Foraging Patterns of Nesting and Nonnesting Sunfish (Centrarchidae:Lepomis auritusandL.gibbosus)

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Abstract
We analyzed the gut contents of two species of Centrarchidae (the redbreast sunfish, Lepomis auritus, and the pumpkinseed sunfish, L. gibbosus) and compared the diets of nesting and nonnesting individuals (position effect) at dawn and dusk (time effect). Although redbreast and pumpkinseed sunfish differ somewhat in anatomy and ecology, they had similar diets and foraging patterns in Calder Lake (USA). Nesting behavior caused a slight to major reduction in the quantity and diversity of prey eating. Sunfish, which ate prey from both the benthos and water surface, consumed a higher percentage of benthic prey at dawn in comparison to the proportion taken at dusk. Position influenced the percentage of benthic prey eaten at both times. We explore the possibility that a male, nonnesting genotype ("cuckold" sunfish) might be retained in a population of mostly-nesting sunfish (parentals) because of the former''s greater foraging success.