance with the animal ethics approvals.

Funding

The work was supported from ERDF/ESF Project Biomanipulation as a tool for improving the water quality of dam reservoirs (No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_025/0007417), by Czech Science Foundation P505-12-P647 and by the Project QK1920011 “Methodology of predatory fish quantification in drinking water reservoirs to optimize the management of aquatic ecosystems”.

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  1. In memoriam: J. Matěna

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  1. Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    M. Prchalová, J. Žák, M. Říha, M. Šmejkal, P. Blabolil, M. Vašek, J. Matěna, J. Peterka, J. Seďa & J. Kubečka

  2. Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    J. Žák

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All authors contributed to the collection of material. Material analyses were performed by MP, JŽ, JM and JS. The first draft of the manuscript was written by MP and JŽ and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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All sampling procedures were approved by the Ethics Committee of Czech Academy of Sciences (experimental Project No. 157/2011), Vltava River Authority and the Environmental Department of the Municipal Authority of the Town of České Budějovice (OOŽP/2328/Ně). The study was conducted in accordance with all legal requirements of the Czech Republic.

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Prchalová, M., Žák, J., Říha, M. et al. Sexual size dimorphism of two common European percid fish: linkage with spatial distribution and diet. Hydrobiologia 849, 2009–2027 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-022-04844-6

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