TXE EIELAVXOUR AND PHYSIOLOGY OF HERRING AND OTRER CLUPEIDB 295
B. Feeding
1. Behatiour
In most clupeids this seems to be a direct, predatory snapping
action. This was deduced by Hardy (1924) from the analysis of stomach
contents of herring, and has been observed quits frequently in aquaria
in ti number of species, in herring for instance, by Battle et al. (1936),
Buckmann et al. (1953) and by Verheijen (1953), in Sardina pilchardus
by M u h i 6 (1960), in Harengulu penaacolae by Breder and Krumholz
(1943), in Sardinop8 caerulea by Loukashkin and Grant (1959), in
Pornopseudoharengus by Graham (1957) and in Sardinellu w r -
opthdmia and Brevoortia tyrannw by Breder (1959). Kirchhoff (1958),
in a detailed study of the functional morphology of the herring, described a sucking action which would occur as food wm being taken.
Kirchhoff (1958) also stated that herring had a suitable arrangement of gill rakers for filter feeding, and a study of gut contents in
clupeids does suggest that some species are at least partly filter feeders.
Radovich (1 962) showed this for Sardinops urermlea and Komarovsky
(1959) for Surdinella aurita. Gunter and Christmm (1960) reported
findings of detritus and bacteria in the gut of Brevoortia patronus, and
Harder (1960) cited Brevoortia and the engraulid Cetengraulis as
diatom feeders. Lagler et al. (1962) stated that Brevoortia tyrannw
swam with mouth agape through rich plankton, straining as much as
6.8 gallons of water a minute.
During feeding shoal formation tends to be disrupted. Hourston
(1958) found this in Clupea p a l h i i , Graham (1957) in P m l o b w
pseudoharengw and Breder (1 959) for Sardinellu mropthalmia and
Brevoortia tyrannw. In fact, feeding could cause a considerable delay
or change in any type of migration pattern (as discussed under Section
VI, R). Jakobsson (1961) noticed how herring chasing and feeding
on fish larvae changed their behaviour so markedly that they became
very spread out, and difficult to catch. Glover (1957) suggested that
herring might be able to detect concentration gradients of their
favourite food organisms. Thus feeding might cause an aggregation of
dispersed fish, or a break up and possible dispersion of shoals which
were already established.
2. Selection of food
Williamson (1917) observed herring in captivity. He found they
could detect food from about 30-90 cm away depending on its size and
that they rejected some food after taking it into the mouth. Blaxter
and Holliday (1968) found that detection of food by herring kept in
B. Feeding
1. Behatiour
In most clupeids this seems to be a direct, predatory snapping
action. This was deduced by Hardy (1924) from the analysis of stomach
contents of herring, and has been observed quits frequently in aquaria
in ti number of species, in herring for instance, by Battle et al. (1936),
Buckmann et al. (1953) and by Verheijen (1953), in Sardina pilchardus
by M u h i 6 (1960), in Harengulu penaacolae by Breder and Krumholz
(1943), in Sardinop8 caerulea by Loukashkin and Grant (1959), in
Pornopseudoharengus by Graham (1957) and in Sardinellu w r -
opthdmia and Brevoortia tyrannw by Breder (1959). Kirchhoff (1958),
in a detailed study of the functional morphology of the herring, described a sucking action which would occur as food wm being taken.
Kirchhoff (1958) also stated that herring had a suitable arrangement of gill rakers for filter feeding, and a study of gut contents in
clupeids does suggest that some species are at least partly filter feeders.
Radovich (1 962) showed this for Sardinops urermlea and Komarovsky
(1959) for Surdinella aurita. Gunter and Christmm (1960) reported
findings of detritus and bacteria in the gut of Brevoortia patronus, and
Harder (1960) cited Brevoortia and the engraulid Cetengraulis as
diatom feeders. Lagler et al. (1962) stated that Brevoortia tyrannw
swam with mouth agape through rich plankton, straining as much as
6.8 gallons of water a minute.
During feeding shoal formation tends to be disrupted. Hourston
(1958) found this in Clupea p a l h i i , Graham (1957) in P m l o b w
pseudoharengw and Breder (1 959) for Sardinellu mropthalmia and
Brevoortia tyrannw. In fact, feeding could cause a considerable delay
or change in any type of migration pattern (as discussed under Section
VI, R). Jakobsson (1961) noticed how herring chasing and feeding
on fish larvae changed their behaviour so markedly that they became
very spread out, and difficult to catch. Glover (1957) suggested that
herring might be able to detect concentration gradients of their
favourite food organisms. Thus feeding might cause an aggregation of
dispersed fish, or a break up and possible dispersion of shoals which
were already established.
2. Selection of food
Williamson (1917) observed herring in captivity. He found they
could detect food from about 30-90 cm away depending on its size and
that they rejected some food after taking it into the mouth. Blaxter
and Holliday (1968) found that detection of food by herring kept in