The Effects of Age-0 Body Size on the Predictive Ability of a Largemouth Bass Bioenergetics Model

Abstract

Abstract Bioenergetics models for largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides have provided scientists with a valuable tool for estimating growth and consumption based on temperature and the size of individuals. These models were developed for a wide range of fish sizes from various geographic origins and have been used to generate predictions for fish across the entire size and geographic ranges of largemouth bass. Although previous studies have shown general validity in model predictions, no validation has been achieved for smaller-bodied largemouth bass from differing geographic populations. To test the accuracy of a commonly used model at predicting the growth of small largemouth bass, we ran a series of six 14-d aquarium experiments that included controlled feeding rates over the range of average daily water temperature regimes in central Alabama. Age-0 largemouth bass from one population in Wisconsin (northern largemouth bass M. s. salmoides) and two populations in Alabama (Florida largemouth bass M. s. f...