THE EFFECTS OF SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD ON REPRODUCTION IN PARENTAL MALE SMALLMOUTH BASS

We provided supplemental food for parental male smallmouth bass, Micro pterus dolomieu, to determine if food supply limits the reproductive p erformance of nesting males as measured by care duration, reproductive success and survival of adult males. Although supplementing the diet of parental males had a positive effect on all three reproductive meas ures, the experiment generated contrasting results in different years. In the first year, supplemental feeding only improved the survival of fed males versus unfed males. In the second year, supplemental feedin g increased care duration and reproductive success of fed males but re duced their survival relative to unfed males. Our supplemental feeding improved current or future measures of reproductive performance, but not both simultaneously. The results appear to demonstrate phenotypic plasticity in the extent to which energy from supplemental feeding can be allocated to present or future reproduction.