Originally Posted By: anthropic


Bob Lusk has noticed that BOW with TP tend to have BG that enter winter in better shape than BOW without TP. He thinks the BG chow down on the TP YOY.


I based my statement as to the benefit to BG on research where all fish are harvested before the tilapia die. Specifically the growth of LMB fingerlings whose growth are greatly inhibited by the presence of TP. To be sure, if your small LMB (< 14") experienced difficulty in harvesting TP then your BG could have been no more successful. They are not as good a predator as LMB.

I am not saying Bob is wrong about the BG condition but rather he may misunderstand when and how the food is getting to the BG. The largest crop of YOY TP is late in summer and BG would be able to consume them as they die, as also would small LMB. Surely this could only help BG and small LMB condition but I would suggest this just might be too little to late on its own. There is also a lot of large TP dying and the BG potentially could consume decaying TP and organisms feeding on them. BG under this circumstance might possess an advantage over small LMB which for behavioral reasons wouldn't feed on things to large to swallow.


Last edited by jpsdad; 11/08/18 12:49 PM.

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