Jp. Lott et al., RELATIONSHIP OF FOOD-HABITS TO YELLOW PERCH GROWTH AND POPULATION-STRUCTURE IN SOUTH-DAKOTA LAKES, Journal of freshwater ecology, 11(1), 1996, pp. 27-37
We compared summer yellow perch (Perca flavescens) food habits among a
wide range of perch population types in six South Dakota lakes. Chiro
nomids were a major dietary component in all populations with mean rel
ative importance (RI) values ranging from 29 to 55. Corixids were a ma
jor diety component for high-quality (large proprtion of fish greater
than or equal to 200 mm TL) yellow perch populations, with mean RI val
ues ranging from 22 to 26. Zooplankters were important sources of prey
for yellow perch in low-quality (low proportion of fish greater than
or equal to 200 mm TL) populations, with mean RI values ranging from 3
5 to 51. The fast growth of yellow perch in high-quality populations w
as attributable to a diet in which macroinvertebrates, specifically ch
ironomids, amphipods and corixids, were the primary prey. Fish were no
t a substantial component of yellow perch diets in situations were per
ch attained large size (greater than or equal to 300 mm) and experienc
ed fast growth. A significant negative correlation existed between yel
low perch mean back-calculated length at age 3 and the mean RI of zoop
lankton (r=-0.87, P=0.02). The mean RI of macroinvertebrates was posit
ively correlated with yellow perch growth rates (r=0.86, P=0.03) while
there was not a significant correlation between the mean RI of fish a
nd perch growth rates (r=0.66, P=0.16).