The Food Habits of Redbreast Sunfish in the San Marcos River, Texas

Lepomis auritus, the redbreast sunfish, is a common sportfish in the San Marcos River, Texas. Since dietary analysis is an important step toward understanding the ecological role of a fish, data on the food habits of the redbreast sunfish in the San Marcos River were collected monthly from April, 1982 through August, 1983. These data were investigated for the effects of fish length and collection area over an annual cycle. Length-weight relationships and condition factors were also determined. The analysis revealed that redbreast sunfish in the San Marcos River were opportunistic feeders and fed heavily upon Chironomidae. During the fall-winter season, there was a decrease in the terrestrial invertebrates in the diet with a corresponding increase of aquatic invertebrates, compared to the spring-summer season. There was a significant difference between the diets of fish > 152 mm, mainly due to a greater proportion of terrestrial invertebrates in the diet of the larger fish. Comparison of the diets of fish from three collection areas showed that all three were fairly similar. However, a much higher number of Chironomidae in the diet of fish collected from the area receiving effluent from a sewage treatment plant was considered to be an effect of the effluent.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biology

Grantor

Southwest Texas State University

Year dc:date.issued

1984

Author dc:creator

• Wallace, Sharon Ann

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Whiteside, Bobby G.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Huffman, David G.
• Short, Robert A.

• redbreast sunfish
• sunfishes
• fishes
• food

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10877/22387

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digital.library.txst.edu:10877/22387