Food Habits of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) at Big Creek Lake

Authors

Vaughn L. Paragamian, Manchester Fish HatcheryFollow

Document Type

Research

Keywords

largemouth bass, food habits, Big Creek Lake

Abstract

Food habits of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were studied at Big Creek Lake, from 1974-76, to determine the utilization of various prey species, temporal food habits, size at which bass became piscivorous, and size of fish-food items in relation to size of bass. Stomach contents from 259 bass were examined and 75 were empty. Entomostraca and insects were important food items of young bass but a transition stage was noted at about 125 mm TL when fish became the prominent food item. Crayfish were important food items early in the spring. Bass fed mostly on 0-age Centrarchids, and particularly bluegill and Notropis sp. Fish provided 29 to 86% of the biomass consumed and 2 to 70% by number. Larger bass (300+ mm) tended to utilize larger but fewer fish-food items while smaller bass (200-299 mm) consumed smaller fish more frequently.

Publication Date

March 1978

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

85

Issue

1

First Page

31

Last Page

34

Copyright

©1978 Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Paragamian, Vaughn L. (1978) "Food Habits of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) at Big Creek Lake," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 85(1), 31-34.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol85/iss1/10