Overwintering strategy of sandeel ecotypes from an energy/predation trade-off perspective

摘要: The overwintering strategy is widespread among planktivorous fish from temperate to sub-polar regions, and particularly pronounced in sandeel ecotypes. This adaptation presumably a behavioural strong seasonal fluctuation prey availability, day length tempera- ture. Yet so far, insight into the evolutionary ecological mechanisms involved has remained elusive. In present study, behaviour considered be requiring 2 annual decisions: When end when start overwintering, which combined comprise timing duration of foraging window. We model framework for that demonstrates how optimal window involves trade-off between energy gain survival probability. Physiological components are based on laboratory experiments with sandeel, some presented as part this study. major findings were optimisation individual fitness strictly dependent temporal match for- aging peak period spring burst zooplankton. contrast, only marginally reduced individuals fail optimise relation level mortality availability experienced during zooplankton burst. Lastly, overwinter- ing strategy, even scenarios where winter abundances approached near abundance spring.