Abstract |
The study was undertaken as part of an investigation of the impact of once through cooling at a large power plant in Western Lake Erie and is an attempt to assess the relationship among fish based on foods consumed. Potential food organisms and stomach contents of yellow perch, white bass, freshwater drum and goldfish were sampled and compared over a two year period. On the basis of differences in food size alone, young of the year fish did not appear to be in competition but as they became larger, all but goldfish consumed the same mean size foods. Within a fish species, mean prey size varied little in fish older than age class zero. Goldfish differed markedly by lacking the prey size selectivity demonstrated by the other fish species. Some ramifications of food size and prey selectivity in relation to trophic dynamics, feeding efficiency, composition and distribution of fish species, and the use of cooling water by large power plants and their possible impact upon prey sizes are discussed. |