Food habits of Selected Fish Species in the Shenandoah River Basin, Virginia
Food habits of redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), and white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) populations in the Shenandoah River Basin, Virginia, were assessed during 2002 to identify dietary pathways and patterns potentially affecting mercury uptake. Aquatic insects (71% to 83%) were the principal food item of redbreast sunfish, while smallmouth bass mainly consumed aquatic insects (32% to 48%), crayfish (19% to 31%), and fish (22% to 29%). Principal food items of white sucker included aquatic insects (20% to 26%) and detritus (66% to 70%)....
