Temporal and spatial separation allow coexistence of predatory cladocerans: Leptodora kindtii, Bythotrephes longimanus and Cercopagis pengoi, in southeastern Lake Michigan

The predatory cladocerans, Leptodora kindtii, Bythotrephes longimanus, and Cercopagis pengoi coexist in the waters of southeastern Lake Michigan near Muskegon, Michigan. Leptodora is indigenous, whereas Bythotrephes and Cercopagis are nonindigenous and became established in 1986 and 2000, respectively. To observe seasonal changes in their abundances, and relationships to each other, cladocerans were collected from 1994 to 2008 at an offshore (110-m) site, from 1998 to 2008 at a transitional (45-m) site and from 1999 to 2008 at a nearshore (15-m) site. Bythotrephes was most abundant at the offshore site compared to Leptodora and Cercopagis. Bythotrephes peak abundances usually occurred in autumn at all sites. Cercopagis tended to be more abundant at the nearshore site, and peak densities occurred in summer. At the mid-depth site, similar abundances occurred for all three predatory cladocerans, however, the date of peak abundance was usually earliest for Cercopagis, followed by Leptodora, and latest for Bythotrephes. In recent years, 2007 and 2008, densities of all three predatory cladocerans have increased. Temperature preference, fish predation, and competition between the invertebrate predators may all be important in allowing the dominance of one species over the other seasonally or spatially.