Cassidy, Harold

Dobkin, Arthur

Wetzel, Ralph

The Ohio Journal of Science

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A STUDY OF THE POOD OF THREE FISH SPECIESFROM THE PORTAGE LAKES, OHIO.HAROLD CASSIDY, ARTHUR DOBKIN, AND RALPH WETZEL.INTRODUCTION.By WALTER C. KRAATZ,University of Akron.During fish seining operations in the summers of 1926 and1927, by the writer and assistants, many fishes, particularlyminnows and other smaller types were secured from the PortageLakes near Akron, Ohio.Previously the writer published a paper on the food of themost abundant fish species of the lakes; (Kraatz: Study of thefood of the blunt-nosed minnow, Pimephales notatus, OhioJour. Sci., Vol. XXVIII, No. 2, pp. 86-98, March 1928).Food of any fish species of various localities is of interestin extending existing data on food habits, and it is thoughtdesirable to publish food data on three other species from theselakes, but combined as one paper from the independent papers.of the three student authors, to save repetition of introductions,etc. Discussion of details is largely omitted, as is a biblio-graphy, which in this brief report is deemed superfluous. Themethods of food study were the same standard methods em-ployed in the above-mentioned paper in which they aresufficiently described.Opsopoeodus emilice, was the second most abundant minnowin the lakes during the collecting period, and Notemigonus(Abramis) crysoleucas was third. The "top minnow," Fundu-lus diaphanus menona, is of special interest because in thisgroup of lakes it is found only in Turkeyfoot Lake, and inOhio in general, only in the very northern part, and has beenprincipally reported from Lake Erie bays and streams leadinginto them.FOOD OF THE MINNOW Opsopoeodus emilia.By HAROLD CASSIDY.Only 32 specimens were studied, but the diets of thesewere so similar that they can be regarded as representativefor these waters. Of these specimens 27 were from NewReservoir, 4 from Turkeyfoot Lake, and 1 from Nesmith Lake.194No. 3 FOOD OF THREE FISH SPECIES 195This minnow, (Table I), seems to have a preference for ananimal diet as attested by the large number of Chironomidaelarvae, Cladocera and Ostracoda ingested. The plant materialmay have been ingested largely as incidental material in thefeeding. Noting the large number of midge larvag eaten, afew were examined as to their food, and found to containchiefly diatoms, Scenedesmus and some filamentous greenalgae, all of which were likewise found free but in very smallproportions in the minnow intestine. Opsopoeodus havingprincipally an animal diet, more so than Pimephales notatus, istherefore more in competition with game fishes in their earlystages. However no more than Pimephales does it in any waydestroy young fishes in their early stages, and it also forms alink in the chain of converting plankton to a form availableto the larger game fishes.FOOD OF THE GOLDEN SHINERNotemigonus (Abramis) crysoleucas.By ARTHUR.DOBKIN.A series of 40 Portage Lakes specimens were studied,distributed as follows: New Reservoir, 34; East Reservoir, 4;Turkeyfoot Lake; 2.This minnow, (Table II), seems to have preference for ananimal diet. This is at least certain in specimens of the smallsize available from these particular waters, though it has beenevident from other studies that considerable variability in foodmay exist. Cladocera formed by far the largest food typewith Ostracoda second. In some cases Copepoda and in afew algae were common. Thus it was feeding almost entirelyon plankton, and only 4 specimens showed by inorganic debrisingested, a bottom feeding habit. The golden shiner is anothergood example of a fish suitable for converting plankton intofood for larger game fishes.FOOD OF THE MENONA TOP MINNOW,Fundulus diaphanus menona.By RALPH WETZEL.All specimens of the species collected were from TurkeyfootLake, and 40 were examined for food. These were all morethan half grown and mostly mature. Many females carriedeggs, and the intestinal contents in these were meagre. In onespecimen virtually nothing was found.196 CASSIDY, DOBKIN AND WETZEL Vol. XXXIt is of course apparent, (Table III), that this fish is aplankton feeder. Various Entomostraca formed outstandingfood items, and in a very large number of cases, Amphipodawere prominent. The latter was the genus Hyalella so commonin these waters, mostly on vegetation just a little submergedin shallow water. Very little phytoplankton was eaten, andin these specimens at least the food is principally larger animalplankton.TABLE I.Opsopoeodus emilioe.Percentage Composition of Alimentary Canal Contents.%&•«N*,,«7/22/26«a«uu««uaa7/29/26*«u«au"7/24/26«7/6/26514851455250505156554546494544504648484655494850464645404449' 540?,534273030SO»9151097S5?,4?,526?7',6??13933?,?,52038312911?,59 5 •151.5.1550,50.60?53T8575.6090500.75?0?06040' 403015.35653075.65.2511141120nt Debs9q1?5m179210101547algaee-grens111111111155502i.iSQ1111111111111111111, , ,smidsO)0'111—§i11?111111191111:en algsO11111111o1915115420101;her PIa1?510. . .ryozoasof B$20a)aa11010—doceraJ5O1054991051180115?,054515?,595553110racodaOst5105571584045vaesLronoms506030655060?,0404070703?,070556035fl510?,550W511020arious60170530ebrismalD<4?0' 54330854545451915q85.55010080100154035475620*Nesmith Lake.LocalityDateLength of Fish, mm.Length of Intestine,mm.Degree FilledInorganicPlant DebrisBlue-green algaeDiatomsDesmidsScenedesmusGreen algaeHigher Plant RemainsStatoblasts of BryozoaCopepodaCladoceraOstracodaChironomid LarvaeInsect EggsInsects (Various)Animal Debris7/3/26 42 37 .50 3 .... 5 90 2" 42 31 .25 1 90 3 .... 5 1* 44 48 .25 2 .... 2 4 87 5" 40 33 .66 5 5 1 1 86 27/15/29 29 21 .75 3 2 90 5" 30 23 .50 1 32 35 .... 30 2" 32 23 .66 5 90 5" 32 25 .75 1 .... 1 90 8 ....33 24 .75 1 .... 4 30 15 .... 50 ...." 33 25 .50 ' .... 2 .... 1 70 • 27 ...." 33 29' .50 2 5 .... 85 2 .... 1 5" 33 27 .75 1 .... 1 75 18 5" 34 24 .33 2 .... 1 90 7" 34 25 .50 3 1 90 3 3" 35 30 .66 .... 1 95 3 17/22/26 34 30 .66 5 3 2 75 10 535 31 .25 35 40 20 5" 37 35 .50 1 55 43 1" 37 30 .50 2 1 1 .... 5 .... 90 1" 37 31 .75 2 1 1 95 1" 37 33 .75 1 1 .... 12 85 1" 38 35 .50 1 .... 1 5 5 65 15 5 3" 38 32 .33 15 10 5 55 15" 38 37 .81 1 49 49 1" 38 32 .50 1 1 95 38 38 32 .66 1 1 15 70 1339 36 .66 1 1 1 .... 10 1 80 .... 5 139 33 .50 1 1 49 49" 39 32 .50 55 10 10 5 20" 40 34 .25 50 5 45« 40 34 .50 2 1 48 48 1" 40 36 .75 1 1 .... 50 24 24" 41 33 .25 60 5 20 15" 41 38 .50 1 80 .... 18 1* 44 25 .75 8 1 90 1" 49 23 07/24 40 37 .33 7 1 90 27/29 41 35 .50 2 1 96 17/24 32 26 .25 20 20 508/7 38 29 .50 1 1 80 18? 53 60 .50 20 3 .... 2 25 50? 63 80 .80 5 10 60 25? 77 85 .50 5 5 20 70? 63 65 .15 10 40 45 5? 118 160 .80 10 3 60 : 27Franklin  k N Reservoir New Reservoir East R. LocalityCounty  Fo(yTABLE II.Notemigonus crysoleucas.Percentage Composition of Alimentary Canal Contents.No. 3 FOOD OF THREE FISH SPECIES 197DateLength of Fish, mm.Length of Intestine,mm.Degree FilledInorganicPlant DebrisBlue-green algaeDiatomsDesmidsFilamentousGreen algaeStatoblasts of BryozoaCopepodaCladoceraOstracodaChironomid LarvaeOther InsectsAnimal Debris198 CASSIDY, DOBKIN AND WETZEL Vol. X X XTABLE III.Fundulus diaphanus menona.Percentage Composition of Alimentary Canal Contents.7/10 46 30 1.00 10 8 3 5 5 10 25 .... 5 29" 60 35 .75 5 15 5 3 .... 7 20 2 20 3 .... 20" 49 32 .15 2 .... 40 5 15 .... 5 8 25" 47 30 .50 10 5 .... 25 30 30" 43 26 1.00 2 2 10 30 5 40 3 8" 34 17 .50 5 15 10 5 15 40 10" 46 24 .50 2" 3 60 5 3 15 2 10" 37 22 .50 10 .... 5 .... 5 70 10" 34 17 .25 2 5 .* 20 70 3" 45 24 .50 10 10 10 65 .... 3 .... 2" 48 24 .25 5 .... 5 .... 10 3 30 20 15 5" 50 28 .50 5 3 2 10 .... 5 .... 5 10 25 20 5 .... 10" 37 20 .25 5 .... 15 10 35 15 20" 48 25 1.00 3 10 30 40 5 12" 5 0 27 1.00 10 .... 2 .... 25 .... 5 45 5 8" 47 30 1.00 3 10 5 2 60 10 1040 25 .25 .... 5 10 .... 15 10 50 10" 50 32 .75 3 .... 5 5 3 5 10 .... 15 .... 35 19" 40 22 .50 10 5 25 50 10" 43 23 .50 7 3 30 55 5" 60 42 .25 .... 10 .... 5 .... 5 25 30 5 20" 45 28 .50 5 7 .... 10 45 15 13« 42 24 .75 2 3 5 .... 5 20 60 2 .... 3" 50 33 1.00 10 10 .... 10 5 30 35" 53 34 0" 45 26 .25 4 70 10 3 13" 57 32 .50 8 10 15 20 12 35" 54 28 .25 .... 5 ., 5 10 15 30 15 20" 50 25 .25 3 .... 3 .... 2 7 .... 50 10 2552 30 .75 5 10 8 45 10 22" 51 30 1.00 3 .;.. 5 20 7 5 .... 15 10 15 10 1052 28 1.00 5 5 7 2 3 3 75" 39 15 .25 3 5 25 25 5 2 30« 53 30 1.00 3 2 7 .... 3 .... 5 60 20" 50 27 .75 5 10 5 25 55" 45 23 .50 15 15 15 40 158 42 20 .15 10 10 807/24 60 35 .75 5 5 15 .... 5 2 3 15 .... 50" 62 35 1.00 3 2 5 20 5 55 5 1055 30 .25 3 20 40 .... 40 321TURKEY FOOT LAKE (All caught 1&28) Localit DateFish Length, mm.Intestine Length, mm.Degree FilledInorganicBlue-green algaeOne-celled Green algaeFilamentousGreen algaeHigher Plant DebrisProtozoaCopepodaCladoceraOstracodaAmphipodaChironomid LarvaeGastropodaFish EggsUnrecognizableOrganic

A Study of the Food of Three Fish Species from the Portage Lakes, Ohio

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A Study of the Food of Three Fish Species from the Portage Lakes, Ohio

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