An ecological study of the migration, food composition and relative abundance of three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) in a shallow area in Kalmar Sound.

Abstract: The populations of three–spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) in the Baltic Sea have increased tenfold over the last decade. A large increase in abundance can alter the offshore and coastal food webs. Despite of these facts, there are large gaps in the knowledge about the stickleback ecology in the Baltic and the possible effect they might have on their environment. Earlier investigations state that stickleback mainly occupy the deeper areas offshore, and only migrate to the shallow areas during May–July to spawn. Observations by recreational fishermen indicate that this may be incorrect, and that some adult sticklebacks are present in the shallow areas even during the winter. One aim of this study was to investigate the timing of stickleback migration to a shallow coastal area in Kalmar Sound. The study also aimed to examine the relative abundance in two adjacent shallow areas in the archipelago south of Kalmar, where one of the areas is a pike spawning ground. A one month long test fishing with fyke nets was started on the first day after ice break. Results show that the sticklebacks are present in the bays immediately after the ice break, and that high abundances coincide with the pike spawning period. Stomach analyses showed that sticklebacks consumed a large proportion of crustaceans, but also fish eggs were found. These results shed new light on the management actions for many of the coastal spring spawning fish species that have shown decreasing abundances during the last decades.