Abstract
The dietary importance of prey of estuary perch (Macquaria colonorum; Percicthyidae: Günther) was examined spatially, temporally and among size classes. Fish were collected from the Hopkins River, south-western Victoria, from September 1998 to February 1999. The species is a euryhaline, euryphagic carnivore with spatial, temporal and size class variations in diets. Fish caught from estuarine locations consumed primarily Paratya australiensis (40% IRI) while freshwater fish consumed mostly Tricopteran larvae (63.5% IRI). In both freshwater and estuarine locations, the relative importance of P. australiensis decreased with increasing length of fish. Diet changed seasonally, indicating opportunistic changes in prey. The species selected particular prey items relative to environmental availability (P. australiensis, Amarinus lacustrine).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cadwallader, P. L. & G. N. Backhouse, 1983. A Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Victoria. Government Printer, Melbourne, 249 pp.
Frankenburg, R. S., 1974. Native fresh water fish. In Williams, W. D. (ed.), Biogeography and Ecology in Tasmania. Dr W. Junk Publishers, The Hague: 113–140.
Hacunda, J. S., 1981. Trophic relationships among demersal fishes in a coastal area of the Gulf of Mexico. Fishery Bulletin 79: 411–429.
Ierodiaconou, D. & L. J. B. Laurenson, 2002. Development of spatial database using GIS and GPS technologies for the analysis of seagrass in the Hopkins Estuary. Australian Journal of Botany 50: 215–228.
Jones, G. P., 1984. The influence of habitat and behavioural interactions on the local distribution of the wrasse, Pseudolabrus celidotus. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 10: 43–58.
Manly, B. F. J., P. Miller & L. M. Cook, 1972. Analysis of a selective predation experiment. American Naturalist 106: 719–736.
McCarraher, D. B. & J. A. McKenzie, 1986. Observations on the distribution, growth, spawning and diet of estuary perch (Macquaria colonorum) in Victorian waters. Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Melbourne: 21.
McDowall, R. M., 1981. The relationships of Australian freshwater fishes. In Keast, A. (ed.), Ecological Biogeography of Australia. Dr W. Junk Publishers, The Hague: 1253–1273.
Murie, D. J., 1995. Comparative feeding ecology of two sympatric rockfish congeners, Sebastes caurinus (copper rockfish) and S. maliger (quillback rockfish). Marine Biology 124: 341–353.
Pielou, E. C., 1966. Shannon's formula as a measure of a species diversity: its use and misuse. American Naturalist 100: 463–465.
Pinkas, L., M. S. Olipham & I. L. K. Iversor, 1971. Food habits of albacore, bluefin tuna and bonito in Californian waters. Fishery Bulletin 152: 1–105.
Price, R., 1994. The occurrence of saline pools in the non estuarine section of the Hopkins River., Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Melbourne: 6.
Schoener, T. W., 1970. Nonsynchronous spatial overlap of lizards in patchy habitats. Ecology 51: 408–418.
Walsh, C. J. & B. D. Mitchell, 1995. The freshwater shrimp Paratya australiensis (Kemp, 1917) (Decapoda: Atyidae) in estuaries of south-western Victoria, Australia. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 46: 959–965.
Williams, W. D., 1980, Australian Freshwater Life: The Invertebrates of Australian Inland Waters. Macmillian Education Australia Pty Ltd, Melbourne, 321 pp.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Howell, T., Laurenson, L.J., Myers, J.H. et al. Spatial, temporal and size-class variation in the diet of estuary perch (Macquaria colonorum) in the Hopkins River, Victoria, Australia. Hydrobiologia 515, 29–37 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:HYDR.0000027315.51291.fd
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:HYDR.0000027315.51291.fd