Habitat use and feeding habits of juvenile fishes in an infrequently flooded Atlantic saltmarsh

2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (10) ◽  
pp. 1154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Macarena Valiñas ◽  
Eduardo M. Acha ◽  
Oscar Iribarne
Keyword(s):  
Tidal Flat ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Spartina Densiflora ◽  
Opposite Pattern ◽  
Marsh Creek ◽  
Sw Atlantic ◽  
Micropogonias Furnieri ◽  
Benthic Prey ◽  
Odontesthes Argentinensis

In saltmarshes, marsh creeks provide an important corridor between the marsh and the subtidal habitat for fishes. We compare fish and prey in a Spartina densiflora marsh creek with a tidal flat in the SW Atlantic (Argentina) to evaluate the hypotheses that: (1) benthic prey abundance is higher in the marsh creek, and therefore the abundance of benthivorous fishes and predation pressure on benthos is higher in this area; and (2) marsh creeks act as refuge areas for fishes. Fish abundance and benthic prey availability were sampled over four seasons, and dietary composition of Odontesthes argentinensis and Micropogonias furnieri was assessed. Brevoortia aurea was more abundant in the marsh creek, Micropogonias furnieri showed the opposite pattern, and Odontesthes argentinensis and Ramnogaster arcuata did not dominate either habitat. As expected, smaller fishes were more abundant in the marsh creek. Food abundance was higher in the marsh creek but only M. furnieri consumed more prey in this area, while O. argentinensis consumed more in the tidal flat. Differences in prey accessibility and sediment features between areas could explain these results. This work highlights the importance of marsh creeks as refuge and/or feeding grounds for fishes in infrequently flooded saltmarshes.

scholarly journals Diet composition and feeding habits of the eyespot skate, Atlantoraja cyclophora (Elasmobranchii: Arhynchobatidae), off Uruguay and northern Argentina

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Santiago A. Barbini ◽  
Luis O. Lucifora
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Prey Size ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Cold Season ◽  
The North ◽  
Multiple Hypothesis ◽  
Modelling Approach

ABSTRACT The eyespot skate, Atlantoraja cyclophora, is an endemic species from the southwestern Atlantic, occurring from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to northern Patagonia, Argentina. The feeding habits of this species, from off Uruguay and north Argentina, were evaluated using a multiple hypothesis modelling approach. In general, the diet was composed mainly of decapod crustaceans, followed by teleost fishes. Molluscs, mysidaceans, amphipods, isopods, lancelets and elasmobranchs were consumed in lower proportion. The consumption of shrimps drecreased with increasing body size of A. cyclophora. On the other hand, the consumption of teleosts increased with body size. Mature individuals preyed more heavily on crabs than immature individuals. Teleosts were consumed more in the south region (34º - 38ºS) and crabs in the north region (38º - 41ºS). Shrimps were eaten more in the warm season than in the cold season. Prey size increased with increasing body size of A. cyclophora , but large individuals also consumed small teleosts and crabs. Atlantoraja cyclophora has demersal-benthic feeding habits, shifts its diet with increasing body size and in response to seasonal and regional changes in prey availability and distribution.

scholarly journals Diet of Ameerega braccata (Steindachner, 1864) (Anura: Dendrobatidae) from Chapada dos Guimarães and Cuiabá, Mato Grosso State, Brazil

2011 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
LR. Forti ◽  
ASO. Tissiani ◽  
T. Mott ◽  
C Strüssmann
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Niche Breadth ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Phylogenetic Perspective ◽  
Toxic Alkaloids ◽  
Two Populations

The understanding of feeding habits is important for anurans in general, both from an ecological and a phylogenetic perspective. For diurnal poison frogs belonging to the Dendrobatidae family, diet aspects play a crucial role in their defense and survival. Herein, we investigated feeding habits, foraging behaviour, and overall effects of habitat, sex, and body size on the diet of individuals of Ameerega braccata, a poorly known dendrobatid species. Specimens were observed and collected in the type-locality, Chapada dos Guimarães, and in the neighbouring municipality of Cuiabá, both in the State of Mato Grosso, Midwestern Brazil. The most important prey categories for A. braccata were Formicidae, Isoptera, and Acari, whose representatives were caught during active foraging. Individuals from Chapada dos Guimarães population consumed more Acari but fewer Isoptera than individuals from Cuiabá. Despite this, niche breadth values were narrow and similar for the two populations. Individuals from two distinct habitats (campo sujo and cerrado stricto sensu) showed differences in their diet, probably as an effect of differential prey availability. Females consumed more Isoptera than males. The number of prey categories used as food was not influenced by the variation of body size of the target species. However, the abundance and the volume of consumed Acari were statistically correlated with body size. The main results suggest that Ameerega braccata has a narrow niche breadth, as well as a specialised diet in ants, termites, and mites, which reinforces the hypotheses of close association between Acari consumption and the presence of skin toxic alkaloids, already found in other species of Dendrobatidae. Although differences in prey consumption between sexes are uncommon among poisonous frogs, differences in the diet composition between age classes, which probably reduce intraspecific competition, are frequently reported.

Food and feeding habits of Triturus vulgaris (L.) and T. cristatus (LAURENTI) (Amphibia) in two bog tarns in central Norway

1983 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dag Dolmen ◽  
Jan Ivar Koksvik
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Invertebrates ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Triturus Vulgaris ◽  
Food And Feeding ◽  
Benthic Prey

AbstractThe diets oftwo sympatric species of newts, Triturus vulgaris(L.) and T. cristatus(LAURENTI), from two localities in central Norway, have been compared. Adult T. vulgaris ate mainly those Cladocera which can be classified as planktonic, and to a lesser degree those which are predominantly benthic. The food of T. cristatus was predominantly benthic invertebrates and Cladocera associated with the bottom. T. vulgaris larvae ate planktonic - and predominantly benthic Cladocera, and to a certain degree also larger benthic invertebrates, while T. cristatus larvae (July-August) had taken almost exclusively Cladocera, 75% of which can be classified as planktonic. Large T. cristatus larvae (in September) had eaten relatively more benthic prey. These data would fit the hypothesis that the modes of feeding of the species are different: Adult T. vulgaris swim about in the water much of the time, while T. cristatus stay on the bottom. Among the young, T. vulgaris larvae are mainly associated with the bottom, while T. cristatus larvae are definitely more nektonic during most of the summer; large T. cristatus larvae, however, when nearing the time for metamorphosis, become benthic.

Variation in the diet of the Lataste's viper Vipera latastei in the Iberian Peninsula: seasonal, sexual and size-related effects

2007 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Pleguezuelos ◽  
José Brito ◽  
Soumia Fahd ◽  
Xavier Santos ◽  
Gustavo Llorente ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Prey Type ◽  
Ontogenetic Shift ◽  
Ecological Data ◽  
Opposite Pattern ◽  
Iberian Range ◽  
Ambush Predation

AbstractSeveral life-history traits may increase vulnerability of species to extinction. Among snakes, ambush predation and dietary specialisation are factors that increase this vulnerability. European viper species, genus Vipera, display such traits and are categorised as endangered in several parts of its range. For their conservation management, a deeper knowledge of their ecology and habitat use is highly relevant. One of the species with less ecological data is the Lataste's viper Vipera latastei, a species which lives in the Iberian Peninsula and northwestern Africa. Here, we describe its diet based on the analysis of gut content of 435 museum specimens plus nine bibliographic data from the entire Iberian range. The species showed seasonal and ontogenetic shift in diet but no sexual variations. Feeding activity (percentage of vipers with prey) was low in accordance with its ambush predation tactics, being lower in spring than in summer and autumn. Prey spectrum included two main (reptiles and small mammals), and three sporadic, types of prey (arthropods, amphibians and birds). The consumption of reptiles and mammals was seasonal; the former decreased in occurrence from spring to autumn, whereas the latter showed an opposite pattern. There was an ontogenetic shift in the diet: juveniles fed mainly on reptiles and arthropods, whereas adult vipers progressively substitute this prey with insectivores, and the largest vipers primarily foraged on rodents and birds. Our results suggest that the seasonal variation in prey type was related to prey availability, whereas the ontogenetic shift was linked to gape limitation. The apparently wide prey spectrum of V. latastei must therefore be examined, taking into account that there are seasonal and ontogenetic dietary variations as well as geographic differences, the latter probably driven by climatic contrasts into the Iberian Peninsula. This new data of the endangered Iberian V. latastei can aid the effective conservation management of this species.

Comparison between the feeding habits of spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) and their potential prey in the southern Gulf of Mexico

2018 ◽  
Vol 99 (3) ◽  
pp. 661-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Serrano-Flores ◽  
J.C. Pérez-Jiménez ◽  
I. Méndez-Loeza ◽  
K. Bassos-Hull ◽  
M.J. Ajemian
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Potential Prey ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Ecological Aspects ◽  
Southern Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Spotted Eagle Ray

In the southern Gulf of Mexico, the spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) is the second most frequently caught batoid in small-scale fisheries off Campeche. Ecological aspects of this ray are unknown in this region, hampering the understanding of the relationship between its distribution and prey availability in the fishing area. In order to study the feeding habits of this batoid and characterize its potential prey in the study area, stomachs and intestines of 154 specimens (68 females and 86 males) were analysed. The results indicated that A. narinari near Campeche is a specialist and selective predator that feeds mainly on gastropods (92.7% IRI), with no significant differences in the diet found between sexes, size groups, or between stomach and intestine contents. In addition, the results indicated that the most important prey species in the diet were among the most common benthic species in three of the four sampling transects positioned in or adjacent to fishing areas for rays. These most important prey species were Strombus pugilis (53.33% IRI) and Americoliva reticularis (25.6% IRI). Other prey species included Lobatus costatus (5.6% IRI) and Petrochirus diogenes (3.6% IRI). This study suggests that this widely distributed ray species feeds in Campeche's coastal waters and that the study of its potential prey increases the understanding of ecological aspects of the species, which emphasizes the added importance of monitoring fishery impacts on prey species (e.g. the conch fishery off Campeche) to help support integrated assessment and management of fisheries.

Drivers of nano- and microplanktonic community structure in a Patagonian tidal flat ecosystem

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 621-639
Author(s):  
Juan F Saad ◽  
Maite A Narvarte ◽  
Mariza A Abrameto ◽  
Viviana A Alder
Keyword(s):  
Tidal Flat ◽  
Tidal Flats ◽  
Size Spectrum ◽  
Spatial Gradient ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Total Density ◽  
Phytoplankton Structure ◽  
Tidal Transport ◽  
Sw Atlantic ◽  
Inshore Waters

ABSTRACT Tidal flats are exceptionally dynamic coastal ecosystems. Tides are their main source of energy, whose influence decreases landwards (as land elevation increases), thus shaping physical, chemical and biological gradients. In this study, we assess whether the structure of nano- and microplankton varies along a spatial gradient in San Antonio Bay (SAB, SW Atlantic), a semi-desert coastal ecosystem with a wide tidal flat and a macrotidal regime. We hypothesize that the tidal effect shapes SAB’s both taxonomical groups and size spectrum. The seasonal sampling of 9 sites revealed that diatoms and small flagellates were the most abundant groups, together accounting for over 75% of total density in practically all sites and seasons. High densities of meroplanktonic stages of Ulva lactuca were recorded in spring at the innermost sites, accounting for over 95% of all planktonic cells. Slopes of the size spectrum analysis were in line with highly productive inshore waters (mean, −0.64) and showed that larger phytoplankton was the main contributor to total biomass, despite its decreasing importance toward inner sites. The spatial and seasonal variations found for lower trophic web compartments provide evidence of the importance of tidal transport in ruling phytoplankton structure in tidal flats under strong macrotidal regimes.

Ecology of the Little Black Cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris, and Little Pied Cormorant, P. melanoleucos, in Inland New South Wales I. Food and Feeding Habits.

1979 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 79 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Miller
Keyword(s):  
Common Carp ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
New South ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Exotic Fish ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Food And Feeding

The food and feeding habits of two species of cormorant were studied on a group of freshwater lakes in inland New South Wales. P. sulcirostris fed mainly on exotic fish (69% of live weight of prey), captured while fishing communally in the deeper waters. P. melanoleucos fed mainly on native decapod crustaceans (60% of prey) captured while fishing individually in the shallow parts of the lakes, and in nearby billabongs and farm dams. P. sulcirostris took larger common carp Carassius auratus, redfin Perca fluviatilis and yabby Cherax destructor than its congener. Seasonal changes in the diet of P. sulcirostris were similar in each year; its major prey, common carp and redfin, were least available during winter and spring, as fry grew too large to be captured and swallowed. Changes in diet of P. melanoleucos were irregular, as the availability of yabby, its major prey, was influenced by the turbidity, level and temperature of water. Seasonal changes in diets of both cormorants were attributed to changes in prey availability, and not changes in food preference. Food of nestlings sometimes differed from that of adults.

Feeding habits of cockfish, Callorhinchus callorhynchus (Holocephali: Callorhynchidae), in Patagonian waters (Argentina)

1996 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 801 ◽  
Author(s):  
EE Di Giacomo ◽  
MR Perier
Keyword(s):  
Prey Size ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Food Composition ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Bivalve Molluscs ◽  
Invertebrate Prey ◽  
Selective Foraging ◽  
Predator Size ◽  
Two Factors

Morphology of the main digestive features of cockfish, Callorhinchus callorhynchus, is described and linked to feeding habits. Composition of the diet and size-selective foraging of this species on scallops was studied in northern Patagonian waters and analysed in relation to depth, sex and size. Three species of bivalve molluscs (Pitar rostratus, Aequipecten tehuelchus and Ennucula puelcha) and flabelligerid polychaetes were predominant in the diet of males. The scallop Zygochlamys patagonica dominated the diet of females. The diet of juveniles consisted of small gastropods (Olivella sp.), bivalves with fragile shells (e.g. Pandora cistula), amphipods and polychaetes. Differences in food composition between sexes and between juveniles and adults are attributed to two factors: extrinsic (concerning prey availability) and intrinsic (concerning the morphology and behaviour of the predator). Size-selective foraging on two species of scallops, Aequipecten tehuelchus (subject to commercial fishing) and Zygochlamys patagonica, was found in adults; it is argued that maximum scallop prey size is constrained by the strength of the crushing apparatus of the cockfish. The diet of the cockfish is compared with that of other holocephalans. It is concluded that species of Callorhinchus can be generally characterized as benthic foragers that specialize in crushing shelled invertebrate prey.

Intrapopulation variation in the diet of franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) off southern Brazil

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Manuela Bassoi ◽  
Eduardo R. Secchi ◽  
Daniel Danilewicz ◽  
Ignacio B. Moreno ◽  
Roberta A. Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Prey Selection ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Brazilian Coast ◽  
Pontoporia Blainvillei ◽  
Franciscana Dolphin

Abstract The franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) is a coastal dolphin endemic to the western South Atlantic Ocean. The dolphin is listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List, with incidental catches in gillnet fisheries the greatest conservation concern for this species. Insights into the feeding habits of this dolphin are essential to understand its distribution, movements and use of habitat, which are fundamental for effective management of the species. The feeding habits of franciscana dolphins were investigated from analyses of stomach contents of animals incidentally caught by two fishing operations from southern and northern regions of the southern Brazilian coast. In this study we investigate the existence of intrapopulation (sexual maturity and sex-related) variation in the diet of the franciscana dolphin, evaluating the spatial (northern and southern geographic areas) and seasonal influences. The analyses were based on Linear and Generalized Linear Models (LM and GLM). The majority of identified prey species were bottom-dwelling teleosts and the squid Doryteuthis sanpaulensis. The most important prey differed spatially and seasonally between northern and southern regions of the study area, and our results revealed significant differences between sexes and sexual maturity stages, mainly related to prey species sizes. This variation might indicate differences in prey selection, availability or habitat use patterns among these groups. In any case, these dietary differences are likely to minimize intraspecific competition for food resources, and/or indicate spatio-temporal variation in prey availability.

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