Seasonal and ontogenetic variability in stomach size of Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis L.)

Abstract

Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) were sampled in April, from May to June and at the end of August to test whether the current season (i.e. feeding conditions) affects the fishes’ stomach size (i.e. volume and weight). A wide range of size data were analysed to reveal the relationship between fish size (length and weight) and stomach size. No significant differences in length-specific stomach volume or stomach weight were found in fish sampled at different times of the year. However, there were differences between seasons in the size of the stomach in relation to body weight, as length-specific body weight changes during the year because of the development of gametes and changes in nutritional status. Both stomach volume and weight grew obeying the power function up to about 20 cm in total length of perch. Yet, the growth was faster than that predicted by the cube law in relation to fish length, i.e. allometric. In larger fish, stomach growth decreased in relation to growth in length, and the relative weight of the stomach even decreased in the largest size class. These dynamics match well with the typical pattern of growth and ontogenic shift in diet from small invertebrates to fish. A non-proportional power function relationship was found between stomach weight and stomach volume.