Food Habits of Stunted and Non-Stunted White Perch (Marone americana)

Authors

Nathan J.C. Gosch, Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitFollow
Jeffrey R. Stittle, Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Kevin L. Pope, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2010

Comments

Published in mrnal oj Freshwater Ecology. Volume 25, Number 1 - MalCh 20tO

Abstract

We studied food habits of white perch (Morone americana) from two populations with different stable states (stunted [Branched Oak Lake, Nebraska] and non-stunted [Pawnee Lake, Nebraska]) to determine if change in food habits of white perch is likely to occur in situations where a stunted while perch population is altered to a non-stunted state and vice versa. Three approaches were used to quantitatively describe seasonal (spring= March-May, summer= June-August, autumn = September-November) diets of white perch - 1) frequency of occurrence, 2) percentage of composition by volume, and 3) mean stomach fullness. White perch diets were dominated by cladocerans and dipterans in both reservoirs during all seasons. Fish egg predation was similar between reservoirs, and white perch rarely consumed fishes in either the stunted or the non-stunted population. Shifting a while perch population between stunted and non~stunted states will likely cause little or no change in food habits; fish in both Slates will primarily consume invertebrates.