Spatial and Ontogenetic Patterns in the Trophic Ecology of Two Predatory Fishes in a Large River

ABSTRACT Fishes use a variety of physical and biological resources that shift ontogenetically, seasonally and spatially. Quantifying what resources such as prey are required for persistence can improve understanding of ecological needs of fishes and riverine macrosystem functioning. Bowfin ( Amia ocellicauda ) and largemouth bass ( Micropterus nigricans ) cohabitate in their native range and potentially compete with one another. Yet, there have been no direct comparisons of their diets across spatial gradients to assess whether they partition resources or shift in prey use. We used multiple univariate and multivariate analyses to compare diet composition, diet overlap, feeding strategy, prey importance and diet partitioning between largemouth bass and bowfin across three reaches of the Upper Mississippi River. Largemouth bass ontogenetically shifted their diet from aquatic invertebrates to fishes and a more diverse assemblage of aquatic invertebrates. Bowfin and adult largemouth bass were top predators which consumed mostly crayfish and fish and overlapped in their diets. Despite overlapping diets, predators partitioned resources by consuming different lengths and abundances of prey, and largemouth bass had greater trophic plasticity. Within a predator group, few differences in diets existed spatially, underscoring the relative homogeneity in resource use potentially from similarities in the river's physical structure. Combined, prey use likely differed sufficiently to reduce potential competition between largemouth bass and bowfin, allowing long‐term coexistence in this system. Our results also highlighted the importance of crayfishes to riverine food webs and underscored the use of multiple prey and habitat types that sustain these predators.