Diet ecology of yellow bass, Morone mississippiensis, in an oxbow of the Mississippi River

The yellow bass (Morone mississippiensis) is native to the Mississippi Rive r drainage and some adjacent Gulf of Mexico tributaries where it inhabits b ack-waters, oxbows, and reservoirs. We described the diet ecology of yellow bass in an oxbow of the lower Mississippi River, assessed differences in d iets between life stages, and measured diet overlap between yellow bass and coexisting species. Indices of diet breadth differed among age groups, wit h the diet of age-1 yellow bass being more specialized than that of larger fish. Although the yellow bass consumed a wide array of food items, it tend ed to rely on certain foods during different life stages. Age-1 yellow bass fed on chironomids, amphipods, and fish eggs, which accounted for 84% of t he diet by weight. Age-2+ yellow bass consumed fish, fish eggs, amphipods, and benthic insects, which was over 70% of the diet by weight. Diet overlap was not significant (P > 0.20) between age-1 and age-2+ yellow bass, or be tween age-1 yellow bass and age-0 largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), inland silverside (Menidia beryllina), or juvenile bluegill (Lepomis macroc hirus), suggesting that exploitative competition did not occur. Nevertheles s, interactions between yellow bass and coexisting species may take the for m of intraspecific predation given the propensity of the yellow bass to eat fish eggs.