Quote:
Originally Posted by MathGeek
I don't think I'd say there is no way to develop the hypothesis, just that we have not yet thought of a simple way.
A lot of feed efficiency issues have been worked out in great detail in freshwater trout, and a lot of ways of untangling food webs have been used in large freshwater lakes and the open oceans.
And even if the available data never becomes available to describe all the biological and life history causes behind the observations, the observations themselves (condition of the fish) and the resulting correlations are pretty solid.
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no such thing as bad data. Not all studies show correlations. I looked at nesting birds for 2 years and the first year all my data lined up great and the nesting was predictable and i thought I had it all figured out. Second year, they didn't act the same and completely through me for a loop, but that data is still there for someone else to sift through
Back on original topic, I think there are a couple things that may be influencing the results of your data
1. the timing of the study is also correlating with spawning time and weirs also are open during that time (full moons in late spring/summer). Likely the fish have just spawned.
2. rod and reel catches don't show the true population, only fish susceptible to being caught, which are likely fish that are hungry and thin anyways
3. The egg-laden females may be there but are not being caught. They are only interested in one thing - spawning. They have already fed for long periods of time to be ready for the most important event in their lives.