The worms attached to the lip of this crank bait are midge larvae,
commonly called bloodworms for obvious reasons. Members of the Chironomid
family, these larvae contain hemoglobin which stores oxygen within their
bodies making it possible for them to exist for some time in environments
with very little or no oxygen. For this reason, bloodworms are able
to live in lake bottoms which are organically enriched and/or highly
polluted. They are very common, and generally important, in sewage oxidation
lagoons. Bloodworms are fed upon by various species of fish including
sunfish, yellow perch and walleyes. In a documented feeding behavior,
yellow perch actually enter into anoxic lake bottoms and feed on these
midge larvae for short periods of time despite the lack of dissolved
oxygen. "Big Thanks" to the IL Dept. of Natural Resources for this information.
12/10/2001
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