Food of white perch, rock bass and yellow perch in eastern Lake Ontario

The contents of stomachs from 1,485 white perch, 218 rock bass and 1,399 yellow perch collected in eastern Lake Ontario from May to October in 1972 and in May 1973 were examined. All three species fed primarily on amphipods, but they also ate chironomids and trichopterans regularly. Rock bass ate more trichopterans than chironomids, whereas white perch and yellow perch ate more chironomids. Snails and crayfish were significant items in the diet of rock bass, but occurred infrequently in stomachs of white perch and yellow perch. White perch and yellow perch frequently ate fish eggs during early summer, but rock bass seldom ate fish eggs. Fish were important in the diets of white perch longer than 300 millimeters and rock bass and yellow perch longer than 200 millimeters. Similarities in the diets of fish 1 year old or older suggest that the potential for competition between white perch and yellow perch is greater than that between rock bass and either white perch or yellow perch.