Full Title
Effects of prey type on the consumption rate of the purple-spotted gudgeon, Mogurnda adspersa: Implications for bioenergetics models of fishes.
Student
Rowan Mott
Supervisors
Rick Stoffels
Matthew Vogel
Funding Body
MDFRC
Duration
10 weeks from November 2009 to February 2010
Outcomes
Written report and presentation
Summary
A bioenergetics model allows scientists and managers to acquire a better understanding of how environmental drivers—such as temperature, water velocity and food availability—affect the performance of fish. However, how well these models reflect reality is dependent on how well the model's parameters are estimated by scientists that are putting the models together. One such parameter is the maximum consumption rate of prey, Cmax, which, we know, is dependent on temperature and the weight of the predator. However, our understanding of how this parameter is affected by prey type is very poor.
Students that choose this project will be conducting a laboratory experiment to determine the response of Cmax to three aquatic prey types: chironomids, blackworms and shrimp. In addition, we also aim to determine the effect of prey activity (live prey vs. dead prey) on Cmax. The successful candidate will be working as part of a small research team that is addressing the more general issue of how endangered fishes respond to drought and climate change.
