An Analysis of Stomach Contents of the Ouachita Madtom in Three Streams of the Upper Saline River Drainage, Arkansas

A study was conducted to identify typical foods eaten by the Ouachita madtom (Noturus lachneri), an endemic ictalurid of central Arkansas, and to compare these foods to the invertebrate community. Fish and invertebrate samples were collected in August and October, 1990, from a pool and adjacent riffle habitat in each of 3 streams in the upper Saline River drainage. Kick-net and electrofishing samples were collected at each site and the invertebrate organisms were identified to the lowest possible taxa. Stomachs from the N. lachneri specimens were removed and the contents were identified to order. Frequency of occurrence of each taxon was compared between stomach contents and kick-net samples. Similarities between kick-net samples and stomach contents indicate that N. lachneri specimens were not highly selective in food preference in the riffle and pool habitats of these Ouachita Mountain streams