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Effects of Cover and Prey Size on Preferences of Juvenile Largemouth Bass for Blue Tilapias and Bluegills in Tanks
Author(s) -
Schramm Harold L.,
Zale Alexander V.
Publication year - 1985
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(1985)114<725:eocaps>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - micropterus , bass (fish) , biology , predation , juvenile , fishery , forage , forage fish , tilapia , lepomis macrochirus , agronomy , ecology , fish <actinopterygii>
The effects of vegetative cover and relative size of prey were tested on the forage preference of juvenile largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides offered blue tilapias Tilapia aurea and bluegills Lepomis macrochirus in laboratory electivity experiments. When offered forage at or near the maximum consumable size in tanks without vegetative cover, largemouth bass preferred bluegills, but consumed blue tilapias in the presence of vegetation. When offered forage smaller than the maximum consumable size in tanks without vegetation, largemouth bass selected blue tilapias. Differences between the forage species in body morphology and effective use of protective cover apparently caused the changes in prey selection. Our results suggest blue tilapias may be a suitable forage for largemouth bass, but that habitat characteristics and relative size distributions of other available forage may affect their use.