Hypothesis: In the White Sea, predatory fish species have consumed higher proportions of
stickleback during historical periods and seasons of high stickleback abundance.
Organisms: Adults, juveniles, and eggs of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus),
together with three species of predatory fishes: cod (Gadus morhua), saffron cod (Eleginus
nawaga), and European sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius).
Place and times: Kandalaksha Bay, White Sea, Russia; June to August 2011–2014.
Analytical methods: Sampling with beach seine (stickleback) and gill nets (predatory fish).
Analysis of predatory fish stomach contents (identification to the species level, counting,
weighing), and in-depth survey of scientific literature on predatory fish diets over the last
century.
Results: Near the spawning grounds, stickleback comprise 60% of the summer food of
sculpin (adult stickleback), 52% of the diet of cod (adults, juveniles, and eggs), and 15% of the
diet of saffron cod (juvenile stickleback). These data resemble obser