Fish represented the largest part of the diet in biomass for the alligators in the lakes.

Total Eish biomass for Lake Griffin alligators was 20,309 g or 54% of the diet (Figure 3-

4). Fish made up an overwhelming percentage of alligator diets from Lakes Apopka

(15,868.9 g or 90% of the diet) and Woodruff (13,586 g or 84% of the diet) (Figures 3-5,

3-6, respectively). While fish were the dominant prey in all lakes, the species

composition and number of Esh consumed varied among the lakes. Lake Griffin

alligators (Table 3-5) most commonly consumed catfish (Ictaluridae). Lake Apopka

alligators consumed a large number of shad (Clupeidae) (Table 3-6) and the largest

portion of fish consumed by the Lake Woodruff alligators was sunfish and bass

(Centrarchidae) (Table 3-7). Alligators from all lakes consumed gar (Lepisosteus spp.)

infrequently, but it had the potential to contribute a lot to biomass. For example, gar

occurred in 4.5% of the Lake Apopka samples and comprised 2826 g or 16% of the diet.

 The diversity and equitability of Esh in alligator diets differed among the lakes.

The minimum number of fresh fish taxa consumed by the alligators in the lakes was 3 1

(Tables 3-5, 3-6, 3-7). Lake Woodruff alligators had the highest diversity and

equitability of fish in their diet, followed by Lake Griffin alligators, and Lake Apopka

alligators had the lowest diversity and equitability of fish in their diet (Table 3-11i). The

diversity and equitability of Lake Apopka alligator fish consumption stood out as much

lower and their minimum number of fish taxa consumed was also the lowest at seven

(Table 3-11). This difference may be due to habitat variations, meaning that Lake

Apopka alligators were possibly taking advantage of locally abundant prey (i.e., shad)

that were not available to the alligators in the other two lakes.