Proportion of Individuals as Insectivorous Cyprinids

 

Like many streams found in North America, cyprinids are the dominant insectivorous fish in

New Jersey (excluding Pineland streams). A shift from specialized invertebrate feeders to

generalists with flexible foraging behaviors often indicates poor conditions associated with

water quality and/or physical habitat degradation (Karr et al. 1986). Similar to the benthic

insectivore metric, insectivorous cyprinids in some instances, may indirectly measure the

effects of toxicity.