TN00206 BLUEGILL LEPOMIS MACROCHIRUS
Trophic| References | |
| Omnivore | 2107 |
| Lifestage | Food Item Consumed | Part of Food Item |
| General | See Comments on Food Habits | See Comments |
| General | Plants | Not Applicable |
| General | Plants | Buds |
| General | Plants | Leaves/Needles |
| General | Chlorophyta | Not Applicable |
| General | Monocotyledoneae | Not Applicable |
| General | Typhaceae | Not Applicable |
| General | Detritus | Not Applicable |
| General | Animals | Egg/Fetus stage |
| General | Animals | Larva stage |
| General | Animals | Juvenile stage |
| General | Animals | Adult stage |
| General | Sponges | Not Applicable |
| General | Rotiferans | Not Applicable |
| General | Bryozoans | Adult stage |
| General | Polychaetes | Adult stage |
| General | Oligochaetes | Adult stage |
| General | Molluscs | Not Applicable |
| General | Snails | Not Applicable |
| General | Crustaceans | Not Applicable |
| General | Branchiopods | Not Applicable |
| General | COPEPODS | Not Applicable |
| General | Malacostraca | Not Applicable |
| General | Insects | Larva stage |
| General | Insects | Adult stage |
| General | Ephemeroptera | Larva stage |
| General | Odonata | Larva stage |
| General | Odonata | Adult stage |
| General | Dermaptera | Larva stage |
| General | Hemiptera | Not Applicable |
| General | Coleoptera | Larva stage |
| General | Coleoptera | Adult stage |
| General | Trichoptera | Larva stage |
| General | Lepidoptera | Larva stage |
| General | Diptera | Larva stage |
| General | Diptera | Adult stage |
| General | Hymenoptera | Adult stage |
| General | Osteichthyes | Egg/Fetus stage |
| General | Osteichthyes | Larva stage |
| General | Osteichthyes | Juvenile stage |
| General | Perciformes | Egg/Fetus stage |
| General | Perciformes | Larva stage |
| General | Spermopsida | Not Applicable |
| General | Tracheophyta (Vascular Plants) | Not Applicable |
| Important | Animals | Not Applicable |
| Larva | See Comments on Food Habits | See Comments |
| Larva | Flukes | Not Specified |
| Larva | Rotiferans | Not Applicable |
| Larva | Branchiopods | Not Applicable |
| Larva | COPEPODS | Not Applicable |
| Larva | Crustaceans | Not Applicable |
| Larva | Animals | Not Specified |
| Larva | Animals | Not Applicable |
| Juvenile | See Comments on Food Habits | See Comments |
| Juvenile | Animals | Not Applicable |
| Juvenile | Animals | Larva stage |
| Juvenile | Crustaceans | Not Applicable |
| Juvenile | Tardigrades | Not Applicable |
| Juvenile | COPEPODS | Not Applicable |
| Juvenile | Insects | Larva stage |
| Juvenile | Diptera | Larva stage |
| Adult | See Comments on Food Habits | See Comments |
Comments on General Food Habits
ABILITY OF BLUEGILLS TO EFFECTIVELY FORAGE ON OPEN-WATER ZOOPLANKTON MAY ACCOUNT FOR THEIR DOMINANCE IN MANY LITTORAL ZONE SYSTEMS, AS THEY HAVE A FEEDING REFUGE FROM SUPERIOR COMPETITORS IN PREFERRED HABITATS *TN5390* Bluegills are opportunistic feeders which can alter their diet according to food availability *2107*. Plant material is generally acknowleged to represent substitute rations for animal food *1647*. Food eaten may be dictated by the types of associate fishes that are present *1200*. In a Tennessee reservoir, they ate the least in February, and their food intake increased to a high in June *6615*. Seasonal changes in diet are related to the varying abundance of prey items *6472,5831*. In an Indiana study, the diet shifted each year from a high proportion of Daphnia in July, to a high proportion of midges in August *6613*. In Bull Shoals Reservoir, the heaviest use of algae occurred from May-August, November, and January by fish 4 inches long and the heaviest consumption by fish 2.0-3.9 inches long occurred in fall *1647*. In Michigan, the winter diet is aquatic insects in the early and late winter, and plankton in midwinter *5863*. In Arizona, they ate mainly fish eggs and midge larvae, Cladocera, and threadfin shad from November to February *5189*. For other references see *6472*.
Comments on Adult Food Habits
They are a generalized feeder on invertebrates, but seldom eat snails as the pumpkinseed does *1123,1196,1125,1322,1581,1584*. It consumes up to 35% of its body weight weekly during the summer and less than 1% during the winter *1200*. Insects are a staple food *1187*. In a Missouri study, bryozoan statoblasts made up an important part of the diet *6610*. Other foods include Zygoptera *6472* and Hydracarina *6611*. Algae is eaten if other food is scarce *1187*. For additional references see *6612,5189, 5863,2319*.
Comments on Juvenile Food Habits
The juveniles favor zooplankton and midges, and it schools while feeding *1123,1196,1125,1322,1581,1584*. In an Indian study, they fed almost exclusively on planktonic crustaceans, and seemed to prefer copepods and Bosmina *6608*. In Bull Shoals Reservation, they shift from a planktonic diet to insects at about 2 inches *1647*. A Michigan study found that feeding patterns varied considerably *6607*. They primarily eat small crustaceans *1187*.
Comments on Larval Food Habits
The fry feed primarily on zooplankton and small insects *2107*. In an Illinois study, Daphnids dominated the diet in the early summer, while late summer diets were dominated numerically by rotifers, but calorically by Chydorids, Cyclopoid copepod, and Copepod nauplii *2627*.
| References/Lifestage | Reference Numbers |
| General | 2107, 1200, 1230, 2196, 1647, 4205 |
| Adult | 1123, 1196, 1125, 1322, 1581, 1584, 1200, 4205 |
| Juvenile | 1123, 1196, 1125, 1322, 1581, 1584, 1200, 1230, 1647 |
| Larval | 2107, 1200, 1230, 1647 |
| Important | TN5930, 1646 |