Abstract
In order to clarify whether the planktivorous silver carp and bighead carp can collect phytoplankton as small asCyclotella(<20 μm) in Donghu Lake, studies on phytoplankton in their gut contents and feces were made in 1990. The fish were cultured in both net cage in Donghu Lake and aquaria with the lake water. Past the intestine, the average valve diameter ofCyclotella changed little. The average ratio of empty frustule ofCyclotella to totalCyclotella in the foregut contents of the fishes were 1.8–1.9 times higher than that in the lake water, but changed little from foregut to feces. The aquarium experiment showed that both carps could collect particles as small as 8–10 μm, which was obviously narrower than the distance between their gill rakers. Probably, secretion of mucus plays an important role in collecting such small particles.
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