Mechanisms of resistance of freshwater macrophytes to herbivory by invasive juvenile common carp

1. Herbivory on freshwater macrophytes has been assumed to be insignificant and rare. More recent evidence suggests herbivory is common and the impact of invasive invertebrate herbivores can be substantial. However, little is known about consumption of macrophytes by fish. 2. We performed a series of feeding assays, based on the consumption by common carp (Cyprinus carpio), to determine if any mechanisms of resistance, structural or chemical, were present in five species of macrophytes (Stuckenia pectinata, Typha latifolia, Scirpus validus, Chara aspera and Ceratophyllum demersum). 3. Carp consumed more fresh whole plant tissue of C. aspera than any other macrophyte, suggesting a lack of structural or chemical deterrents. Typha latifolia, S. validus and C. demersum were consumed least as whole plants, but consumption increased when they were offered in pellet form suggesting structural defence. Crude chemical extracts from S. pectinata significantly reduced consumption of pellets by carp. Thus, plant chemistry and structure both deterred feeding by carp. 4. Experiments that focus on theory are common but their application to managing landscapes is substantially lacking. Our results provide a basis for recommending plants to be used in restoring larval habitat refugia with the aim of increasing the probability for long‐term recovery of an endangered species. Thus, this paper is an example of how experiments that tie theory to application are important for practical applications and for continued testing of theory. 5. We suggest that macrophyte–herbivore interactions play an integral part in aquatic food webs and may be as important in freshwater communities as in marine and terrestrial systems.