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The diet of red‐breasted mergansers ( Mergus serrator ) during the smolt run in N.E. Scotland: the importance of salmon ( Salmo salar ) smolts and parr
Author(s) -
FELTHAM MARK J.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1990.tb05677.x
Subject(s) - salmo , juvenile , biology , fishery , zoology , population , shot (pellet) , ecology , fish <actinopterygii> , demography , chemistry , organic chemistry , sociology
Salmon ( Salmo salar ) formed the largest proportion by mass offish found in the stomachs of red‐breasted mergansers ( Mergus serrator ) shot during the smolt run in north‐east Scotland. Salmon parr represented approximately two‐thirds by mass of juvenile salmon eaten, whilst smolts were present in a smaller proportion than previously predicted. The median lengths of parr and smolts eaten were 70 and 115 mm, respectively; the latter being significantly smaller than the smolt population sampled during annual production estimates on the river.