Paul R. Turner

Cross-sections cut from the articulating process (AP) of pectoral spines were used to determine age and back-calculate growth of 370 flathead catfish (Pylvdictis olivaris) from 2 Oklahoma reservoirs. The accuracy ofthis method was validated by the following: agreement between the number of annuli and known age of 16 fish; 1 new annulus formed in the pectoral spines of fish tagged in 1970 and recaptured in 1971; agreement between calculated length increments and known length increases of tagged fish; and agreement between assigned age and length frequencies of young fish. Pectoral AP...

Food items were found in 47.0% of 1329 flathead catfish stomachs collected by gill and trammel nets from six Oklahoma reservoirs: Carl Blackwell, Eufaula, Fort Gibson, Grand, Hudson, and Texoma. The average number of food items was 1.6 per stomach and the average volume per stomach was 26.4 ml in stomachs with food. Fish comprised more than 95% of total food volume and total number of food items in all six reservoirs. Gizzard shad contributed from 49.5 to 91.7% of total stomach volumes. Freshwater drum were second in importance as forage, accounting for 3.3 to 38.2% of total volumes. Carp...