Impacts of temperature and food availability on the condition of larval Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) and walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus)

The Arctic marine environment is rapidly changing with rising sea surface temperatures, declining sea ice habitat and projected increases in boreal species invasions. The success of resident Arctic fish will depend on both their thermal tolerance and their ability to cope with changing trophic interactions. Larval fish energetic condition is closely associated with mortality rates and therefore provides an indicator of overall well-being or fitness. In this study, we experimentally determined larval morphometric and lipid-based condition in an Arctic gadid (Arctic cod, Boreogadus saida) and a boreal gadid (walleye pollock, Gadus chalcogrammus) in response to different temperatures and food rations. Our results suggest that larval condition is highly sensitive to both factors but varies in a species-and ontogenetic-dependent manner. Results indicated that condition metrics based on length-weight relationships were not as sensitive as those based on lipid storage. Further, condition metrics changed with ontogeny and were best used within a developmental stage rather than across developmental stages. As expected, larval condition in first-feeding Arctic cod was higher at colder temperatures (2-5 degrees C) than in the boreal gadid (5-12 degrees C). However, at more developed larval stages the peak condition for Arctic cod was at warmer temperatures (7 degrees C), while walleye pollock had the same thermal optimum as during earlier stages. Arctic cod were more sensitive to food ration at first feeding than walleye pollock, however; at later larval stages both species had a negative condition response to low food ration, especially at elevated temperatures (5 vs. 7 degrees C). The lower thermal tolerance of Arctic cod, coupled with a higher sensitivity to food availability indicates that Arctic cod are particularly vulnerable to on-going environmental change. Arctic cod is a lipid-rich keystone species and therefore a reduction in their energetic condition during summer has the potential to affect the health of higher trophic levels throughout the Alaskan Arctic.