Mercury bioaccumulation in forage fish communities invaded by rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax)

We compared total mercury concentrations ([Hg]) among 6 forage fish species in 25 central Canadian lakes and related [Hg] to adjusted-delta15N (an index of trophic position), delta13C, growth rate, and a suite of environmental variables. Growth rates were also compared among species and related to environmental variables. We found that rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax), a recent invader in many of these lakes, had intermediate [Hg] and growth rates relative to other species. Forage fish growth rates differed significantly among species and were related to latitude (inverse relationship) and lake conductivity (positive relationship). Mercury concentrations also differed significantly among species and the strongest predictors were growth rate and lake conductivity; [Hg] was significantly and negatively related to both. Adjusted-delta15N explained very little variation in [Hg] and was significant only when the analysis was restricted to biotic variables. These results indicate that biomagnification may not be observed at fine scales of trophic differentiation and that rainbow smelt are unlikely to cause post-invasion [Hg] increases in most predatory fish species.