Feeding ecology of Necturus beyeri in Louisiana.

The Gulf Coast waterdog and its prey were closely associated with stream leaf litter. Declining abundance of N. beyeri in leaf litter beds and decreased food consumption during warmer months was associated with declining invertebrate richness and abundance. N. beyeri probably burrows during warm periods of the year, behavior related to low food availability. Young and adult N. beyeri were trophically segregated by prey type and size, and by feeding habitat to a degree. Juveniles and subadults fed predominantly on isopods, midges and small mayflies. Adults fed predominantly on large mayflies and caddisflies. The high intensity of acanthocephalan parasitism observed for N. beyeri was linked to predation on isopods, the intermediate hosts of these parasites.-from Authors