Observations on the Food of Macquarie Perch, Macquaria australasica (Pisces : Percichthyidae), in Victoria

Abstract

The basic food of 204 Macquarie perch taken from Hughes Creek, the Seven Creeks River System (tributaries of the Goulburn River), and the Mitta Mitta River, Victoria, consisted of Coleoptera, Diptera (particularly Chironomidae), Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera. Secondary food comprised Crustacea, Hemiptera, Odonata and Mollusca; other items were considered incidental. Items of terrestrial origin formed an insignificant part of the diet. Large numbers (up to 1530) of food organisms were frequently found in the stomachs and many different food types were usually present in any one stomach. Large fish (SL range 115-287 mm) fed on a greater diversity of food types than small fish (SL range 46-65 mm). Laboratory observations indicate that Macquarie perch ingest food by a sucking action.