Diet composition of largemouth black bass, Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède), in southern Portuguese reservoirs: its relation to habitat characteristics

Abstract During the summer of 1990 the diet of Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède) was studied in four southern Portuguese reservoirs. The dominant food items were insects (especially Odonata and Ephemeroptera naiads, and Odonata and Hemiptera adults), the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard), and pumpkinseed sunfish, Lepomis gibbosus (L.). There was an increase in the consumption of L. gibbosus as bass changed from 100–200 mm total length to over 200 mm, and a corresponding decline in the insect and crayfish components. Carp, Cyprinus carpio L., and other benthic cyprinids were absent from the stomach contents. The association between the different prey consumed and the habitat characteristics are discussed in relation to the feeding ecology of largemouth bass, an exotic species in Portugal.