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Feeding periodicity, diet composition, and food consumption of subyearling rainbow trout in winter

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Abstract

Although winter is a critically important period for stream salmonids, aspects of the ecology of several species are poorly understood. Consequently, we examined the diel feeding ecology of subyearling rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) during winter in a central New York stream. Rainbow trout diet was significantly different during each 4-h interval and also differed from the drift and benthos. Feeding was significantly greater during darkness (i.e. 20:00 h – 04:00 h) than during daylight hours (i.e. 08:00 h – 16:00 h), peaking at 20:00 h. Daily food consumption (1.9 mg) and daily ration (3.4 %) during winter were substantially lower than previously reported for subyearling rainbow trout in the same stream during summer. These findings provide important new insights into the winter feeding ecology of juvenile rainbow trout in streams.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Avriel Diaz for assistance in the laboratory and James McKenna for advice on statistical analysis. This article is contribution 2077 of the USGS Great Lakes Science Center. Any use of trade, firm, or product, names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U. S. Government.

All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. U. S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science, 3075 Gracie Road, Cortland, NY, 13045, USA

    James H. Johnson, Marc A. Chalupnicki & Ross Abbett

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  1. James H. Johnson
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  2. Marc A. Chalupnicki
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  3. Ross Abbett
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Correspondence to James H. Johnson.

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Johnson, J.H., Chalupnicki, M.A. & Abbett, R. Feeding periodicity, diet composition, and food consumption of subyearling rainbow trout in winter. Environ Biol Fish 99, 771–778 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-016-0521-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-016-0521-x

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