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Trophic Classification of Fish
Trophic classifications of fish can be quite useful in bioassessments. For instance, the predominance of one type of feeding group over another may be a sign of decreased food supply or the potential harmful effects of pollutants. Typical trophic designations for fish include:
- Piscivores – feed on other fish (e.g., rock bass, northern pike, largemouth bass)
- Herbivores – feed on plant material (e.g., chiselmouth, grass carp, eastern silvery minnow)
- Ominovores – feed on anything available (e.g., fathead minnow, white sucker)
- Insectivores – feed on insects (e.g., lake chub, spotfin shiner)
- Filter feeders – feed on zooplankton by straining the water through the gill rakers (e.g., alewife, paddlefish, blueback herring )
- Invertivores – feed on insects, mollusks, and crustaceans (e.g., lake sturgeon, American shad)
- Generalists – known to feed on fish and macroinvertebrates (e.g., fallfish, blacknose dace)
Tolerance designations (relevant to non-specific stressors) are also assigned to fish species. These groups include intolerant, intermediate, and tolerant. More information on the tolerance levels and trophic guilds of fish can be found at:
- Appendix C 'Tolerance and Trophic Guilds for Selected Fish Species' of Rapid Bioassessment Protocols for use in Streams and Wadeable Rivers: Periphyton, Benthic Macroinvertebrates, and Fish
- Chapter 8 'Fish Protocols' from the Rapid Bioassessment Protocols For Use in Streams and Rivers: Periphyton, Benthic, Macroinvertebrates, and Fish details Fish IBI metrics used in various regions of North America in Table 8-1.