Which food source forms the initial diet foundation for young yellow perch fry?
Answer
Zooplankton, including *Daphnia* and copepods
The dietary life cycle of the yellow perch exhibits a pronounced shift as the fish grows and develops. Newly hatched fry are initially reliant on microscopic organisms found in the water column for sustenance. Their foundational diet consists entirely of zooplankton, specifically naming organisms such as *Daphnia* and copepods. This planktonic feeding stage is critical as it fuels the rapid initial growth necessary for the young fish to gain enough size to evade predation from larger members of the food web, including juvenile perch.
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