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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Cntr » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #149829
Title: DIET ANALYSES OF DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS AND LARGEMOUTH BASS FROM AN ARKANSAS OXBOW LAKE.

Author
item Radomski, Andrew
item FENECH, AMY - UAPB
item LOCHMANN, REBECCA - UAPB

Submitted to: American Ornithologists' Union Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/21/2003
Publication Date: 8/6/2003
Citation: RADOMSKI, A.A., FENECH, A., LOCHMANN, R. DIET ANALYSES OF DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS AND LARGEMOUTH BASS FROM AN ARKANSAS OXBOW LAKE.. American Ornithologists' Union Annual Meeting. 2003. p.117.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Diets of Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) have been the subject of several studies, often without regards to other piscivores within the ecosystem. Description of the diet from regurgitated pellets and fecal material rely heavily on diagnostic hard parts. Diet characterization from 455 wintering cormorant and 273 largemouth bass stomachs were examined. The purpose of this study were to determine the effects that over wintering cormorants and largemouth bass had on crappie and other fish populations and to describe the diet of wintering cormorants from intact prey items and diagnostic hard parts and compare this estimate with the diet described using only intact prey items. Cormorants consumed <1% of the crappie population, whereas bass consumed between 0.03 and 3.0%. Overall, gizzard shad and yellow bass were the most important species in the cormorant diet using both diet examination methodologies. Approximately 1371 prey items were identified from intact remains or hard parts. In fall, based on intact remains alone, gizzard shad were the most numerous and frequently occurring prey taxa, and had the highest relative importance. In the fall, based on hard parts and intact remains, cyprinids were the most numerous taxa and had the highest relative importance. Gender-based diet differences were not affected by choice of method. Length frequency distributions did not differ. We have determined it is sufficient to use only intact remains for diet characterization of cormorants unless specific seasonal information is required.