Lake Ontario and Great Lakes kiyi COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 6

Biology

General

Maximum known age is 10+ years for females and 7+ years for males (Parker 1989). Maximum known length is 250 mm TL (total length) (Todd 1980, Coker et al.  2001).

Reproduction

Spawning occurred from October to November in Lake Huron (Koelz 1929), September to November in Lake Michigan (Hile and Deason 1947), October to January in Lake Ontario (Pritchard 1931), and November to December in Lake Superior (Koelz 1929). Spawning occurred at depths of 106-165m in Lake Michigan (Hile and Deason 1947), and at 128m in Lake Superior (Parker 1989). Age at maturity was reported as 2+ to 3+ years in Lake Michigan (Hile and Deason 1947). Minimum size at maturity was reported as 132mm SL in Lake Superior (Koelz 1929).

Survival

Maximum known age is 10+ years for females and 7+ years for males (Parker 1989). Survival rates unknown.

Physiology

Unknown.

Movements/dispersal

Unknown.

Nutrition and interspecific interactions

Prey items in lakes Huron and Ontario were predominantly the deepwater crustaceans Mysis relicta and Diporeia hoyi (Koelz 1929, Pritchard 1931). As the result of its preferred deepwater habitat, the kiyi likely has limited interactions with other fish species. It is a prey item for burbot (Lota lota) and deep water forms of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) (Scott and Crossman 1998). Periodic increases in lake trout numbers in the Great Lakes likely increased the predation pressure on the deepwater ciscoes (Christie 1973, Selgeby et al. 1994). Petzold (2002) estimated that lake trout may consume up to 1608 tonnes of deepwater ciscoes annually in the eastern basin of Lake Superior. The decline of lake trout in lakes Huron and Ontario may have shifted sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) predation to deepwater ciscoes and other species (Christie 1973). However, the decline of deepwater ciscoes in Lake Superior pre-dated colonization by the sea lamprey (Lawrie and Rahrer 1973). Smith (1995) noted that the decline in deepwater ciscoes in Lake Ontario coincided with the increasing abundance of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus). He postulated that this may have been the result of competition for plankton, or predation on, larval ciscoes. However, the decline of deepwater ciscoes in Lake Superior pre-dated colonization by the alewife (Lawrie and Rahrer 1973), which have never become abundant in Lake Superior (Selegby et al. 1994).

Behaviour/adaptability

Unknown.

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