366 



American Fisheries Society 



For convenience, the bass were divided into various stages, 

 each stage representing a difference in length of 5 mm. except 

 the first, where there is a difference of 6^ mm. 



In the following table is given the various stages, the num- 

 ber of bass in each stage examined, the seven most important 

 articles of diet, and the percentage of the total number of bass 

 in which each article is found in the different stashes. 



Percentage of Young Small-Mouth Bass Containing Seven Most 

 Important Articles of Diet 



Copepods, as shown by the table, are the most important 

 article of diet in the food of the young bass. They were found 

 in 61.9 per cent of the bass examined. The copepods are util- 

 ized as food principally in the younger stages. They are very 

 abundant up to the 35 mm. stage, after which there is a sudden 

 decline to 45 mm., and from here on no copepods were found 

 Twenty-six bass ate copepods exclusively, and the number 

 eaten varied from 1 to 500. The copepods eaten in order of 

 their prominence are : Epischura lacustris, Cyclops leuckarti, 

 Cyclops hicuspidutus, Diaptomiis sicilis, Diaptomiis minutus, 

 Cyclops serriilatns, and Cyclops alhidns. 



Cladocera, like copepods, are very important in the food of 

 the young bass. They were found in 39.9 per cent of the bass. 



