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Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology Parasitology, Harold W. Manter Laboratory of

1982

Food Content of Six Commercial from Mississippi Sound

Robin M. Overstreet Gulf Research Laboratory, [email protected]

Richard W. Heard Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, [email protected]

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Overstreet, Robin M. and Heard, Richard W., "Food Content of Six Commercial Fishes from Mississippi Sound" (1982). Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology. 465. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/parasitologyfacpubs/465

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Parasitology, Harold W. Manter Laboratory of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications from the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. GulfResearch Reports, V ol. I,No. 2,1 37-149,1 982

FOOD CONTENTS OF SIX COMMERCIAL FISHES FROM MISSISSIPPI SOUND’

ROBIN M. OVERSTREET AND RICHARD W. HEARD Parasitology Section, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Springs, Mississippi 395 64

A BSTRA C T Specific dietary contents from six fishes collected in M iss iss ippi Sound are recorded. In of their impor- tance, primary components grouped in major taxonomic categories w ere fishes , penaeid s hrimps , and other crus taceans for Cynoscion nebulosus; C rus taceans and fishes for C. arenarius; fishes and crus taceans for C. nothus; crus taceans ?pelecypods , and polychaetes for Pogonias cromis; crus taceans , mollus cs , polychaetes , and fishes for Archosargus probatocephalus; and fishes and penaeid s hrimps for Paralichthys lethostigma. Principal items in the diets of most of the fishes included Anchw mitchilli, Penaeus aztecus, P. setiferus, and Callinectes sapidus. T hose crus taceans s how that competition exists for com- mercial s hellfishes in M iss iss ippi Sound. Ratios among the different dietary items vary, according at leas t to s pecies of , length of fish, s eas on, s pecific location, and abundance of available prey. Some of thes e variations are documented and are additionally related to s elected findings by other authors s ampling different localities . We s uggest that examination of food items in Archosargus probatocephalus can s erve as a practical means to s ample and ass ess s eas onal prevalence and abun- dance of a w ide range of invertebrates throughout different habitats in M iss iss ippi Sound and els ew here.

INTRODUC TION ard lengths (SL) w ere measured and their food contents M iss iss ippi Sound offers a variety of habitats in w hich either identified w hen removed or placed in 1 0 % formalin commercial fd es can feed. E xamination of food contents for future identification. Rather than being restricted s olely of the red drum and A tlantic croaker (O verstreet and Heard to environmentally derived, microbially degraded, organic 1 978a, 1 978b) has already indicated that those tw o fishes matter, the term Òdetritus Ó in this paper may include also feed on organisms from a number of different habitats in partially diges ted or plants. and adjacent to the Sound. T his paper lists s pecific food contents of the s potted s eatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus; RE SU LTS s and s eatrout, C. arenarius; s ilver s eatrout, C. nothus; black T he number of each fish s pecies examined and the num- drum, Pogonias cromis; s heeps head, Archosargus probQto- ber containing food are listed in T able 1 along w ith the cephalus; and s outhern flounder, Paralichthys lethostigmu, frequency of occurrence of s pecific dietary items for each for the first time from M iss iss ippi Sound. K nowledge con- fish. T he s heeps head, w hich fed on a minimum of 1 1 3 iden- cerning the food of thes e fishes, based on ontogenetic, tifiable items, had the most diverse diet. Specific data com- temporal, and s patial relations hips , allows a better per- bined into general taxonomic groups , w hen s ample s ize of ception of predator biology and, cons equently, provides a the six predators w as s ufficient, reveal differences in food better means to manage the respective . O ur infor- contents according to length of fish and s eason (T ables 2-6). mation demons trates that commercial finfishes competed Fishes and crus taceans occurred frequently in the diets for prey. Prey often cons tituted one of s everal commer- of all three s eatrouts, w ith about tw ice as many fish as cially important fin- or s hellfishes. We also pres ent pertinent crus taceans in both C. nebulosus and C. nothus (T able 2). references that deal w ith food and feeding habits of the six A greater percentage of C . arenarius had crus taceans pres ent fishes. w hen compared w ith percentages for the other tw o s ea- trouts, and the percentage increased w ith fsh-length. M A T E RIA LS A ND M E T HODS Seas onality influenced the diet of C. nebulosus as ex- M ost of the fish w ere collected by trammel nets and ex- emplified by the presence of the often abundant bay amined s pecifically for food contents. O thers w ere caught anchovy, Anchoa mitchilli. T he bay anchovy occurred in- by traw l or by hook and line, and the contents w ere removed frequently in the s eatroutÕs food contents during s pring from s ome w hile examining those fish for other purposes . w hen other fishes w ere common prey (T able 3). T he s pot- A ll fish w ere maintained on ice until examined. T heir s tand- ted s eatrout, especially large individuals , contained more polychaetes during w inter than during other s easons ; ÔThe s tudy w as conducted in cooperation w ith the U.S. Depart- Òdetritus Ó also occurred commonly in the s eatroutÕs s tom- ment of C ommerce, NO A A , National M arine Fisheries Service under ach and intestine during that period. PL 88,30 9, Project No. 2-325-R and O ffice of Sea G rant, M iss is- Both Pogonias cromis and Archosargus probatocephalus s ippi-A labama Sea G rant Program, grant no. NA 81A A -D-00 50 , fed on a great variety of dietary items, especially benthic M A SG P-81-023. ones. T he diet of A. probatocephalus w as influenced by M anus cript received December 8,1 981 ; accepted January 1 9,1 982. w hether the s heeps head w as feeding near barrier islands 137 138 OVERSTREET A ND HE A R D

TABLE 1. Percentage of occurrence of different food items in the digestive tracts of s elected fishes from M iss iss ippi Sound.

Species of fish

Archosaqus Archosargus Cvnoscion anoscion Cjmscion Pogonhs probatocephalus probatocephalus Paralichthys nebulosus "ius nothus "is Inshore Nearislands kthmtigma

Number fii examined 373 108 25 15 77 65 212

Number fiiw ith food 340 ' 6 74 12 15 63 62 97

Food item Percentage of occurrence in fish with food item

Foraminiferan (unidentified) 0.3 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 .o cnidarians Calliactis tricolor 0.0 0 .o 0.0 0 .o 0.0 3.2 0.0 Clione sp. 0.0 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Hydroid remains 0.3 0 .o 0.0 0.0 15.9 6.5 0.0 U nidentifiable coelenterate 0 .0 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Sipunculoidean 0 .o 1.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Polychaetes Chaetopterus variopedatus 0 .0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.5 0.0 Chaetoptems tube remains 0.0 0.0 0 .0 0.0 0.0 3.2 0.0 Diopatra cuprea 0.6 0.0 0.0 0 .o 1.6 11.3 0.0 Glycera amekana 0 -9 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Nereis (Neanthes) succinea 5.6 0.0 0.0 6.7 15.9 0.0 0.0 Nereis sp. (unidentifiable) 1.5 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.2 0.0 Pectinaria goukiii 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0.0 1.6 3.2 0.0 Polyodontes lupina 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Spwchaetopterus oculatus 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.2 0.0 Sthenelais boa 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0 .o 0.0 3.2 0.0 U nidentifiible maldanid 0 .0 0 .0 0.0 0.0 1.6 9.7 0.0 U nidentifiable polychaete 0.6 0 -0 0.0 13.3 3.2 6.5 2.1 Gastropods Anachis cf. obessa 0.0 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Anachis sp. 0.0 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.2 0.0 Canthams cancellarius 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.2 0.0 Crepidula plana 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0.0 3.2 1.6 0.0 Crepidula sp. 0 .o 0.o 0.0 0.0 3.2 0.0 0.0 Nassarius acutus 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0.0 7.9 21.0 0.0 Neritina usnea 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Olivelln mutica . 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Oliva sayana 0 .o 0 .o 0.o 0.0 0 .o 3.2 0.0 Polinices duplicata egg case 0.0 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 4.8 0.0 Seila cf. adamsi 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Turbonilla s p. 0.0 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Tectonatica pusilla 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.2 0.0 U nidentifiable nudibranch 0 .0 0.0 0 .0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 U nidentifiable gas tropod 0,3 0 .0 0 .0 0.0 0 .0 0 .0 0 .0 G as tropod 0 .0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 0.0 Pelecypods Abra aequalis 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 8.1 0.0 Amygdalum papyria 0.0 0.0 0 -0 6.7 4.8 0.0 0.0

Anadara transversa 0 .o 0.0 0.0 6.7 8 0.0 ~ 1.6 0.0 Anadamsp. 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.2 4.9 0.0 Astarte nana 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Atrina sp. 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Brachidontes exustus 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 0.0 Dinocardium robustum 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.5 0.0 Diplothyra smithii 0 .o 0.0 1 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 0.0 Dosinia discus 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.2 0.0 Ensis minor 0.0 0.0 0.0 13.3 1.6 1.6 0.0 FOO D C O NT E NT S O F FISHE S 139

T A BLE 1 - C ontinued Percentage of occurrence of different food items in the digestive tracts of s elected fishes from M iss iss ippi Sound.

Species of fish

Archom Archoscvgus Qnoscion Qnoscion Qnoscion Pogonias probmoeephalus probatocephdus Pamlichthys nebulosus "ius nothus "is Inshore Near islands lethostigma

Number fish examined 373 108 25 15 77 65 212 Numb- fish w ith food 340 74 12 15 63 62 97

Food item Percentage of occurrence in fish w ith food item

Gemma gemma 0.0 0-0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Geukensia demissa 0.0 0 .o 0.0 0.0 1.6 0 .o 0.0 Ischadium recurvum 0.3 0 .o 0.0 33.3 30.2 0.0 0 .o Lyonsia hyalina 0 .o 0.o 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.2 0.0 Martesia cuneiformis 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 0.0 Mercenaria s p. 0.0 0 .o 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 0.0 Mulmia lateralis 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 6.7 6.4 21.0 1 .o Noetia ponderosa 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Nucuhna concentrica 0.0 1.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.7 0.0 Pandom trilineata 0 .o 0.0 0.0 6.7 0.0 9.7 0.0 Semele proficua 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Tagelusplebeius 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 6.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 Tellina s p. 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.7 0.0 11.3 0.0 U nidentifiable bivalve parts 0.3 0 .o 0 .o 6.7 6.4 6.5 0.0 Squid Lolliguncuh brevis 0.3 1.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 1.o Barnacles Balanus ebumeus 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.5 0.0 0.0 Bahnus s p. (unidentifiable) 0.0 0.0 0.0 20.0 17.5 0.0 0.0 U nidentifiable barnacle 0 .o 0 .o 0 .o 6.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 Stomatopod Squilia empusa 0.6 2.7 0.0 6.7 3.2 8.1 2.1 M ys idaceans Bowmaniella cf. floridana 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Mysidopsis almyra 1.2 1A 0 .o 0.0 3.2 0.0 6.2 Mysidopsis bahia 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 0.0 C umacean Oxyurostylis cf. smithi 0 -0 0.o 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Amphipods Ampelisca cf. abdita 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Ampelisca s p. 0.9 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0 .o 3.2 2.1 Ampithoe s p. 0.6 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0 .o Cerapus benthophilus w ith tubes 0 .o 0 .o 0 .o 6.7 1.6 0.0 0.0 Cerapus s p. (unidenw mble) 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.2 0.0 1.o Corophium locustre 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 14.3 0.0 0.0 Corophium louisiananum 0.0 0.0 0.0 13.3 1.6 0.0 0.0 Ericthonius brasiliensis 0 .o 0.o 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Lepidactylus s p. 0 .o 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Melita s pp. 0.3 0 .o 0.0 6.7 1.6 1.6 2.1 Microprotopus cf. raneyi 0.0 0.0 0 .o 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Monoculodes s p. 0.0 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Pamcaprelh tenuis 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0 .o 0.0 1.6 0.0 U nidentifiable amphipod remains 0.6 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 unidentifiable haus torid 0.3 0 .o 0.0 6.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 T anaidaceam Apseudes sp. 0.6 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 140 OVERSTREET A ND HE A R D

TABLE 1 - C ontinued Percentage of occurrence of different food items in the digestive tracts of s elected fides from M ississippi Sound.

species of fi

Archosmgus Archosorgus @noscion @noscion onoscion Pogoniar pmbatocephaius pr0batocephaIu.s Paralichthys nebulosus amnark nothus cromk Inshore Nearislpnds lethostigma

Number fish examined 373 108 25 15 77 65 212 Number fish w ith food 340 74 12 15 63 62 97

Food item Percentage of occurrence in fish w ith food item

Hargeria rapax 0 .6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Aegathoa sp. 0 .3 010 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0 .0 0.0 Erichsonella attenuata 0 .0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1 .6 0.0 Lironeca ovalis 0 .9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 .0 0.0 Mothocya nana 0 .9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 .0 0.0 Nerocila acuminata 0 .3 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 .0 0.0 Olencira praegustator 0 .6 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Penaeids Penaeus aztecus 7.4 1 0 .8 0.0 1 3.3 1 .6 1 .6 6.2 Penaeus duorarum 0 .9 0 .o 0.0 0 .0 0 .0 4.8 0 .0 Penaeus setiferus 3.8 8.1 0 .o 6.7 3.2 0.0 1 1 .3 Penaeus (unidentifkble remains ) 7.1 32.4 25.0 1 3.3 1 2.7 8.1 5.2 Sicyonia dorsalis 0 .0 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 1.6 3.2 1.o Trachypenaeus constrictus 0 .o 0.0 8.3 0 .0 0 .0 3.2 0 .0 Trachypenaeus similis 0 .6 1.4 8.3 0 .0 0 .0 17.7 7.2 Trachypenaeus (unidentifiable remains ) 0.9 0.0 0 .0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.o Serges tid Acetes americanus 0 .o 1A 8.3 0.0 0.0 1 .6 0.0 CarideanS Alpheus floridanus 0.0 1 .4 0 .0 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0 .0 Alpheus heterochaelis 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.5 1 .0 Alpheus normanni 1 .2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 .0 0 .0 Alpheus (unidentifiable remains ) 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.2 0.0 Latreutes parvulus 0 .o 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Ogyrides alphaerostris sensu Williams, 1981 0 -0 1.4 0 .o 0 .0 0.0 4.8 0.0 Palaemonetes pugio 3.5 4.1 0.0 6.7 1.6 1 .6 1.o Palaemonetes vulgaris 0.6 0.0 0.0 6.7 1 .6 0.0 1.o Pahemonetes (unidentifiible remains ) 0 .o 0.0 0 -0 0.0 3.2 0.0 0.0 Processa cf. hemphilli 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 .0 4.8 0.0 Tozeuma carolinensis 0 .3 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 U nidentifiable caridean 0 .6 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 AnOmurpnS Callianassa jamaicense 1 .5 0.0 0.0 0 .0 0.0 0 .0 0.0 Euceramus praelongus 0 .o 0 .o 0 .o 1 3.3 0.0 4.8 0.0 Pagurus longicarpus 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0 .0 0 .o 1.6 0.0 Pagurus pollicaris 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0 .o 1 .6 3.2 0.0 Polyonyx gibbesi 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0 .0 3.2 0.0 Upogebia affinis 2.3 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0 .0 0.0 0.0 Brachyurans Callinectesremains 0 .9 0 .o 0 .o 6.7 0.0 1 1 .3 0 .0 Gallinectes sapidus 8.8 5.4 0.0 1 3.3 9.5 1 .6 2.1 Callinectes similis 0 .9 0 .o 0 -0 0.0 1.6 3.2 0 .0 Eurypanopeus depressus 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0.0 6.4 0.0 0.0 FOO DC O NT E NT S O F FISHE S 141

TABLE 1 - C ontinued Percentage of occurrence of different food items in the digestive tracts of s elected fishes from M iss kippi Sound.

Species of fish

Archosargus Archomgus Cjvtoscion CynoscsOn Cynosdion Pogonkzs pmhtmephdua probrrtocphalus p*vurlichthys nebulosus "ius nothus "is Ins hore Near islands rethostigma

Number fiiexamined 373 108 25 1 5 77 65 21 2 Number fish w ith food 340 74 1 2 15 63 62 97 Food item Percentage of occunrence in fish w ith food item

Hepatus epheliticus 0.0 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 Heterocrypta granuhta 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.o 0.0 1 .6 0.0 Hexapanopeus angustifions 0.0 0 .o 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 1 1 .3 0.0 Libinia dubia 0 .o 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0.0 3.2 0.0 Libinh (unidentifiable juvenile) 0 .0 0.0 0 .o 0 .0 0.0 1 .6 0.0 Neopanope texana 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0 .0 0 .0 3.2 0.0 Ovalipes floridanus 0 .3 0.0 0.0 0 .0 0 .0 0.0 0.0 Panopeus herbstii 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.7 1 .6 0.0 0.0 Persephona aquilonaris 0 .o 0.0 0 .o 0 .0 0 .0 1 .6 0.0 Persephona punctata 0 .o 0 .o 0 .o 0 .0 0.0 1 .6 0 .o Pinnixa cf. chaetoptemna 0 .o 0 .0 0.0 0 .0 0.0 4.8 0.0 Pinnixa s p. 0 .o 1A 0.0 0 .o 0 .0 0.0 0.0 Portunus gibbesii 0 .3 0 .0 0 .o 0.0 0 .0 1 .6 0.0 Portunus cf. spinimanus 0 .6 0 -0 0.0 0 -0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Rhithropanopeus hawisii 0 .o 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 3.2 0.0 0.0 M egalops (unidentified) 0 .0 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 3.2 0.0 0.0 U nidentifiable brachyuran larva 0 .3 0.0 0 .o 0 .o 0 .0 0 .0 0.0 U nidentifiable goneplacid 0 .3 0 .o 0 .o 0 .0 0.0 1 .6 0.0 U nidentifiible xanthid 0 .0 0.0 0 .o 20 .0 3.2 3.2 0.0 E ctoprocts Alcyonidium s p. 0.0 0.0 0 .o 0.0 3.2 0 .0 0.0 Buguh neritina 0 .o 0 -0 0 .o 0.0 0 .o 4.8 0.0 Membranipora arborescens' 0 .o 0.0 0 .o 0 .o 1.6 4.8 0.0 Membranipora sp. (unidentifiable remains ) 0 .o 0.0 0 .o 0 .o 25.4 0.0 0.0 ZoDbotJyon verticillatim 0.0 0.0 0 .o 0.0 1 .6 0.0 0.0 U nidentifiable entoproct colonies 0.0 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 12.7 0.0 0.0 EChinOdeanS E chinoid (unidentifible remains ) 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 A .6 0.0 Holothuroidea (unidentifiable) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 .0 0.0 3.2 0.0 Hemipholis elongata 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 24.2 0.0 Luidia chthmta 0 .o 0 .o 0 .o 0 .0 0.0 8.1 0.0 Mellita quinquiesperforata 0 .o 0 .o 0 .o 6.7 0.0 3.2 0.0 O phiuroid (unidentifiuble remains ) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 .0 3.2 4.8 0.0 T unicate Molgula manhattensis 0 .o 0 .o 0 .o 6.7 4.8 12.9 0.0 Hemichordate Branchwstoma cf. caribaeum 0.6 0.0 0.0 6.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 Fishes Anchoa hepsetus 0 .3 0 -0 0.0 0 .0 0.0 0 .0 0.0 Anchw mitchilli 1 4.4 1 35 0 .o 0.0 1 .6 21 .0 1 7.5 Anchoa s p. 0 .o 0 .0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.2 3.1 Anus felis 0 -0 0 .o 0.0 0 .o 0 .0 0.0 2.1 142 OVERSTREET AND HEARD

TABLE 1 - Continued Percentage of occurrence of different food items in the digestive tracts of selected Tiesfrom Mississippi Sound.

Species of fii

Archosmgus hhosmgus Onareion Onoscion anoxion Pogonias prolsatocephab probatocephalus Piuulichthys nebulosus orenam‘8 nothus Cromis Inshore Nearislands hthortignrP

Number fiiexamined 373 108 25 15 77 65 212 Number fiiwith food 340 74 12 15 63 62 97

Food item Percentage of occurrence in fiiwith food item

Brevoortia patronus 11.8 2.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Chloroscombruschrysurus 0.9 0 .o 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 1.6 0.0 Qnoscwn arenarius 1.5 0.0 0 .o 0.0 0 .o 0.0 0.0 Qnoscwn sp. 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0 .o 2.1 Qprinodon variegatus 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Dorosoma petenense 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Etropus crossotus 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Fundulus similis 0.9 0.0 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Gobionellus hastata 0 .o 1-4 0.0 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 Gobwsoma bosci 1.2 0.0 0.0 13.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 Harengula jaguana 0.3 0 .o 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 Lagodon rhomboides 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Lewstomus xanthurus 0.3 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Membras martinica 3.8 0.0 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Menkiia beryllina 0.6 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.o Micropogonias undulatus 2.9 0.0 8.3 0.0 1.6 0.0 2.1 Mugil cephalus 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Myrophis punctatus 0.3 0 .o 0.0 6.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 Sphoeroides sp. 0.0 1.4 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Symphurus pIclgiusa 0.6 0 .o 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0.0 1.0 Assumed bait 0.3 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Unidentifiible fish parts 38.8 37.8 66.7 0.0 6.4 3.2 53.6 Unidentifiible goby 0.0 1.4 8.3 6.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 Plants Detritus (may include some matter) 7.4 2.7 0 .o 13.3 15.9 4.8 5.2 Filamentous algae 0 .o 0 .o 0.0 0.0 1.6 1.6 0.0 Unidentifiible plant matter 2.1 0 .o 0.0 6.7 9.5 6.5 0.0 Unidentifiible animal remains 0.0 2.7 16.7 0 .o 0.0 1.6 0.0 Manmade products 0.3 0.0 0.0 0 .o 0.0 0.0 0.0

including pass es to the G ulf of M exico (T able l), by length DISCUSSION of fish s ampled (T able 4), and by s eason in w hich fish w ere Cynoscion spp. collected (T able 5). Feeding heavily on a variety of food items, the s heeps head most often contained crus taceans and Cynoscion nebulosus contained a greater variety of food items (at least 60) than did arenmks (about 20 , T able 1). mollus cs . Polychaetes als o occurred abundantly in the C. We, however, examined 4.6 times as many fed individuals s heeps headÕs diet except during s ummer. of the former. T he s lightly higher prevalence of fish and Stomachs of Paralichthys lethostigma most frequently lower prevalence of crus taceans in the digestive tract of contained inges ted fishes (T able 6). A bout one third of the the s potted s eatrout compared to those for the s and s ea- examined s outhern flounder had penaeid s hrimps in their trout (T able 3) may have resulted from greater access i- s tomachs from s pring through autumn, and in w inter, w hen bility to menhaden and s pecific other fishes by the former the frequency of penaeids w as relatively low, the percent- s hortly before being s ampled. Cynoscion nothus rarely age w ith mys idaceans in their diet w as hlgh. occurred in M iss iss ippi Sound, but w hen it w as collected, FOO D C O NT E NT S O F FISHE S 143

TABLE 2. Percentage of OccuILence of general die* groups in fed seatrouts of different lengths in Mississippi Sound.

Cynmcion nebulosus ~nmcionmnarius Cynosch nothus Length of fish in mm SL Length of fish in mm SL Length of fish in mm SL 73-249 250-399 400-532 Total 59-249 250-320 Total 197-249 250-324 Total

Number of fish without food 11 19 3 33 26 8 34 3 10 13 Number of fish with food 100 224 16 340 60 14 74 5 7 12

Food items Percentage of Occmnce

Polychaetes 2.0 9.8 6.3 7.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Molluscs 2.0 1.3 0 .o 1.5 0.0 7.1 1.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 Crustaceans 47.0 34.4 31.3 37.9 55.0 11.4 58.1 0.0 71.4 41.7 Fishes 65.0 76.3 15.0 12.9 55.0 57.1 55.4 80.0 71.4 75.0 Other animals 1.o 0.9 6.3 1.2 1.7 7.1 2.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 Detritus 3 .O 6.7 18.8 6.2 6.7 ’ 7.1 6.8 20.0 14.3 16.7 its s tomach content of fishes and crus taceans w as s imilar to Simmons (1957) found that of 200 fish longer than 500 mm that for C. nebulosus. C rus taceans in the diet of all three T L in the upper Laguna M adre, T exas , 182 cons umed s eatrouts cons isted primarily of penaeid s hrimps . O f those mullet, 12 ate ladyfish, and 6 ate small trout. He noted ingested f& that could be identified, Anchoa mitchilli and that Òon s everal occasions mullet 14 inches long w ere found Brevoortia patronus w ere most prevalent. M ost fishes had partially ingested by trout only 21 inches long.Ó He als o been digested beyond recognition. noted that in a Òlandcut,Ó trout preferred Cyprinodon As s pecimens of Cynoscwn nebulosus from M iss iss ippi vuriegutus. O n the other hand, s hrimps (us ually penaeids ) Sound grew longer than 25 cm, the percentage of individuals w ere more frequent than fishes in other collections (Pearson that recently fed on fish increased s lightly, concurrent w ith 1929, Baughman 1949, K napp 1950, K emp 1949, M iles a s light decrease in frequency of crus taceans eaten (T able 2). 1950, Springer and Woodburn 1960, Stew art 1961, Diener T he amount of Òdetritus ÕÕ increased w ith length of fish. et al. 1974). T he frequency depended on the s eason (e.g., T he food contents of C. nebulosus obtained s easonally G unter [1945] and Lori0 and Schaefer [1966] noted a included a slightly greater percentage of fs h during s pring preference for s hrimp in s ummer, and M oody [1950] noted and s ummer than during autumn and w inter, s easons w hen a maximum of fish in autumn and w inter and a maximum A. mitchilli w as more common both in s eatrout s tomachs of crus taceans in s pring and s ummer even though ingested (T able 3) and in M iss iss ippi Sound (Perry and Boyes 1978). fish w ere jus t as prevalent during s pring and s ummer) as Penaeids w ere less prevalent during autumn and w inter w ell as the locality and s ize of s eatrout (e.g., M oody [ 19501 w hen they w ere also less available in M iss iss ippi Sound. hoted penaeids predominating in 150- to 275-mmSLs peci- During w inter, however, the relative frequency of ingested mens , and fish, especially Lagodon rhomboides, predomi- polychaetes and crus taceans other than penaeids w as notably nating in larger fish). In any event, a notable relations hip high. T he us e of polychaetes as food during this period w as exists among commercial s hrimps , commercial fishes, and especially notable in large C. nebulosus. U nlike s eatrouts s eatrouts. from s ome other regions and s ome other fishes in M iss iss ippi Food for s eatrout less than 50 mm long also varies. Sound, s eatrouts in M iss iss ippi Sound fed throughout the C opepods make up most of the diet in s ome localities year, albeit pmbably less so w hen s paw ning. (M oody 1950, Darnell 1958). M ys idaceans , amphipods , Similar to our fmdings , those of s ome other authors als o chironomid larvae, carideans , and fishes, however, compose s howed that C . nebulosus from a variety of localities con- equally or more important prey items in other localities tained more fish than s hrimp, but the percentages of those (Reid 1954, T abb 1961, O dum and Heald 1972, C arr and tw o prey-groups differed w idely (e.g., E igenmann 1901, A dams 1973). In s altw ater ponds in T exas, individuals less Hildebrand and Schroeder 1928, G unter 1945, Reid 1954, than 25 mm T L fed primarily on copepods , w hereas fmger- Breuer 1957, Damell 1958, M iles 1949, K lima and T abb lings fed primarily on polychaetes , but also abundantly on 1959, Inglis 1959, T abb 1961 and 1966, Lori0 and Schafer palaemonid s hrimp, amphipods , aquatic ins ects, and fish 1966, Fontenot and Rogillio 1970, C arr and A dams 1973, (C olura et al. 1976). Q uality of diet influences growth in Day et al. 1973, M ahood 1975, Burgess 1976). In fact, those fish. T aniguchi (1978) documented better growth of I44 OVERSTREET AND HEARD

TABLE 3. Livings ton (1 979) found that fish w ere cons umed heavily near pass es of the es tuary, w hereas mys idaceans w ere eaten Prevalence onoscion nebulow from Mississippi Sound of primarily in the low-salinity E ast Bay. Sheridan (1 978) and fed on various d~tarygroups relative to season Sheridan and Livings ton (1 979) cons idered A . mitchilli the only planktivor of cons equence in the A palachicola es tuary Season during s ummer and autumn. T hey s uggested that C . arenarius effectively kept the anchovy from utilizing the Winter Spring Summer Autumn Total s ummer peak by feeding heavily on that fish Number of during that s eason. In M iss iss ippi Sound, numerous fishes fiih examined 53 129 104 87 373 other than those discus s ed in our report feed heavily on A . Number of mitchilli. T o mention a few , they include Trichurus leptums, fishwith food 47 118 90 85 340 Strongylura marina, Bairdiella chtysura, and probably Food items Percentage of occupence Sciaenops ocellata (s ee O verstreet and Heard 1 978a) and Micropogonias undulatus (s ee O verstreet and Heard 1 978b). Polychaetes 17.0 8.5 2.2 5.9 7.4 T he s quid Lolliguncula brevis also s erves in that s ame capac- Molluscs 0.0 1.7 0.0 3.5 1.5 ity (O verstreet and Hochberg 1 975:898). Near the barrier Penaeids 14.9 17.8 30.0 15.3 20.0 Palaemonids 4.3 1.7 7.8 4.7 4.4 islands , Scomberomoms maculatus, Synodus foetens, E lops Callinectes spp. 6.4 7.6 14.4 11.8 10.3 saurus, and other fishes feed heavily on anchovies. Other crustaceans 27.7 9.3 12.2 17.6 14.7 Anchoa mitchilli 19.1 2.5 13.3 30.6 14.7 Pogonh cromis Other fihes 44.7 19.7 64.4 42.4 61.5 O nly 1 5 s pecimens of the black drum w ere examined. Other animals 0 .o 0.0 0.0 4.7 1.2 Detritus 12.8 5.9 4.4 4.7 6.2 Data in T able 1 for those few fish reveal that at least 30 items w ere cons umed w ith no s ingle item predominating. O f those items, however, 1 4 w ere crus taceans and 8 w ere larval s eatrout w hen fed on w ild copepods as compared to bivalves. being fed on the laboratory-reared rotifer Brachionus Becaus e of the drumÕs ability to crus h oys ters and other plicatilis. A rnold et al. (1 976) had us ed that rotifer followed heavily s helled organisms w ith its pharyngeal teeth, it has by a diet of algal-fed artemia to obtain 30% s urvival at 30 been s us pected and s ometimes identified as destructive to days . oys ter reefs. M ost s us ceptible are s ingle planted oys ters, Literature reporting the food of C nothus is lacking, and especially those w eakened by burrowing pests. A ccounts or that for C. arenarius is more s carce than that for C . nebu- comments on the drumÕs destructiveness have been cited by losus. Nevertheless , Reid (1 954, 1 955), Reid et al. (1 956), M oore (1 899), G oode (1 90 3), Smith (1 90 7), Welsh and Darnell (1 958), Springer and Woodbum (1 960 ), Sheridan Breder (1 924), Schless elman (1 955), Hofstetter (1 965, and Livings ton (1 979), and Sheridan (1 979) all found that 1 977), Fontenot and Rogillio (1 970 ), and others. C ave fish w as the most abundant item in the diet of C. arenarius. (1 978) obs erved a captive 87-cm-long drum w hich ate 22 Reid et al. (1 956) s tated that 8 of 1 5 s eatrout longer than oys ters (4 to 6 cm long) per day for a w eek and a 93cm 1 0 0 mm from E ast Bay, T exas, had jus t fed on the G ulf s pecimen w hich cons umed 42 oys ters (5 to 8 cm long) per menhaden. Hildebrand (1 954) noted both fish and s hrimp day for the s ame period. Based on few s pecimens , he found in the noneverted trout s tomach in T exas , and Day et ai. that captive black drum collected from oys ter reefs preferred (1 973) and Diener et al. (1 974) found crus taceans , but not oys ters t6 other items, w hereas drum collected from other necess arily penaeids , important in this s pecies of s eatrout habitats preferred Ensis minor. from Louisiana and T exas. Damell^(1 958)and lnglis (1 959) Several other investigators have examined food con- obs erved mysidaceans and other decapods commonly in tents and found mollus cs and crus taceans as major fish s horter than 1 0 cm in other areas of Louisiana and food items w ith polychaetes, fishes, and other items occa- T exas. T he most comprehens ive feeding s tudy on C . s ionally also listed. T hese w orkers include Pearson (1 929), arenarius dealt w ith 79% of 1 ,545 individuals from G unter (1 945), K emp (1 949), K napp (1 950 ), M iles (1 950 ), A palachicola Bay, Florida (Sheridan and Livings ton 1 979, Reid (1 955), Breuer (1 957), Simmons (1 957), Damell Sheridan 1 979). O f those, 62% fed on fishes, primarily (1 958), Simmons and Breuer (1 962), and V an E ngel and A . mitchilli, and 26% on mysidaceans , primarily M ys idops is Joseph (1 968). T homas (1 971) found the young black bahh. T hat mys id plus calanoid copepods cons tituted the drum from tidal creeks of the lower Delaw are River in June principal diet of individuals s maller than 40 mm long, but ate mostly copepods (71% ) and chironomids (38%), and in the amount gradually tapered off as the s eatrout grew and July it ate primarily amphipods (Corophium s pp., 57% ) and as fish in the diet increased in importance. Diets differed chironomids (44%). From A ugus t through O ctober s ome according to location and s eason. A lso, Sheridan and Corophium s pp. made Ôup more than 85% of the diet. In FOOD C O NT E NT S OF FISHES 145

TABLE 4. TABLE 5. Prevalence of Archmtgus probatocephafus from Mississippi Prevalence of ArchosQrgus probatocephalus from Mississippi Sound fed on various dietary groups relative to fish4ength Sound fed on various dietary groups relative to season

Length of fii in mm SL Season

145-350 353-449 Total Winter Spring Summer Autumn Total

Number of fish Number of examined 99 43 142 fishexamined 29 48 37 28 142 Number of fish Number of with food 86 39 125 fishwithfood 22 41 34 28 125

~~~~~~ ~ Food items Percentage of occurrence Food items Percentage of occurrence

Polychaetes 20.9 51.3 30.4 Polychaetes 50.0 36.6 8.8 32.1 30.4 Molluscs 64.0 48.7 59.2 Molluscs 59.1 53.7 58.8 67.9 59.2 Crustaceans 55.8 71.8 60.8 Crustaceans 59.1 75.6 47.1 57.1 60.8 Fishes 7.0 38.5 16.8 Fishes 9.1 31.7 2.9 17.9 16.8 Other animals 51.2 59.0 5 3.6 Other animals 54.6 41.5 61.8 60.7 53.6 Plant 12.8 2.6 9.6 Plants 0.0 4.9 20.6 10.7 9.6 Detritus 10.5 15.4 12.0 Detritus 9.1 4.9 20.6' 14.3 12.0 other regions , polychaetes or other organisms predominated w hich colonizes pilings , occurred in the diet of fish from (e.g., Pearson 1 929). ins hore, lower-salinity areas in addition to island locations . Heavy infes tations of parasites that had been present Archomprobntocephahs long enough to mature in their hosts, and w hich had appar- T able 1 s hows that the s heeps head has a diverse diet in- ently been acquired by the s heeps head from near the islands , cluding over 1 1 3 s pecies. I t apparently even feeds on dead indicate that s ome individual fish collected near the islands s hells to obtain hydroids and other attached fouling organ- had either returned to or never left that general area. E xam- isms. T able 4 s hows that a greater percentage of fish from ples include the ascaridoid nematode Hysterothylacium 1 45 to 350 mm in length fed on mollus cs and plants than reliquens and the aspidogastrid trematode Cotylogaster did larger fish. M ore than 38% of the large fish contained basm (s ee Deardorff and O verstreet 1 981 , Hendrix and crus taceans , polychaetes , mollus cs , and fishes, w hereas only O verstreet 1 977). mollus cs and crus taceans occurred in that high a percentage T he general feeding behavior of the s heeps head is fairly of s mall individuals . Fishes w ere common only in large w ell understood though only a few s tudies based on few s heeps head, and those mostly in s pring (T able 5). E ven fish have been conducted; those s tudies treated a variety of though common in the diet throughout the year, poly- regions . Fish from different regions do feed on different chaetes occurred most frequently in s ummer and crus taceans items. E ven though not necess arily representative of the most frequently in s pring. particular habits in M iss iss ippi, the behavior documented by Species of animals in the diet reflected the habitat occu- O dum and Heald (1 972) is w orth mentioning. In the E ver- pied by the s heeps head. T hose fish near the islands contained glades, very s mall s heeps head lived in grass beds of Florida at least 87 animals compared to 48 from about the s ame and Whitew ater bays w here they fed first on copepods and number of examined fish from es tuarine habitats. Few prey then on amphipods , chironomids , mysidaceans , and s ome s pecies occurred in the s tomachs of many individuals. algae. By the time those fish reached 35 mm, they moved Species occurring in more than three fish and indicating a to regions w ith a harder s ubs tratum w here they fed on s mall near-island, higher-salinity habitat include Chaetodipterus mollus cs and acquired a diversified diet cons isting mostly variopedatus, Dinocardium robustum, Nuculana concen- of encrus ting forms. In the dry s eason (January-M ay) trica, Pandora trilineata, llachypenaeus similis, Hexapa- w hen the w ater w as especially s alty, the fish (48 to 267 mm nopeus angustifrons, and Lucidia clathmta. In contras t, long) fed heavily on the mus s el Brachidontes exustus and Nereis succinea, Ischadium recurvum, Balanus ebumeus, on hydroids . In the w et s eason w hen the w ater w as fres her, Corophium hcustre, and Eurypanopeus depressens w ere re- the diet cons isted primarily of the mus s el Gngeria Zeuco- s tricted to ins hore collections . Some invertebrates s uch as phaeta and the crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii. Nassarius acunts and Mulinia latemlis, w hich inhabit s andy- T he s heeps head typically feeds on the bottom, but occa- mud areas off Deer Is land, and Molgula manhattensis, s ionally us es its s harp incisor teeth to graze off encrus ted 146 OVERSTREET AND HEARD

TABLE 6. Linton (1 9 0 9 , Smith (190 7), Hildebrand and Schroeder Prevalence of PnmZichthys Zethostigmu from Mississippi Sound (1 928), M iles (1 950 ), V iosca (1 954), Reid et al. (1 956), fed on various dietary groups relative to season Springer and Woodburn (1 960 ), and M ook (1 977) provided s ome data on food contents. Springer and Woodburn (1 960 ) looked at fish less than 50 mm long in T ampa Bay, Florida, Season and found them to feed on amphipods , copepods , and poly- Winter Spring Summer Autumn Total chaetes rather than on mollus cs and barnacles like the larger ~ individuals , and V iosca (1 954) presented an informative Number of article for s omeone attracted to s portsfishing for the fish examined 34 72 61 45 212 Number of s heeps head. fish with food 15 40 14 28 97 Henw ood et al. (1 978) reported s pecific dietary items Mean SL (mm) of for the related Stenotomus caprinus from s everal localities fish with food 179 227 235 247 offshore from the barrier islands w here the s heeps head w as Range of collected. T hey noted that the porgy, s imilarly to the fish length 125-290 168-359 157-320 150-410 s heeps head in our s tudy, brows ed opportunistically on a Food items Percentage of occurrence diverse diet. It, however, fed on few er mollus can prey than the s heeps head; the invertebrate prey characterized the off- Polychaetes 0.0 5 .O 0 .o 0 .o 2.1 s hore s ubs tratum-types from w here the fish w ere collected. Lolliguncula brevis 0 .0 0.0 7.1 0.0 1.1 Stomatopods 6.7 2.5 0 .0 0.0 2.1 Pamlichthys lethostigma Mysids 33.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 5.2 Amphipods 13.3 0.0 14.3 0.0 4.2 T ables 1 and 6 s how that fishes, primarily Anchoa Penaeids 20.0 30.0 35.7 39.3 32.0 mitchilli at least during s pring, and penaeid s hrimps com- Palaemonids 6.7 0.0 0 .o 3.6 2.1 prised primary dietary items of Paralichthys lethostigma. O f Callinectes sapidus 0.0 2.5 0.0 3.6 2.1 the s pecific items, over 20 in number, s ome differed s eason- Other decapods 0.0 5 .O 0.0 0.0 2.1 Anchoa mitchilli 0.0 42.5 0.0 7.1 19.6 ally (T able 6), but the overall frequency of ingested fishes Other fishes 60.0 65.0 71.4 50.0 60.9 and s hrimps remained roughly the s ame throughout the Detritus 0 .0 2.5 7.1 17.9 7.3 year. M ys idaceans w ere prevalent in the diet during w inter only, the period w hen penaeids w ere relatively s carce. M ost papers discus s ing the s outhern flounderÕs diet con- items from pilings and other s tructures . U nlike the s uper- cern data on few s pecimens . T hree extens ive ones report ficially s imilar black drum w hich has large crus hing pharyn- findings involving 234, 1 71 , and 343 fish w ith food in their geal teeth, it does not feed heavily on oysters. I t feeds more s tomachs . T hose treat individuals from Pamlico Sound, on oys ter pests such as mus s els, crepidulas, barnacles, and North C arolina (Powell and Schw artz 1 979); from Barataria crabs . When s ea-grass es or algae are plentiful, the s heeps head Bay, Louisiana (Fox and White 1 969); and from A rans as w ill occasionally feed heavily on those plants. E ven though Bay, T exas (Stokes 1 977), respectively. Powell and Schw artz they are not listed in the tables, w e have commonly obs erved (1 979) found fishes (mostly anchovies and s ciaenids ) and grass balls in 20 -cm-long s heeps head in Fort Bayou of crus taceans (mostly the mysidacean Neomysis americana) O cean Springs , M iss iss ippi. V egetation w as cons idered an to comprise nearly the entire diet. Similar to that w hich w e important dietary item by Darnel1 (1 958) and Fontenot noted, fish occurred more frequently in the diet during and Rogillio (1 970) in fish from Louisiana and by G unter s pring and s ummer and more frequently in large individuals . (1 945) and Simmons (1 957) in fish from T exas. I n the s tomachs of numerous , unrecorded, s mall s pecimens T he s heeps head depends heavily on crus taceans and mol- of P. lethostigma in M iss iss ippi Sound, w e noted an abun- lus cs for food in most regions . It additionally feeds on dance of mysidaceans throughout the year. T hey cons isted other items, but M iss iss ippi Sound s eems to offer a w ider primarily of Mysidopsis almyra. Fox and White (1 969) range of items than other regions that have been s tudied. In found that fishes, especially the bay anchovy and s triped fact, w e s uggest that analys is of the s heeps headÕs diet in mullet, cons tituted the major portion of the diet. By vol- particular is a practical procedure to ass ess prevalence and ume, 94% of the food items w as fish and 6% w as crus ta- abundance of numerous s pecies of invertebrates by s eason ceans . T hose authors also noted a s easonal change in and s pecific habitat. Presumably, based on the large number s pecies-composition: the fish Dormitator mculatus w as the of different food items and the relatively few s pecimens of common food item in autumn, but w as abs ent during the the s heeps head examined, the fish feeds on nearly anything rest of the year. Rather than eating larger items as it in- it can get into its mouth. Probably, a few items are avoided creased in length, the flounder ate more individuals of the (e.g., Prezant 1 980). s ame s ize items. Stokes (1 977) did not group data s eason- I n addition to the references cited above, Brooks (1 894), ally, but flounder 1 0 to 1 50 mm T L fed primarily on FOO DC O NT E NT S O F FISHE S 147

mysidaceans and those over 1 50 mm fed on fishes(primari1y flounder to low-salinity estuarine w ater in s ummer and Anchoa s p., Mugil s p., Brevoortia s p., and Micropogonias back to high-salinity w ater in w inter, migration placed it in undulatus) and Penaeus s p. O ther w orkers found different a s alinity that maximized growth and conversion efficiency. proportions of ingested fish to crus taceans to miscellaneous Stickney and White (1 974) also found that fish 0 .1 5 g grew faster for 6 w eeks at 5 ppt, but that those 0 .50 g grew faster items, but these proportions probably reflect the availability for the s ame period at 25 ppt. When in the natural environ- of those items at the time the s pecimens w ere collected ment, the flounder and most other fishes have these factors (Hildebrand and Schroeder 1 928, G unter 1 945, K napp plus others regulating growth. Some of those factors con- 1 950 , M iles 1 950 , M cLane 1 948, K emp 1 949, Reid 1 954, fined to controlling the feeding rate-in addition to fish 1 955; Reid et al. 1 956, Darnell 1 958, Inglis 1 959, Diener s ize, prey dens ity, temperature, and s alinity-include s tom- et al. 1 974, and Burgess 1 976). ach volume, volume of previous ly cons umed food, s tate of Several factors in addition to those w e discus s above in- maturation, genetic characteristics , prey s pecies, prey s ize, fluence growth of fishes. A laboratory investigation by time of day, length of day, and moon phase. Peters and K jels on (1 975) determining feeding and growth rates of s mall individuals of P. Zethostigma exemplify this. A C KNOWLE DG M E NTS T hey found a higher growth rate at 30°C than at lower We are grateful to the following people for aiding w ith temperatures. T he conversion efficiency depended on s alin- various aspects of the s tudy: Ronnie Palmer, K ay Richards , ity concentration; as s alinity decreased, the temperature for Rosw itha lauxton, Laurie T oomey, Joan Durfee, Pamela maximal efficiency increased. T his efficiency w as greatest G rimes, Rena K rol, T om Deardorff, T om M attis, A lan w hen the flounder ate betw een 70 and 90 % of the maximal FUSCO,and Beryl Heard. T he U .S. G overnment is author- amount of food offered. T his amount, however, decreased ized to produce and distribute reprints for governmental w ith decreasing temperature. Peters and K jels on (1 975) purposes notw iths tanding any copyright notation that may s uggested that, no matter w hat s timulated migration of the appear hereon.

RE FERE NC E S C ITE D

A rnold, C .R., J.L. Lass w ell, W.H. Bailey, T.D. Williams & W.A . LSU -SG -72-04, C enter for Wetland Resources, Louisiana Fable, Jr. 1 976. M ethods and techniques for s paw ning and rearing State U niversity, Baton Rouge. 80 pp. s potted s eatrout in the laboratory. Proc. Ann. Con$ S.E. Assoc. Deardorff, T .L. & R.M . O verstreet. 1 981. Review of Hysterothy- Fish & Wikil. Agencies 30 :1 67-178. lacium and Iheringascaris (both previous ly = Thynnascaris) Baughman, J.L. 1 949. O utline of a research program on the life his- (Nematoda: A nisakidae) from the northern G ulf of M exico. tory of the trout and redfish. Tex. Game, Fish, Oyst. Comm Proc. Biol. SOC.Wash. (1 980 ) 93(4):1 0 35-10 79. Mar. Lab. Ann. Rep. 1 948-1949:274-290 . Diener, R.A ., A . Inglis & G .B. A dams. 1 974. Stomach contents of Breuer, J.P. 1 957. A n ecological s urvey of Baffm and A lazan bays , fishes from C lear Lake and tributary w aters, a T exas es tuarine T exas.Pub1 . Inst. Mar. Sci. Univ. Tex. 4:1 34-155. area.Pub1 . Ins t. Mar. Sci. Univ. Tex. 1 8:7-17. Brooks, W.K . 1 894. T he origin of the food of marine animals . Bull. E igenmann, C .H. 1 90 1 . Inves tigations into the history of the young U.S. Fish Comm. 1 3:81-92. s queteague. Bull. US.Fish Comm. 21 :45-51 . Burgess , G .H. 1 976. Food habits of eleven s pecies of fishes in a Fontenot, B.J., Jr. & H.E. Rogillio. 1 970 . A s tudy of es tuarine s port- North C arolina es tuary. ASB (Assoc. Southeast. Biol.) Bull. fishes in the Biloxi marsh complex, Louisiana. Dingell-Johns on 23(2):47. A bs tract. Project for Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries C ommiss ion, F-8 C an, W.E .S. & C .A . A dams. 1 973. Food habits of juvenile marine C ompletion Report. 1 72 pp. fishes occupying s eagrass beds in the es tuarine zone near C rys tal Fox, L.S. & C .J. White. 1 969. Feeding habits of the s outhem floun- River, Florida. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc. 1 0 2(3):51 1 -540 . der, Paralichthys lethostigma, in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. Proc. C ave, N. 1 978. Predator-prey relations hips involving the A merican La. Acad. Sci. 32:31-38. oys ter, Crassostrea virghica (G melin), and the black drum, G oode, G .B. 1 90 3. American Fishes. A Popular Treatise upon the Pogonias cromis (Linnaeus ), in M iss iss ippi Sound. M S T hesis, Game and Food Fishes of North America with Especial Reference Southeas tern Louisiana U niversity. 43 pp. to Habits and Methods of Capture. Dana E s tes , Boston. 562 pp. C olura, R.L., B.T. Hysmith & R.E . Stevens . 1 976. Fingerling pro- G unter, G . 1 945. Studies on marine fishes of T exas. Publ. Inst. Mar. duction of s triped bass (Morone saxatilis), s potted s eatrout Sci. Univ. Tex. l(1 ):l-190 . (Cynoscion nebulosus), and red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), in Hendrix, S.S. & R.M . O verstreet. 1 977. M arine as pidogas trids s altw ater ponds . Pp. 79-97 in J.W. A vault, Jr. (ed.),Proceedings (T rematoda) from fishes in the northern G ulf of M exico. J. of the Seventh Annual Meeting World Mariculture Society. San Parasitol. 63(5): 810 -81 7. Diego, C alifornia. Henw ood, T ., P. Johns on & R. Heard. 1 978. Feeding habits and Damell, R.M . 1 958. Food habits of fishes and larger invertebrates of Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, an es tuarine community. Publ. food of the longs pmed porgy, Stenoromus caprinus Bean. North- Inst. Mar. Sci. Univ. Tex. 5:353-41 6. east GulfSci. 2(2):1 33-137. Day, J.W., Jr., W.G . Smith, P.R. Wagner & W.C . Stowe. 1 973. Hildebrand, H.H. 1 954. A s tudy of the fauna of the brown s hrimp Community structure and carbon budget of a salt marsh and (Penaeus aztecus Ives) grounds in the w es tem G ulf of M exico. shallow bay estuarine system in Louisiana. Publication No. Publ. Inst. Mar. Sci. Uniq. Tex. 3(2):233-366. 148 OVERSTREET A ND HE A R D

Hildebrand, S.F. & W.C . Schroeder. 1 928. Fishes of C hesapeake demic Press , Inc. New York. Bay. Bull. US.Bur. Fish. 43:1 -366. Powell, A .B. & F.J. Schw artz. 1 979. Food of Paralichrhys denatus Hofstetter, R.P. 1 965. T he T exas oys ter . Tex. Parks Wildl. and P. lethostigma (Pisces: Bothidae) in North C arolina es tuaries . Dep. Bull. 4O :l-39. 2(4):27 6-27 9. . 1 977. T rends in population levels of the A merican oys - Prezant, R.S. 1 980 . A n antipredation mechanism of the polychaete ter Crassostrea virginica G melin on public reefs in G alves ton Bay, Phyllodoce mucosa w ith notes on s imilar mechanisms in other T exas. Tex. Parks Wildl. Dep. Tech. Ser. 24: 1 -90 . potential prey. Fish. Bull., U.S. 77(3):60 5-61 6. Inglis, A . 1 959. on s hrimp. US. Fish WiMI. Serv. Circ. Reid, G .K ., Jr. 1 954. An ecological s tudy of the G ulf of M exico 62:SO -5 3. fishes, in the vicinity of C edar K ey, Florida. Bull. Mar. Sci. Gulf K emp, R.J. 1 949. Report on s tomach analys is from June 1 , 1 949 Caribb. 4(1 ): 1 -94. through A ugus t 31 , 1 949. Tex. Game, Fish, Oyst. Comm. Mar, . 1 955. A s ummer s tudy of the biology and ecology of Lab. Ann. Rep. 1 948-1949:lO O -127. E ast Bay, T exas. Part 11. T he fish fauna of E ast Bay, the G ulf K lima, E .F. & D.C . T abb. 1 959. A contribution to the biology of beach, and s ummary. Tex. J. Sci. 7(4):430 -453. the s potted w eakfish, Cynoscion nebulosus, (C uvier) from north- Reid, G .K ., A . Inglis & H.D. Hoese. 1 956. Summer foods of s ome w est Florida, w ith a des cription of the fishery. Flu. Board fish s pecies in E ast Bay, T exas. Southwest. Nut. l(3):lO O -10 4. Conserv. Tech. Ser. 30 , 27 pp. Schless elman, G .W. 1 955. T he G ulf C oas t oys ter indus try of the K napp, F.T . 1 950 . M enhaden utilization in relation to the cons erva- U nited States . Geogr. Rev. 45(4):531-541 . tion of food and game fishes of the T exas G ulf C oas t. Duns. Am. Sheridan, P.F. 1 978. Food habits of the bay anchovy, Anchoa Fish. SOC.79:1 37-144. mitchilli, in A palachicola Bay, Florida. Northeast Gulf Sci. Linton, E . 1 90 5. Parasites of fish of Beaufort, North C arolina. Bull. 2(2):1 26-132. US.Bur. Fish. (1 90 4) 24:321 -428. . 1 979. T rophic res ource utilization by three s pecies of Lorio, W.J. & H.E . Schafer. 1 966. A food habit s tudy of the s potted s ciaenid fishes in a northw es t Florida es tuary. Northeast G ulf s eatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus, in the Biloxi M arsh A rea, Louisi- Sci. 3(1 ):1 -15. ana.Proc. Ann. Conf.Southeast. GameFish Comm. 1 9:289-296. & R.J. Livings ton. 1 979. C yclic trophic relations hips of M cLane, W.M . 1 948. T he s eas onal food of the largemouth black fishes in an unpolluted, river-dominated es tuary in north Florida. bass Microptemssalmoidesfloridanus(Lacepede) in the St. Johns Pp. 1 43-161 in R.J. Livings ton (ed.), Ecological Processes in River, Welaka, Florida. Q .J. Flu. Acad. Sci. 1 5(1 ):64-75. Coastal and Marine Systems. Plenum Press . M ahood, R.K . 1 975. Spotted s eatrout in coas tal w aters of G eorgia. Simmons , E .G . 1 957. A n ecological s urvey of the U pper Laguna Proc. Ann. Confi Southeast. Comm. 29:1 95-20 7. M adre of T exas. Publ. Inst. Mar. Sci Univ. Tex. 4(2):1 56-20 0 . M iles, D.W. 1 949. A s tudy of the food habits of the fish of the & J.P. Breuer. 1 962. A s tudy of redfish, Sciaenops ocel- A rans as Bay area. Tex. Game, Fish, Oyst. Comm. Mar. Lab. Ann. lata Linnaeus and black drum, Pogonias cromis Linnaeus . Publ. Rep. 1 948-1949:1 26-169. Inst. Mar. Sci. Univ. Tex. 8:1 84-21 1 . . 1 950 . T he life histories of the s potted s eatrout, Cynos- Smith, H.M . 1 90 7. The Fishes ofNorth Gvolina. V olume 11, North cion nebulosus, and the redfish, Sciaenops ocellatus. Tex. Game, C arolina G eological and E conomic Survey. E .M . U zzeU, Raleigh. Fish, Oyst. Comm. Mar. Lab. Ann. Rep. 1 949-195O :l-38. 453 pp. M oody, W.D. 1 950 . A s tudy of the natural history of the s potted Springer, V .G . & K .D. Woodburn. 1 960 . A n ecological s tudy of the trout, Cynoschn nebulosus, in the C edar K ay, Florida area. Q.J. fishes of the T ampa Bay A rea. Fln. Board Conserv. Mar.Lab. Fla. Acad. Sci. 1 2(3):1 47-171. Prof Pap. Ser. 1: 1 -10 4. M ook, D. 1 977. Studies on fouling invertebrates in the Indian River, Stew art, K .W. 1 961 . C ontributions to the biology of the s potted Florida. 2: E ffect of Modulus modulus (Rosobranchia: M oduli- s eatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) in the E verglades National Park, dae). Nautilus 9 l(4) :1 34-1 36. Florida. M S T hes is, U niversity of M iami, C oral G ables. 1 0 3 pp. M oore, H.F. 1 899. Report on the oys ter-beds of Louisiana. U.S. Stickney, R.R. & D.B. White. 1 974. E ffects of s alinity on the C ommiss ion of Fish and Fisheries Part 24, Report of the C om- growth of Paralichthys lethostigma postlarvae reared under aqua- miss ioner for the Year E nding June 30 ,1 898, pp. 45-10 0 . culture conditions . Proc. Ann. Conf: Southeast. Assoc. Game O dum, W.E. & E .J. Heald. 1 972. T rophic analys es of an es tuarine Fish Comm. 27532-540 . mangrove community. Bull. Mar. Sci. 22(3):671-738. Stokes , G .M . 1 977. Life history s tudies of s outhern flounder (Para- O verstreet, R.M . & R.W. Heard. 1 978a. Food of the red drum, Zichthys lethostigma) and G ulf flounder (P. albigutta) in the Sciaenops ocellota, from M iss iss ippi Sound. G ulf Res. Rept. A rans as Bay area of T exas. Tex. Parks Wildl. Dep. Tech. Ser. 25, 6(2):1 31-135. 37 PP. . 1 978b. Food of the A tlantic croaker, Micropogonias T abb, D.C . 1 961 . A contribution to the biology of the s potted s ea- undulatus, from M iss iss ippi Sound and the G ulf of M exico. trout, Cynoscion nebulosus (C uvier) of eas t-central Florida. Fla. GulfRes, Rept. 6(2):1 45-152. Board Conserv. Mar. Res. Lab. Tech. Ser. 35,24 pp. & F.G . Hochberg, Jr. 1 975. Digenetic trematodes in . 1 966. T he es tuary as a habitat for s potted s eatrout, . J. Mar. Biol. Assoc. U.K. 55:893-91 0 . Cynoscion nebulosus. A Symposium on E s tuarine Fisheries , Am. Pearson, J.C. 1 929. Natural history and cons ervation of the redfish Fish. SOC.Spec. Publ. 359-67. and other commercial Sciaenids on the T exas C oas t. Bull. US. T aniguchi, A .K . 1 978. E ffects of s alinity, temperature and food Bur. Fish. 44(10 46):129-214. abundance upon s urvival of s potted s eatrout eggs and larvae. Perry, H.M . & D.L. Boyes. 1 978. M enhadenand other coas tal pelagic P. 1 6 in R.O . Williams, J.E . Weaver & F.A . K alber (co-chairmen), fish. Pp. 1 68-20 6 in Fisheries Resource Assessment and Moni- Proceedings: Colloquium on the Biology andManagemen1of Red toring, Mississippi, 1973-1 976. National M arine Fisheries Serv- Drum and Seatrout. T ampa, Florida. A bs tract. G ulf States M a- ice, Project No. 2-21 5-R, C ompletion Report. rine Fisheries C ommiss ion No. 5. Peters, D.S. & M .A . K jels on. 1 975. C ons umption and utilization of T homas , D.L. 1 971. T he early life history and ecology of s ix s pecies food by various postlarval and juvenile fishes of North C arolina of drum (Sciaenidae) in the lower Delaw are River, a brackish es tuaries . Pp. 448-472 in L.E . C ronin (ed.), Estuarine Research, tidal es tuary. A n E cological Study of the Delaw are River in the Volume I: Chemistry, Biology, and the Estuarine System. A ca- V icinity of A rtificial Is land. Progress Report for the Period FOOD CONTENTS OF FISHES 149

January-December 1970. Part 1II.lchfhyol.A s s oc. Bull. 3: 1-247. Conserv. 6(7):5-8. V an E ngel, W.A . & E .B. Joseph. 1968. C haracterization of coastal Welsh, W.W. & C .M . Breder, Jr. 1924. C ontributions to life histones and es tuarine fish nursery grounds as natural communities. Final of Sciaenidae of the eastern U nited States coast. BUZZ. U.S. Bur. Report, C ommercial Fisheries Research and Development A ct. Fish. 39:141-201. 43 pp., 48 tables, 56 figs . U .S. Department of C ommerce. Williams, A .B. 1981. Western A tlantic s pecies of the caridean s hrimp V iosca, P., Jr. 1954. T hem bait-stealinÕ s heeps head. Louisiana O gyrides. J. C rus t. BioZ. l(1): 143-147.