Behavioral aspects of cannibalism in larval walleye, Stizostedion vitreum

Abstract

Behavioral aspects of cannibalism in larval walleye (Stizostedion v. vitreum) are described. Conspecific prey were taken both head and tail first. Tail-first cannibalisms sometimes occurred wherein the cannibalized walleye was not ingested completely. This made it possible for a cannibal with partly-ingested prey to be cannibalized and "chains" of up to four fish were observed. As all larval walleye were roughly the same size, this observation suggests that larval walleye will take prey longer than themselves. This was also apparent from head-first encounters, with each fish trying to cannibalize the other.