Bythotrephes cederstroemi in Ohio reservoirs: evidence from fish diets

The predaceous spiny water flea Bythotrephes cederstroemi was first found in the Great Lakes in the 1980s, and later was observed in 16 inland lakes of Ontario and three inland lakes of Minnesota. This cladoceran likely will continue to expand its range to other inland lakes and reservoirs of North America. In 1996, B. cederstroemi was reported in the stomach contents of age-0 largemouth bass from three Ohio reservoirs that lie outside the Great Lakes basin. Given the typical pelagic distribution of this cladoceran, it would have been more likely to find it in the diets of fishes with more pelagic distributions than in juvenile largemouth bass from shallow inshore areas. Fish diets may provide an early indicator of the presence of this exotic species.