
%0 Journal Article
%A Palomares, Maria Lourdes D. 
%A Pauly, Daniel 
%T Predicting food consumption of fish populations as functions of mortality, food type, morphometrics, temperature and salinity
%J Marine and Freshwater Research
%D 1998/10/19
%V 49
%N 5
%P 447-453
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/MF98015
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MF98015 
%X A large data set of relative food-consumption estimates (Q/B) of marine and freshwater fish populations (n = 108 populations, 38 species) is documented and used to derive a predictive model for Q/B, using asymptotic weight, habitat temperature, a morphological variable and food type as independent variables. Salinity is shown to have no effect on Q/B in fish well adapted to fresh or salt water (other things being equal), while mortality (Z), has a strong, positive effect on Q/B and on gross food-conversion efficiency (defined by GE = Z/(Q/B)), by affecting the ratio of small:large fish. The empirical models thus derived should be useful for parameterization of trophic models of ecosystems and similar applications. 
