Question to Ponder

[BarryBobPosthole]

Why don't fish eat water bugs?

They must be bitter sumbitches. I've never seen a fish even swirl at one.

BKB

[Captain]

There is limits on what everything will eat, except for Thumper and maybe Hideman...

[airbud7]

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/9f/45/42/9f4542a4472a652eed84aec94de955a3.jpg

Oh wait!

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1275240/images/o-WATERBUG-EATS-FISH-facebook.jpg

[HideHunter]

Something I have pondered all my life.. Now I will say, I actually have seen fish swirl under them.. only a time or two and I've wondered if there were baitfish under the "pod" or if it might be a defensive action.. But, I am fully convinced .. you're right. They don't eat them.

[quercus alba]

Google is your friend

Adult whirligig beetles prey on dead or dying insects, whereas the larvae eat other insects found in the water. Birds and fish are the primary predators of these beetles. A wading bird called the white-faced ibis is the common predator of whirligigs, and another type of animal that feeds on whirligig beetles is the largemouth bass.
Whirligig beetles swarm bodies of water, such as creeks, ponds, swamps and lakes. Large groups of beetles swim rapidly and rotate on the water surface, thus earning whirligigs their name. They actively feed during the daytime. Whirligig beetles are considered beneficial bugs, as they are scavengers that help clean the water surface by consuming dead insects.
Whirligigs watch out for predators in the air and in the water using their two sets of compound eyes. One eye is located above the water surface, while the other is slightly immersed in the water. Once whirligigs notice predators, they escape by swimming very quickly. The beetles clump together in large numbers, typically thousands, to confuse potential predators. However, this enormous gathering enables predators to catch numerous beetles in single swoops.
Whirligig beetles have a chemical defense system that allows them to produce an odor that repels some predators. When faced with danger, they emit testosterone, cortisone and aldehydes, which are chemicals that give them a repulsive taste.

[LJ3]

Not sure I buy all that except the last part about stinking it up. In 50+ years of fishing, I never once seen one get et by a fish of any kind.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Considering that a big part of a lot of freshwater fish's makeup is to typically eat things and then wonder what that was, it is surprising they don't get accidently smashed more often. Like shark attacks on humans. You just don't see it though.
They must have goat pictures of the fish or something.

I'd bet there's a larval stage that they're vulnerable in.

BKB

[HideHunter]

Thank you Oak.. I definitely would have googled it - but I never knew what they were called. "something new everyday" accomplished.

[quercus alba]

Whirligig doesn't sound very scientific does it?

[quercus alba]

I was reading some comments from a good many people who claim they never catch fish around waterbugs. That would make a lot of sense if they gave off a noxious odor

[BarryBobPosthole]

I've never really noticed that but maybe they do avoid them. It makes sense.

What made me think of this in the first place was I was watching a program on tv where a physicist was explaining how water strider bugs are able to walk on water in physics terms. Its an amazing adaptation. (or creation, or intelligent design take your pick its amazing still)

And that naturally led to why don't fish eat waterbugs. naturally for me anyway.

BKB

[HideHunter]

Strider bugs are cool.. but, I once saw a water shrew run across the water. This was "pre-google" (by a number of years) and it was a "number" of years before I knew what I saw. I count it among my best outdoor "sightings".

[BarryBobPosthole]

Well now that is cool. I had to google it.
BKB