Food habits and food selectivity of the black bullhead (Ictalurus melas) in Lake Poinsett, South Dakota, were studied from March to November 1970. The black bullhead preyed upon a wide range of food sources in the limnetic, littoral, and benthic zones and seasonal differences in diet occurred in response to availability of prey species. The total food volume in stomachs of 558 black bullheads (143–304 mm total length) comprised about 32% planktonic crustaceans, 25% chironomids, 27% fish, 9% crayfish, 2% filamentous algae, and 5% miscellaneous organisms. Planktonic crustaceans made up 94.4% and chironomids made up 5.6% of the volume of food ingested by 220 young-of-the-year black bullheads. Black bullheads were most selective for the largest cladocerans available, Leptodora kindtii, Daphnia pulex, and D. galeata mendotae, and for Chironomus spp. pupae. Black bullheads were least selective for Diaphanosoma leuchtenbergianum, copepods, and chironomid larvae. The black bullhead in Lake Poinsett was primarily a selective planktivore throughout its life history.
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