C.M. Mayer, D.H. Wahl-1997
Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci., 54: 1504-1512, in Rotifer News, 30 (Dec '97)
All sizes of walleye larvae avoided rotifer and nauplii prey. Small and large larvae selected for intermediate-sized (0.4-0.9 mm) cladoceran prey and selected against large prey (0.9 mm) of both taxa. Larval walleye that were fed exclusively cladoceran prey survived better than fish that were fed other prey. Early juveniles selected primarily on the basis of prey size, choosing large copepods and cladocerans. Prey taxa did not affect early juvenile growth or survival. Prey taxa and prey size interacted with predator size to influence selectivity and its effect on growth and survival. Consequently, these factors must be considered in combination when examining the importance of foraging decisions in young fish.
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