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Fish Energetics pp 67–98Cite as

The Application of Optimal Foraging Theory to Feeding Behaviour in Fish

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Abstract

Studies of the composition of fish diets were first reported before the end of the last century (Forbes, 1888), and observations of feeding behaviour shortly afterwards (Triplett, 1901), but it was not until the 1940s that quantitative investigation of prey selection was made possible by the development of the first numerical index of electivity, the forage ratio (Hess & Schwartz, 1941). Much effort has since been devoted to the development of methods for quantifying electivity, including the well known index of Ivlev (1961). Lechowiez (1982) provides a critical review.

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Authors
  1. Colin R. Townsend
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  2. Ian J. Winfield
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, Sheffield, England

    Peter Calow

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© 1985 Peter Tytler and Peter Calow

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Townsend, C.R., Winfield, I.J. (1985). The Application of Optimal Foraging Theory to Feeding Behaviour in Fish. In: Tytler, P., Calow, P. (eds) Fish Energetics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7918-8_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7918-8_3

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