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The relationship between feeding preferences and consumption rates in grass carp and grass carp × bighead carp hybrids
Author(s) -
Wiley M. J.,
Pescitelli S. M.,
Wike L. D.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1986.tb04966.x
Subject(s) - bighead carp , grass carp , biology , carp , preference , hybrid , food preference , food consumption , fishery , fish <actinopterygii> , zoology , ecology , agronomy , food science , statistics , mathematics , agricultural economics , economics
The relationship between food preference hierarchy and consumption rate was examined for the grass carp, Ctenopharygodon idella , and its Fl hybrid (grass carp × bighead carp). Preferences of both types of fish were similar, although hybrids consumed vegetation at a much lower rate. For both, relative preference in feeding trials with mixed plant species was significantly correlated with consumption rate in monospecific feeding experiments. No correlations were found between preference and caloric content, protein content or relative water content. The hypothesis is proposed that preference hierarchies reflect relative handling times of different food types and that these fish maximize ‘through‐put’ by preferentially consuming plant species which can be most rapidly ingested.