Food Choice of Largemouth Bass as a Function of Availability and Vulnerability of Food Items
- 1 July 1961
- journal article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
- Vol. 90 (3) , 277-280
- https://doi.org/10.1577/1548-8659(1961)90[277:fcolba]2.0.co;2
Abstract
Under experimental conditions largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) used golden shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas) most heavily as food. Bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus) were used more heavily than green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus). Green sunfish were chosen over bullheads (Ictalurus melas) and white crappies (Pomoxis annularis). Use of crayfish (Orconectes immunis) was variable, and in some cases they were not chosen at all. Natural‐colored goldfish (Carassius auratus) were preferred over gold‐colored ones. Green sunfish and bullfrog tadpoles (Rana catesbeiana) were eaten sparingly in comparison to golden shiners. The leopard frog tadpoles (Rana pipiens) were eaten commonly in one comparison with shiners but not at all in another trial. Small bullfrogs were utilized more intensively than shiners in one trial but not eaten in another trial. Utilization of small bullfrogs was variable when accompanied by crayfish; toads were not eaten when fed with leopard frogs. Food items thrown into the tank were usually taken instantly. During a period in the spring bass ceased feeding or fed very sparingly. The quantity of forage fish eaten daily amounted to 2.2 percent of body weight.This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: