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Determination of Factors Limiting Prey Size Swallowed by Larval and Small Juvenile Largemouth Bass
Author(s) -
Timmerman Cindy M.,
Annett Cynthia A.,
Bailey Claudia F.
Publication year - 2000
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(2000)129<0618:doflps>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - bass (fish) , micropterus , juvenile , biology , predation , fishery , larva , zoology , ecology
Mouth diameter limits prey size for adult and subadult largemouth bass. In this study we determined the relationships of mouth diameter and cleithrum orifice size to total length of larval and juvenile largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides. Largemouth bass (6–49 mm total length, TL) collected from Centerton State Hatchery and Lake Wedington (Washington County, Arkansas) were preserved in 10% buffered formalin and stored in 70% ethanol. Total length was significantly related ( P < 0.001) to mouth size (gape = 0.117TL − 0.129) and cleithrum orifice size (width: CW = 0.079TL + 0.712; height: CH = 0.082TL + 1.24). These relationships differed significantly ( P < 0.05) between late postlarvae and juveniles, late postlarvae having a disproportionately larger mouth and cleithrum orifice for their body size. Late larvae disperse from male largemouth bass parental protection, and the change in proportions of feeding structures to body size could affect their foraging ability during this period of vulnerability.