Fish that Eat Mosquito Larvae [Best Choice]

Fish eat a lot of different aquatic creatures, including insects and larvae.

Mosquitoes are no exception ...

There is a number of species that feed on mosquito larvae.

Those species are quite useful because they naturally reduce the number of these annoying insects.

If you want to know more about fish that eat mosquito larvae, read the following chapters:

• What You Should Know About Mosquito Larvae?
• Is Mosquito Larvae Good for Fish?
• So, Which Fish Eat Mosquito Larvae?
• Will Goldfish Eat Mosquito Larvae?
• Do Anglers Use Mosquito Larvae as Fishing Bait?

What You Should Know About Mosquito Larvae?

Before writing more about fish species that eat mosquito larvae, I will tell you more about these insects and stages of their life.

Many insects, including mosquitoes, go through metamorphosis during their life cycle.

There are four stages of it, and those are egg, larva, pupa and adult mosquito.

All these together last around 30 days.

An egg gets laid by the female mosquito. She will position the eggs on the water, or in the vicinity, on a damp soil.

The next stage is the larvae, which I am going to focus on ...

After about 7 days, eggs hatch. A larvae is “born”.

These larvae are sometime called wigglers because they look like small wiggling hairy worms.

These are delicate and soft and their bodies consist of 10 segments and a round head. The whole body is less than a quarter of inch long.

Larvae live in the water for 2 weeks or sometimes even more.

Keep in mind that there are different species of mosquitoes and not all have the same lengths of the stages.

Water temperature plays a role in their development and affects the length of larvae stage.

When larvae are in the water, they breathe the air through tubes located in he end of their bodies.

Although these organisms are tiny, they require food to grow. Algae and plankton are most frequently on their menu.

As they grow, they reach about half an inch in length.

Molting process happens 4 times during this stage, and after each one, the larvae gets bigger.

The next stage is pupa. In a simple way, it can be described as a 1-3 day stage in which larvae is within a formed “cocoon” and it does not feed.

Ant the last stage the mosquito emerges from the cocoon, and lives for about 7 days.

During this period, it will produce new eggs (at least the female will) and start a new generation of mosquitoes.

Is Mosquito Larvae Good for Fish?

Mosquito larvae can grow in different waters, from an old forgotten small pond in someone's back yard, to large bodies of water like lakes.

Some of those waters are inhabited by all kinds of fish species and some of them will gladly eat them.

Mosquito larvae provides necessary nutrients and it is a good food source for the fish.

They are also an excellent protein source.

But, the majority of fish species eat at least a few kinds of different foods, so those eating larvae will consume other foods to.

If they ate only larvae, at least the fish species living in the wild, that would be insufficient for them.

However, mosquito larvae is good for fish.

You may not notice the benefits of it as an angler, but aquarists say it improves the fig general well-being.

Their colors become more vivid and they look and behave very lively.

Eating mosquito larvae and digesting all the nutrients will also improve fish reproduction.

So yes, it can be said that mosquito larvae are an excellent food source.

So, Which Fish Eat Mosquito Larvae?

Fish that eat mosquito larvae are various, and here I am going to list 2 groups of them.

Firstly, I will mention those interesting to anglers (Group 1), and in addition, I will list those interesting to aquarists or backyard pond lovers (Group 2).

Group 1:

Bass

A full grown bass will probably skip this meal, however, juvenile bass will occasionally consume mosquito larvae.

It is a great, small, and easily available food source for a growing fish. Protein content in it is important for fish development.

Bluegill

Bluegill is another specie that likes to eat mosquito larvae.

If the opportunity arises, they will happily eat them, even the adult specimens, not just the small ones.

Catfish

Catfish are known for their non-picky eating habits.

They will eat almost anything, including mosquito larvae

 Large ones are going to feed on bigger prey, but the smaller ones will eat it with no problem.

Panfish

Panfish are a group of fish species which are small, edible and interesting to anglers.

Varieties of those are going to be mentioned later. All those feed on mosquito larvae.

Minnows

Minnows live in nature, especially across the USA, but they can also be held in small ponds, to control mosquito larvae.

Some people will even create great conditions for mosquito larvae and eggs in order to provide food for their fish.

Group 2:

Mosquito fish

As the name suggests, this fish consumes mostly mosquitoes.

In the USA, in some states, this fish is even farmed to be released into waters were mosquitoes breed, as a form of natural mosquito population control.

It can eat 100-500 larvae in one day.

Koi

Koi are actually related to carp, and are one of the most popular pond fish species.

They are colorful, and relatively easy to maintain. Additionally, they are great as mosquito control. You can also check, what does carp eat ...

Guppy

This is a small fish specie, frequently kept in fish tanks. Among other things, it eats mosquito larvae.

Tilapia

This fish is popular among aquarists because it is easy to maintain, easy to breed, and additionally, it can be fed with mosquito larvae.

Will Goldfish Eat Mosquito Larvae?

Goldfish is also one of the species which consume mosquito larvae.

There are different goldfish species too, and a lot of them are popular for small ponds.

They are great to naturally control mosquito population and easy to maintain.

Some species eat more mosquito larvae than others.

One of those is a Shubunkin goldfish.

Their color is a bit darker. These are quite large too, and grow to about 15 inches.

If these are in ponds and you want them to eat larvae, you should keep in mind their size.

Larger ones can't access weedy areas next to the edges of the pond. They will eat more larvae than smaller species, but wont be able to eat it all.

Small ones will easily eat from the weedy areas, but they are going to eat less.

Fry goldfish wont be able to eat “normal” size larvae. Fry can only eat freshly hatched ones.

The choice should be based on the pond size, weeds and your preferences.

Mosquito larvae has a great effect on them, the same as it has to other fish species. They can grow much faster if fed with such a protein rich food.

Do Anglers Use Mosquito Larvae as Fishing Bait?

Fish can usually be caught on their natural food used as bait, so what about fish that eat mosquito larvae?

Can they be caught with it?

Many people, including even experienced anglers, are unaware of the fact that mosquito larvae can be used as bait.

Artificial, plastic, mosquito larvae, can be used to catch panfish species. Those are sunfish, perch and crappies.

Artificial larvae can be attached onto small panfish jigs.

To do it, thread the body onto the jig hook.

These lures are great for late spring, when mosquitoes start to breed, and fish eat them all the time.

Soft plastic mosquito larvae is small, cheap and easy to use, so give it a try.

You can find it online, if it is not available in your favorite local fishing store.

Unfortunately, you can’t use the live larvae as bait due to their tiny size and fragility.

Conclusion

Fish that eat mosquito larvae are very useful in controlling the mosquito population.

Some of those are pond species, while others are wild and interesting to anglers.

Fish that feed on mosquito larvae are located near mosquito breeding grounds, and that can be a good tell-tale sign to an angler where to present the bait.

Some will even use artificial mosquito larvae as bait, and as crazy as it seems, it actually works.

Try to get one and make it a part of your tackle box!