Effects of the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) on the plankton community of a tropical reservoir during and after an algal bloom

Abstract

The invasive species Nile tilapia is a filter-feeding omnivorous fish that can have a negative effect on zooplankton and phytoplankton resources. However, the strength of its effects on plankton communities should decrease with increasing plankton biomass, e.g., during an algal bloom. We tested this hypothesis by performing two experiments in a tropical reservoir, where we randomly allocated two treatments (with and without tilapia) to 20 mesocosms. The first experiment was conducted during an algal bloom (biovolume = 1038.34 mm3 l−1), while the second experiment was conducted after the bloom (biovolume = 1.05 mm3 l−1). The negative effects of fish on mesozooplankton (mean size of 480 µm in both experiments) and large algae (GALD ≥ 50 µm) were stronger in the second than in the first experiment. On the other hand, the negative effects of fish on microzooplankton (experiment 1: mean size 180 µm; experiment 2: mean size 128 µm) and small algae (GALD < 50 µm) were stronger in the first than in the second experiment. We conclude that the Nile tilapia can suppress phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass in tropical lakes and reservoirs, but the magnitude of this effect depends on plankton biomass and size-structure.