Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Fisheries Research Report No.1802, 1973

Influence of Diet and Temperature on Food Consumption and Growth by Yellow Perch, with Supplemental Observation on the Blue Gill

      Abstract.-A series of 16 experiments were performed in aquaria on the feeding habits and growth of juvenile yellow perch in relation to size of ration (no food, to excess food), type of food (fish, mayfly nymphs, redworms) and temperature (11. 0 to 27. 8 C). Two additional experiments were conducted with juvenile bluegills. Growth was regressed against ration to determine the amount of food required for maintenance of body tissues (growth = 0). I found that maintenance ration, appetite and growth of perch varied with temperature, being somewhat optimal at about 23 C. At this temperature, perch ate more food and grew more rapidly than did bluegills. However, perch required a fish meal of 2. 0% of their body weight per day for maintenance, whereas the bluegill needed only 1. 3%. Perch grew best on a diet of fish and poorest on a diet of redworms. .