Evidence for buoyancy regulation as a speciation mechanism in Great Lakes ciscoes

We present evidence for a hypothesis that the deepwater ciscoes (Coregonus spp.) of the Laurentian Great Lakes were selected for buoyancy-regulation traits that facilitated planktivory on Mysis relict, a crustacean that undertakes extensive diel vertical migration (DVM). We assessed the vertical distribution and behavior of bloaters (C. hoyi) in Lake Michigan with bottom and mid-water trawls in late summer 1987 and with acoustics in August 1995. Biomass of bloaters on the lake bottom was reduced by 84% at night. Mean size of bloaters increased with depth as did the reduction in night biomass. Juvenile bloaters (<160 mm total length) occurred in both warm surface waters and in the hypolimnion where adults were aggregated. Hypolimnetic bloaters were 10 to 50 m above the bottom at night, but DVM was confined to the hypolimnion. The greater historical species diversity of deepwater ciscoes in Lakes Michigan and Huron compared with Lake Superior may be a function of reduced availability of mysids in Lake Superior.