Abstract
Abstract Reduced suspended-sediment loads (i.e., turbidity) in many Midwestern prairie rivers have been hypothesized as contributing to the replacement of species that historically occupied highly turbid main-channel habitats by visually feeding species that are competitively superior in less-turbid waters. We examined the relationship between prey consumption and turbidity for six fish species from the Canadian River (New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) and found experimental support for this hypothesis. Among species adapted to highly turbid main-channel habitats, we found that prey consumption by the peppered chub Macrhybopsis tetranema and flathead chub Platygobio gracilis was unaffected (P > 0.12) by elevated turbidity, whereas prey consumption by the Arkansas River shiner Notropis girardi was reduced (P < 0.01). Among species characteristic of less-turbid habitats, prey consumption by the emerald shiner N. atherinoides, red shiner Cyprinella lutrensis, and sand shiner N. stramineus was reduced (P < 0.0...
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