Variability of fish diets between dry and flood periods in an arid zone floodplain river

• Published in: Journal of fish biology 2005-12, Vol.67 (6), p.1552-1567
• Main Authors: Balcombe, S. R., Bunn, S. E., McKenzie-Smith, F. J., Davies, P. M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agnatha. Pisces; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; arid zone; benthic algae; Biological and medical sciences; carbon sources; Copepoda; fish diet; floods; Fresh water ecosystems; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Synecology; terrestrial inputs; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
• ISSN: 0022-1112; 1095-8649
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2005.00858.x

The fish assemblages of an arid zone floodplain river, Cooper Creek, Queensland, Australia, were sampled during two dry periods in isolated waterholes and on the inundated floodplain during the early and late phase of a major flood event. Diets were described for nine native species and compared within and between dry and flood periods. In the dry season, when fishes were restricted to waterholes, diets were characteristically simple with narrow diet breadths. Movement onto the floodplain during flooding clearly increased feeding opportunities, with greater diet breadths evident in all species. Despite obvious potential for terrestrial inputs, diets tended to be dominated by aquatic resources in both the waterholes and on the floodplain. Stomach fullness, however, varied little between dry season waterhole and floodplain samples. Fishes appeared to feed on potentially lower value resources such as detritus and calanoid copepods during the dry season, when waterholes were isolated and food resources were limited. They were then able to capitalize on the ‘boom’ of aquatic production and more diverse food resources associated with episodic flood events.