Food Habits and Diet Overlap of Larval Lepomis spp. and Gizzard Shad in a Piedmont Reservoir
The food habits of larval Lepomis spp. and gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) in Hyco Reservoir, North Carolina, were studied during 1982. Results indicated that Lepomis spp. began feeding at a length of 4 mm on copepod nauplii and the rotifers Polyarthra and Filinia. Selection later (10 mm) shifted to Bosmina, Daphnia, and Mesocyclops, while Diaphanosoma was strongly selected for by all sizes of larvae. The crustaceans Diaptomus, Ceriodaphnia, and Holopedium, along with most rotifers, were not selected. Gizzard shad began feeding primarily on large phytoplankters at 4 mm, then shifted to...
