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The annual flood pulse mediates crayfish as a major diet constituent of carnivorous fishes in south Louisiana
Bonvillain CP and Fontenot QC 
Published Online: 4/25/2020
Abstract
Anthropogenic modifications to river-floodplain systems can decouple floodplains from mainstem inputs, alter flood pulse dynamics, and disrupt population dynamics and trophic web stability of aquatic biota. The Atchafalaya River Basin (ARB) receives an annual flood pulse from the Mississippi River that contributes to high crayfish abundance. Conversely, reduced crayfish abundance in the Barataria Basin (BB) is attributed to the system no longer receiving an annual flood pulse from the Mississippi River. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to determine if the absence of an annual flood pulse and reduced crayfish abundance influenced the diets of carnivorous fishes by examining stomach contents of fishes from both basins. Stomach contents were grouped as crayfish, fish, non-crayfish invertebrate, and herpetological. Crayfish was the major diet constituent of ARB fishes during both floodplain inundation and low-water periods, albeit different diet presence occurrence. Non-crayfish invertebrate was the major diet constituent in BB fishes, with crayfish as the second fewest diet constituent present. Our results demonstrate how flood pulse dynamics influence crayfish, and ultimately trophic webs, in large river-floodplain systems.
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How to Cite
Bonvillain CP and Fontenot QC. (2020). The annual flood pulse mediates crayfish as a major diet constituent of carnivorous fishes in south Louisiana. Freshwater Crayfish 25(1):69-75. doi: 10.5869/fc.2020.v25-1.069
Author Information
Christopher P. Bonvillain,* Department of Biological Sciences, Nicholls State University, P.O. box 2021, Thibodaux, LA, USA70310. E-mail: chris.bonvillain@nicholls.edu
Quenton C. Fontenot, Department of Biological Sciences, Nicholls State University, P.O. Box 2021, Thibodaux, LA, USA70310. E-mail: quenton.fontenot@nicholls.edu
Corresponding Author indicated by an *.
Publication History
Manuscript Submitted: 9/30/2019
Manuscript Accepted: 4/23/2020
Published Online: 4/25/2020
Published in Print: 4/30/2020
Funding Information
No specific funding statement is available for this article.