Feeding of the stone sculpin Paracottus knerii (Cottidae) in the littoral of southern Baikal

The food spectrum and seasonal dynamics of feeding of the stone sculpin Paracottus knerii in the littoral of southern Baikal is investigated. Altogether, 29 species of invertebrates are recorded. All year round, the bulk of food, similarly to other areas of the lake, consisted of amphipods; other groups of zoobenthos were represented insignificantly. The significance of particular amphipod species in the food of fish depended on their ecological and morphofunctional traits. The seasonal changes in the species composition and the ratio of food items in the food depended on life cycles of fish and on the migrations of zoobenthic organisms.