SREL Reprint #0320
Food
of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) from a South Carolina
Reservoir Receiving Heated Effluent
David
H. Bennett and J. Whitfield Gibbons
Abstract
Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
collected from an area of a South Carolina reservoir at ambient temperatures
contained greater amounts of food than bass taken at the entrance of a heated
effluent in the same reservoir. Unidentifiable
fish occurred in the highest frequency at both areas; sunfish (Lepomis sp.)
had the highest frequency of occurrence of all identifiable items.
All major dietary components were found in stomachs of bass from both
areas from March through May although the relative occurrences of these items
varied in the winter, spring, and fall. Increased
metabolic requirements on fish living in the heated portion of the reservoir are
possible reduced by individuals entering the waters at extreme temperatures to
feed, followed by movement to deeper, stratified waters at lower temperatures.
Keywords: Par Pond Reservoir System
SREL Reprint #0320
Bennett, D.H. and J.W. Gibbons. 1972. Food of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) from a South Carolina reservoir
receiving heated effluent. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 101:650-654.
