FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL 77. NO 3 



Table 2, — Number of attempts to ingest Phyllodoce mucosa by 

 several species offish An attempt is defined as a single intake 

 and expulsion of the worm. The number following the ab- 

 breviated fish binomial stands for an individual fish and the 

 small letter that follows stands for an individual worm. The two 

 numbers in parenthesis in the first column are the standard 

 lengths of the fish and maximum length of the worm, in mil- 

 limeters, respectively Fh = Fundulus heteroclitus. Ga = Gas- 

 terosteus aculealus. Mm = Menidm mentdia, Cv = Cypnnodon 

 variegatus, Lm ^ Lophopsetta maculata, Cr = Cynoscion re- 

 galia, t =experiment terminated, * = worm eaten. 



Set A. trial 



Session 



1 



Total 



Fhia (63.22) 

 Ftilb (63.29) 

 Fh2c (66.18) 

 Fh3d (52,19) 

 Fh4e (61,19) 

 Gala (18.9) 

 Ga2a (18.15) 

 Ga2b (18.12) 

 Ga3c (18.13) 

 Ga3d (18.24) 

 Ga4e (18.12) 

 GaSe (18.12) 

 Mm la (44.24) 

 Mm2b (37.22) 

 Mm3c (51.17) 

 Mm4d (54.14) 

 MmSe (64.18) 

 Mm5l (64.23) 

 Mm6g (67.13) 

 Cvia (46.24) 

 Cvlb (46.24) 

 Cv2c (46.14) 

 Cv2d (46.12) 

 Lm1a (69.29) 

 Lmlb (69.21) 

 Lm2a (91.29) 

 Lm2c (91.17) 

 Lm2d (91.21) 

 Crla (42.24) 

 Crib (42,16) 

 Crlc (42,26) 

 Cr2d (46,14) 

 Cr2e (46.22) 

 Cr2( (46.17) 



3 5- 

 9 4- 



4 2- 



13- 

 10- 



21 

 2 



29 

 



14 



10 

 3 

 r 

 2- 

 4' 



3 

 2 



3 

 6 

 2 

 2 



7 



1 2 



2 2 

 Ot 



2 6 

 Ot 

 2 4 



6 5 



1 20 5- 

 1 20 5- 







Ot 



Ot 



1 







Ot 



1 



4 5 6 4 5 

 4 5 3 5 4 



13 



6 



13 



10 



26 



53 



34 



34 



1 



19 



8 



12 



11 



18 



7 



1 



2 



4 



15 



16 



8 



24 



11 



31 



13 



22 



27 



6 



23 







44 







40 



3. The large number of ingestive attempts in a 

 given trial (Table 2) resultetd from the rapici, re- 

 petitive actions of a fish not allowing the worm to 

 settle to the floor of the aquarium following initial 

 attempts. Results of the control series using S. 

 fragilis and sizes of fish and worms are given in 

 Table 4. 



Of the six species offish quantitatively tested, 

 only the mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus, con- 

 sistently ingested P. mucosa early in set A (Table 

 2). This species of fish showed no investigative 

 behavior before taking the worm into its mouth. 

 Nevertheless, F. heteroclitus did show some dis- 

 taste for this polychaete; in two cases the mum- 

 michog sucked the worm in and out 13 times prior 

 to ingestion. When F. heteroclitus did eat the 

 worm, ingestion was immediately followed by a 

 variable period ( 10-45 si of choking or "coughing" 



Table 3.— Number of investigations undertaken by four species 

 of fish when exposed to Phyllodoce mucosa This table excludes 

 Fundulus heleroclitus and Cypnnodon rariegatus because these 

 species showed no or insignificant investigatory behavior with- 

 out attempts at ingestion. Abbreviations and notations as in 

 Table 2. 



Set A. trial 



Set B. trial 



Session 



Total 



Gala (18.9) 

 Ga2a (18,15) 

 Ga2b (18,12) 

 Ga3c (18.13) 

 Ga3d (18,24) 

 Ga4e (18,12) 

 GaSe (18,12) 

 Mmla (44.24) 

 Mm2b (37.22) 

 Mm3c (51,14) 

 Mm4d (54.14) 

 Mm5e (64.18) 

 Mm5f (64.23) 

 Mm6g (67.13) 

 Lmla (69,29) 

 Lmlb (69,21) 

 Lm2a (91.29) 

 Lm2c (91.17) 

 Lm2d (91.21) 

 Crla (42.24) 

 Crib (42.16) 

 Crlc (42.26) 

 Cr2d (46,14) 

 Cr2e (46.22) 

 Cr2t (46.17) 



14 

 2 

 5 

 

 9 

 6 

 5 

 6 

 5 

 5 

 

 

 

 



3 





 12 

 23 

 23 





 23 





 19 



Table 4.— Number of attempts to ingest the control polychaete 

 Scoloplos fragdis and size offish and worm used. Abbreviations 

 and notations as in Table 2 



Session 



Session 



Ft.lx (48,15) 

 Fhly (48.20) 

 Galx (18,11) 

 Ga2y (18. 9) 

 Mmlx (37,14) 

 Mm2y (64,13) 

 Cvix (46.13) 

 Cv2y (46.26) 



Lmlw (69.16) 

 Lmlx( 69,25) 

 Lm2y (91,17) 

 Lm2z (91.23) 

 Crix (42.14) 

 Crly (42.17) 



12 



lit 



(rapid protraction and retraction of jaws and in- 

 take and expulsion of water). In session Fhla, the 

 worm was held in the mouth and only partially 

 ejected many times prior to ingestion. During 

 trial 2 of set A in session Fhlb, the fish, on the 

 fourth attempt, took in the worm and exhibited a 

 choking response which lasted 15 s before spitting 

 out the posterior portion of the worm. The remain- 

 ing portion of the polychaete was eaten after two 

 further attempts. The maximal number of at- 

 tempts prior to ingestion by F. heteroclitus was 

 demonstrated by the smallest mummichog (Fh3d) 

 and in trials involving the largest phyllodocid 

 (Fhlb) (Table 2). Scoloplos fragilis was consumed 

 on the first attempt by F. heteroclitus in each con- 

 trol test (Table 4). 



608 



