100 GREAT BASIN NATURALIST [Volume 55
<br />(many identified as Cyclops) represented most
<br />zooplankton found in digestive tracts. Identified
<br />genera of rotifers included Brachionus,
<br />Cephalodella, Keratella, Lecane, Monostyla,
<br />Polyarthra, and Trichocerca. Proportion of
<br />zooplankton in diets of all fishes tended to
<br />decrease with increasing fish length.
<br />Bluehead sucker was the only species that
<br />ate moderate amounts of algae (10-30% of
<br />food volume); other fishes consumed minor
<br />amounts. Algae consisted mostly of six diatom
<br />genera (Cymbella, Fragilaria, Gyrosigma,
<br />Navicula, Surirella, and Synedra), one desmid
<br />genus (Closterium), and, to a lesser extent,
<br />Pediastrum (a colonial green alga). Most diges-
<br />tive tracts contained debris that accounted for
<br />moderate or large proportions of gut contents
<br />(>30%) in all fishes except speckled dace and
<br />green sunfish. It was over 80% of gut content
<br />in fathead minnow and bluehead sucker. Debris
<br />consisted of fibrous particles of vascular plant
<br />tissue usually mixed with large amounts of
<br />clay particles and sand grains, suggesting bot-
<br />tom feeding. Seeds (many identified as tama-
<br />risk [Tamarix gallica]) were eaten by all fishes,
<br />especially red shiner <31 mm TL.
<br />Two observations were unique to Colorado
<br />squawfish. Fish larvae were found in digestive
<br />tracts of 10 Colorado squawfish (about 1% of
<br />total examined); 1 was 21 mm TL, 8 were
<br />36-48 mm TL, and 1 was 73 mm TL (probably
<br />a yearling). No fish were detected in digestive
<br />tracts of other species. Of the 18 fish larvae
<br />found, most were too digested for species
<br />identification or accurate length measurement,
<br />but all were cypriniforms (mostly cyprinids)
<br />and probably <- 10 mm TL. Six fish larvae (6-9
<br />mm TL) were identified as red shiner, and one
<br />(about 8 mm TL) as fathead minnow. Interest-
<br />ingly, the smallest Colorado squawfish had
<br />four prey fish (all red shiner), whereas only
<br />one or two fish were found in digestive tracts
<br />of the others. Gut contents of six Colorado
<br />squawfish, 36-48 mm TL, and the 73-mm-TL
<br />specimen were exclusively fish; those for the
<br />remaining specimens were 70-80% fish.
<br />Digestive tracts of six Colorado squawfish
<br />contained 2-6 cestode parasites (probably
<br />Proteocephalus ptychocheilus; Flagg 1982);
<br />cestodes were not found in guts of other fish-
<br />es. Colorado squawfish infested with cestodes
<br />were larger than 27 mm TL and were collect-
<br />ed from both river reaches in autumn.
<br />Diet Overlap
<br />Degree of diet overlap between YOY Colo-
<br />rado squawfish and other fishes was influenced
<br />mainly by zooplankton and especially imma-
<br />ture dipterans (Table 2). Within each reach,
<br />diet overlap for all length intervals of
<br />Colorado squawfish generally decreased as
<br />lengths of other species increased. Degree of
<br />diet overlap among fish of similar size was
<br />generally greater in the lower than upper
<br />reach. Overlap values were <0.60 (range =
<br />0.10-0.59) for most comparisons; generally,
<br />values were lowest for comparisons with fat-
<br />head minnow and bluehead sucker (range =
<br />0.10-0.44). Biologically important overlap
<br />(values >0.60) occurred only between
<br />Colorado squawfish >10 mm TL and some
<br />size-reach groups of native speckled dace and
<br />flannelmouth sucker and nonnative red shiner,
<br />green sunfish, and especially channel catfish.
<br />These higher overlap values were primarily
<br />attributed to high proportions of larval chi-
<br />ronomids in diets and, secondarily, especially
<br />for diet overlap with green sunfish >40 mm
<br />TL (upper reach) and 21-30 mm TL (lower
<br />reach), to proportions of zooplankton. Degree
<br />of diet overlap was greatest with channel cat-
<br />fish and green sunfish.
<br />DISCUSSION
<br />Comparisons among food-habits investiga-
<br />tions are difficult because of differences in
<br />study design, location, and season. However,
<br />our observations on diets of native and nonna-
<br />tive fishes in backwaters of the Green River
<br />generally agree with results of prior studies in
<br />the upper Colorado River basin (e.g., Vanicek
<br />and Kramer 1969, Jacobi and Jacobi 1982,
<br />McAda and Tyus 1984) and reported food
<br />habits of the nonnative species within their
<br />native ranges (e.g., Carlander 1969, 1977,
<br />Pflieger 1975, Harlan et al. 1987). Larger YOY
<br />or yearling red shiner, sand shiner, speckled
<br />dace, flannelmouth sucker, channel catfish,
<br />and green sunfish eat mainly immature aquatic
<br />insects. Diets of larger YOY or yearling fathead
<br />minnow and bluehead sucker consist mostly of
<br />algae and organic debris. Diet of YOY Colo-
<br />rado squawfish consists primarily of zooplank-
<br />ton and immature insects (especially chirono-
<br />mid larvae) and occasionally includes fish.
<br />Reported size at which wild Colorado
<br />squawfish shift to a more piscivorous diet
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