.
TABS Species Account TN00222

TN00222 WHITE BASS MORONE CHRYSOPS

Tennessee Animal Biogeographic System TABS

version 12/2002


Taxonomy
Status
Distribution
Habitat Associations
Food Habits
Environmental Associations
Life History
Management Practices
References

Food Habits

TrophicReferences
Carnivore3247

LifestageFood Item ConsumedPart of Food Item
GeneralCrustaceansEgg/Fetus stage
GeneralAnimalsLarva stage
GeneralCrustaceansLarva stage
GeneralCrustaceansPupa stage
GeneralCrustaceansJuvenile stage
GeneralCrustaceansAdult stage
GeneralBranchiopodsEgg/Fetus stage
GeneralAnimalsPupa stage
GeneralBranchiopodsLarva stage
GeneralBranchiopodsPupa stage
GeneralBranchiopodsJuvenile stage
GeneralBranchiopodsAdult stage
GeneralOstracodsEgg/Fetus stage
GeneralAnimalsJuvenile stage
GeneralOstracodsLarva stage
GeneralOstracodsPupa stage
GeneralOstracodsAdult stage
GeneralCOPEPODSEgg/Fetus stage
GeneralAnimalsAdult stage
GeneralCOPEPODSLarva stage
GeneralCOPEPODSPupa stage
GeneralCOPEPODSJuvenile stage
GeneralCOPEPODSAdult stage
GeneralInsectsLarva stage
GeneralInsectsPupa stage
GeneralInsectsJuvenile stage
InsectsAdult stage
EphemeropteraLarva stage
EphemeropteraPupa stage
EphemeropteraJuvenile stage
EphemeropteraAdult stage
OdonataLarva stage
OdonataPupa stage
OdonataJuvenile stage
OdonataAdult stage
PlecoptraLarva stage
GeneralPlecoptraPupa stage
GeneralPlecoptraJuvenile stage
PlecoptraAdult stage
NeuropteraLarva stage
NeuropteraPupa stage
NeuropteraJuvenile stage
NeuropteraAdult stage
TrichopteraLarva stage
TrichopteraPupa stage
TrichopteraJuvenile stage
TrichopteraAdult stage
ClupeiformesJuvenile stage
ClupeiformesAdult stage
LarvaCypriniformesJuvenile stage
CypriniformesAdult stage
PerciformesJuvenile stage
PerciformesAdult stage
HemipteraLarva stage
HemipteraPupa stage
HemipteraJuvenile stage
HemipteraAdult stage
SalmoniformesJuvenile stage
SalmoniformesAdult stage
SiluriformesJuvenile stage
SiluriformesAdult stage
DipteraJuvenile stage
DipteraAdult stage
OstracodsJuvenile stage
AnimalsEgg/Fetus stage
See Comments on Food HabitsSee Comments
CrustaceansEgg/Fetus stage
ImportantAnimalsAdult stage
ImportantCrustaceansLarva stage
ImportantCrustaceansPupa stage
ImportantCrustaceansJuvenile stage
ImportantCrustaceansAdult stage
ImportantClupeiformesJuvenile stage
ImportantClupeiformesAdult stage
ImportantCypriniformesJuvenile stage
ImportantCypriniformesAdult stage
ImportantPerciformesJuvenile stage
ImportantPerciformesAdult stage
ImportantAnimalsEgg/Fetus stage
ImportantAnimalsJuvenile stage
ImportantAnimalsLarva stage
ImportantAnimalsPupa stage
ImportantSee Comments on Food HabitsSee Comments
ImportantCrustaceansEgg/Fetus stage
LarvaAnimalsLarva stage
LarvaCrustaceansLarva stage
LarvaCrustaceansPupa stage
LarvaCrustaceansJuvenile stage
LarvaCrustaceansAdult stage
LarvaBranchiopodsEgg/Fetus stage
LarvaAnimalsPupa stage
LarvaBranchiopodsLarva stage
LarvaBranchiopodsPupa stage
LarvaBranchiopodsJuvenile stage
LarvaBranchiopodsAdult stage
LarvaOstracodsEgg/Fetus stage
LarvaAnimalsJuvenile stage
LarvaOstracodsLarva stage
LarvaOstracodsPupa stage
LarvaOstracodsJuvenile stage
LarvaOstracodsAdult stage
LarvaCOPEPODSEgg/Fetus stage
LarvaAnimalsAdult stage
LarvaCOPEPODSLarva stage
LarvaCOPEPODSPupa stage
LarvaCOPEPODSJuvenile stage
LarvaCOPEPODSAdult stage
LarvaAnimalsEgg/Fetus stage
LarvaSee Comments on Food HabitsSee Comments
LarvaBranchiopodsEgg/Fetus stage
JuvenileCypriniformesAdult stage
JuvenileBranchiopodsLarva stage
JuvenileBranchiopodsPupa stage
JuvenileBranchiopodsJuvenile stage
JuvenileBranchiopodsAdult stage
JuvenileOstracodsEgg/Fetus stage
JuvenilePerciformesJuvenile stage
JuvenileOstracodsLarva stage
JuvenileOstracodsPupa stage
JuvenileOstracodsAdult stage
JuvenileCOPEPODSEgg/Fetus stage
JuvenilePerciformesAdult stage
JuvenileCOPEPODSLarva stage
JuvenileCOPEPODSPupa stage
JuvenileCOPEPODSAdult stage
JuvenileCrustaceansEgg/Fetus stage
JuvenileOstracodsJuvenile stage
JuvenileCrustaceansLarva stage
JuvenileCrustaceansPupa stage
JuvenileCrustaceansJuvenile stage
JuvenileCrustaceansAdult stage
JuvenileClupeiformesJuvenile stage
JuvenileClupeiformesAdult stage
JuvenileCypriniformesJuvenile stage
JuvenileSee Comments on Food HabitsSee Comments
JuvenileAnimalsAdult stage
JuvenileAnimalsLarva stage
JuvenileAnimalsPupa stage
JuvenileAnimalsEgg/Fetus stage
JuvenileCOPEPODSJuvenile stage
JuvenileClupeiformesJuvenile stage
AdultClupeiformesAdult stage
AdultCypriniformesJuvenile stage
AdultCypriniformesAdult stage
AdultPerciformesJuvenile stage
AdultPerciformesAdult stage
AdultCrustaceansEgg/Fetus stage
AdultBranchiopodsLarva stage
AdultBranchiopodsAdult stage
AdultCrustaceansLarva stage
AdultCrustaceansPupa stage
AdultCrustaceansJuvenile stage
AdultCrustaceansAdult stage
AdultOstracodsEgg/Fetus stage
AdultBranchiopodsPupa stage
AdultOstracodsLarva stage
AdultOstracodsPupa stage
AdultOstracodsJuvenile stage
AdultOstracodsAdult stage
AdultCOPEPODSEgg/Fetus stage
AdultBranchiopodsJuvenile stage
AdultCOPEPODSLarva stage
AdultCOPEPODSPupa stage
AdultCOPEPODSJuvenile stage
AdultCOPEPODSAdult stage
AdultBranchiopodsEgg/Fetus stage
AdultSee Comments on Food HabitsSee Comments
AdultAtheriniformesLarva stage

Comments on General Food Habits

The food is primarily aquatic crustaceans and insects, fishes of the minnow, and shad families, some echinoderms *3300,3302,3305*, also eat zooplankton, fish eggs, fish fry, as well as adult fish *1123*; consume adult and larval aquatic insects and occasionally terrestrial insects *1123,3305,2572* Fish most important to pre-spawning males, insects most important to pre-spawning females; fish 65-66% of diet for post- spawning males and females *5297*. In Tennessee, little feeding occurs in winter *3297*. In Arkansas, winter diet consists mainly of fish, especially shad; also Chironomids, Cladocera, and Chaoborus. Spring diet is mainly Centrarchids, Cyprinids, crayfish, and crustaceans. Summer diet is mainly shad, Centrarchids, crustaceans, and insects. In the Fall, fish account for 99% of diet by weight; included shad, Centrarchids, and silversides, also ate crustaceans & Entomostraca. *5298*. White bass are opportunistic feeders; they form large schools near the water surface, moving in search of prey; they are sight feed- ers, whose ability to feed may be impaired by excessive turbidity; young white bass feed on benthic invertebrates, zooplankton, and larval fish, selecting larger food items as they grow; dietary importance of fish increases at a size of about 40mm; adults typically piscivorous, but will shift to macroinvertebrates or even plankton when forage fish are depleted; white bass grow best when young Percids, Centrarchids, or Clupeids are plentiful; shad (especially threadfin) and alewife are the preferred fish, and white bass production is high where large popula- tions of these species exist *PML 82, 4205*. Adults in Claytor Lake feed primarily on alewife, black crappie, and crayfish *4205*.

Comments on Adult Food Habits

The adult changes to mainly a fish diet at a small size *1123,1140,2572,3295*. The diet includes zooplankton and insects *3305,3308* In an Ohio study, crustaceans made up 61.5% of the diet, with 26.3% fish, and 11.6% water boatmen and midges *1123*. In Wisconsin, Daphnia comprised the bulk of the diet for age II-IV; age V relied more on fish *3305*. Other refer- ences *3305,5962,5927*.

Comments on Juvenile Food Habits

Juveniles ate mostly zooplankton, (Copepods and Cladocerans), insects *1123, 1140,2572,3295*; also fish eggs and fish fry, particularly shad and minnows *3302,3308* In WI, Daphnia comprise bulk of diet *3305*. In Tennessee, fingerlings ate mainly insects and fish *3297*. Other ref- 5962,5928*; juveniles feed on larval centrarchids *CPC3*.

Comments on Larval Food Habits

Larvae ate primarily zooplanktivorous *1123,3302,3295*, mostly copepod nauplii of Cyclops and Diaptomus *3308*. In a study at Lewis and Clark Lake, larvae were size-selective in food habits *6017*. In Kentucky, stomach content analysis that postlarvae 7-12 mm standard length mainly ate prolarval carp. Frequency of occurrence of zooplankton in diet in- creased steadily from 20-100% as postlarvae grew from 6.5-13 mm *5061*.

References/LifestageReference Numbers
General2572, 835, 1123, 3300, 3302, 3305, 3295, 3308
Adult1123, 3300, 3302, 3295, 3308, CPC3
Juvenile1123, 3300, 3302, 3295, 3308, CPC3
Larval1123, 3300, 3302, 3295, 3308
Important1123, 3300, 3302, 3305, 3295, 3308


Return to Top