Food Selection by Grass Carp Fingerlings in a Vegetated Pond

Abstract
Five thousand grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) fry were stocked into a 0.81‐hectare pond in Marion County, Florida. The fry grew from 48.2 mm to 186 mm total length in 6 months with a survival rate of less than 7%. Food consumption decreased to near maintenance ration when water temperature fell below 14 C and growth was reduced. The 76 grass carp which contained food (63‐220 mm) were strict herbivores, and ate animal material only in trace quantities (<0.1%). Mean electivity indices indicated positive selection for Sagittaria graminea, slight selection for Eleocharis sp., and discrimination against Najas flexilis, Ceratophyllum demersum, and Potamogeton illinoensis.

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