Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit
Date of this Version
2009
Abstract
We investigated the relationship between stomach capacity and total body length in bluegill (Lepomis macrocirirus), spotted bass (Microplerus punctulatus), white crappie (Pomoxis annularis), black crappie (Pomoxis nigromoculatus), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) , and white bass (Morone chrysops). The rate of change in stomach capacity for a given change in fish length was greatest for spoiled bass and channel catfish, which may indicate greater ontogenetic shifts in feeding strategies. Fish with larger stomach capacities should have more plastic diets because they are capable of consuming a wider range of prey sizes, particularly when they already have prey present in their stomach, compared to fish with smaller stomach capacities and similar feeding strategies.
Comments
Published in Journal of Freshwater Ecology. Volume ~4. Number 4 . December 2009