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Diel Drift and Feeding of Channel Catfish Alevins in the Illinois River, Arkansas
Author(s) -
Armstrong Michael L.,
Brown Arthur V.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
transactions of the american fisheries society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1548-8659
pISSN - 0002-8487
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8659(1983)112<302:ddafoc>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - ictalurus , catfish , riffle , fishery , invertebrate , environmental science , diel vertical migration , channel (broadcasting) , biology , ecology , hydrology (agriculture) , fish <actinopterygii> , habitat , geology , electrical engineering , engineering , geotechnical engineering
The food habits of 317 channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus alevins (standard length 14–16 mm) collected from the Illinois River, Arkansas were investigated to determine if the drifting alevins were using drifting invertebrates as a food resource. Drift of alevins coincided with increases in fullness of their stomachs, but alevins had been feeding predominantly on chironomid larvae and pupae, which were rare in the drift and riffle substrate. Alevins apparently fed on chironomids in upstream pools and accidentally encountered swift currents that caused them to drift downstream. If so, drift was a consequence of feeding activity, not an aid to it.