Comparison of Bluegill Consumption Rates by Largemouth Bass and Sunshine Bass in Structured and Nonstructured Artificial Environments

Abstract

We compared consumption rates of bluegills Lepomis macrochirus by largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides and sunshine bass (female white bass Morone chrysops × male striped bass M. saxatilis) in structured (about 50% coverage with artificial vegetation) and nonstructured 2,000-L fiberglass tanks. In the presence of structure, instantaneous bluegill mortality from consumption by largemouth bass was significantly higher than that caused by sunshine bass but was similar when structure was absent. Instantaneous bluegill mortality from consumption by wild largemouth bass was significantly higher than by pellet-trained largemouth bass in both structured and nonstructured environments. When pellet-trained sunshine bass served as the predator, bluegill instantaneous mortality rate was similar within structured and nonstructured environments. Our findings indicate that sunshine bass are not as adept as largemouth bass at consuming bluegills in the presence of structure but that, unlike largemouth bass, their consumption rates on bluegills are not affected by prior predatory experience.