Nutrition
Margariscus margarita
is an omnivore and is known to eat a assortment of organisms,
but usually prefers a range of aquatic macroinvertebrates and
zooplankton.
They also feed on plant material, snails, small fish, worms,
mollusks and
insects (Pearl Dace, 2013; Cunningham,
2006; Werner 2004). Margariscus margarita have also
been found to have detritus, algae, and diatoms in their
stomachs (Bramblett, 2008). Some
fish have even been found eating large beetles (Tallman,
1982). Spatial segregation has been
observed during times of feeding, meaning that the older fish
feed on the bottom in an area of water and the younger fish feed
at the top. Cunningham (2006) also
reported that the most common food that the pearl dace consumed
was diptera larvae and adults.
However, the diet of the pearl
dace changes during different seasons. For example, aquatic
macroinvertebrates are far more likely to be consumed during the
winter months (Department of
Environment and Conservation, 2013; Cunningham 2006).