Stomach Capacities of Six Freshwater Fishes

ABSTRACT

We investigated the relationship between stomach capacity and total body length in bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus), white crappie (Pornoxis annularis), black crappie (Pornoxis nigrornaculatus), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), and white bass (Morone chrysops). The rate of change in stomach capacity for a given change in fish length was greatest for spotted bass and channel catfish, which may indicate greater ontogenetic shifts in feeding strategies. Fish with larger stomach capacities should have more plastic diets because they are capable of consuming a wider range of prey sizes, particularly when they already have prey present in their stomach, compared to fish with smaller stomach capacities and similar feeding strategies.