What food items are incorporated when juvenile yellow perch transition beyond the initial zooplankton stage?
Answer
Small aquatic invertebrates and insect larvae
As yellow perch grow slightly larger, transitioning out of the fragile fry stage into small juveniles, their diet naturally broadens to capture slightly larger food sources than microscopic zooplankton. This evolutionary step involves incorporating small aquatic invertebrates found within the water system, consuming insect larvae that inhabit submerged structures, and sometimes including some filamentous algae. This adaptation allows them to exploit a wider range of energy sources available in the nursery waters before they develop into fully predatory adults.
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