The Collection, Identification and Reconstruction of Lengths of Fish Prey from their Remains in Pike Stomachs

A simplified Seaburg sampler was used to obtain stomach contents from anaesthetized pike. Well-digested remains of fish prey were identified from pharyngeal bones (Cyprinidae) or the skeletal structure of the caudal region, by comparison with type material collected from fresh fish. The original lengths of the prey were estimated from linear relationships between fish length and size of the caudal fin, or size of the pharyngeal bone. Estimation of prey size from scales or otoliths using length-for-age data gave only approximate values.