The study area in the Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania, where flathead catfish were collected for dietary analysis. Shapes denote collection methods: diamonds represent high-frequency electrofishing, triangles represent hoop nets, circles represent low-frequency eiectrofishing and the square represents the fish lift at the Conowingo Dam.
To determine what the flathead catfish were eating, researchers collected 576 of them over two years, with 241 individuals having recoverable stomach contents. The researchers extracted DNA from those contents and identified prey tissues.
Flathead catfish — native to the Mississippi River basin — were first detected in the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania in 2002, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In the two decades since then, the invasive species has spread throughout the river basin. The impact of the large predator on the waterway’s food webs and ecology was unknown, but now a team including researchers from Penn State is beginning to understand what Susquehanna flatheads are eating and how their presence is affecting native aquatic species in the river.
Barnes and Noble College — a Barnes and Noble Education company that operates the Penn State Bookstore — has continued its longtime partnership with the University and the Penn State Corporate Engagement Center to award a 2024-25 round of grants supporting a range of programs and initiatives across the commonwealth.
Penn State Hazleton Benefiting THON, the campus’ THON chapter, will host a designer purse and gift card bingo on Sunday, Oct. 20. Doors open at 1 p.m. and games will start at 2 p.m. in the Dr. Thomas M. Caccese Gymnasium in the Physical Education Building. The event is open to the public.
