Feeding habits of dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) in the southeastern Gulf of California, Mexico

The diet and the feeding habits of the common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) in the Pacific coast of Ecuador was assessed by examining 320 stomachs of individuals ranging from 51 to 149 cm in total length. Fish was the predominant prey group in the diet (Alimentary Index, %AI = 95.39) followed by cephalopods (%AI = 4.13) and crustaceans (%AI = 0.48). Among the 17 prey items that make up the dolphinfish diet, the Exocoetidae family was the most important prey (%AI = 57.13), Dosidicus gigas being the most abundant invertebrate species (%AI = 7.65). Feeding patterns were evaluated using the graphing method of Amundsen, which suggested that this species shows a varying degree of specialization on different prey taxa. Thus, while some species were unimportant and rare (Hippocampus hippocampus, Lagocephalus lagocephalus, Gobiidae and Argonauta sp.), several dolphinfishes showed a high degree of specialization on Scombridae, Pleuroncodes planipes, Portunus xantusii and Opisthonema libertate. Size-related and temporal shifts in dietary composition were investigated by PERMANOVA analysis, which showed wide variations among size classes and periods of capture. The results of this study indicate that the common dolphinfish is an opportunistic feeder, which is capable of consuming a wide variety of schooling epipelagic organisms.

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Trophic ecology of the chihuil sea catfish (Bagre panamensis) in the south-east Gulf of California, México

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom ◽

10.1017/s0025315417000170 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 98 (4) ◽

pp. 885-893 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Víctor M. Muro-Torres ◽

Felipe Amezcua ◽

Raul E. Lara-Mendoza ◽

John T. Buszkiewicz ◽

Felipe Amezcua-Linares

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of California ◽

Trophic Ecology ◽

Trophic Position ◽

Feeding Habits ◽

Isotope Analysis ◽

Demersal Fish ◽

Trophic Levels ◽

High Plasticity ◽

Combined Use ◽

Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management

The trophic ecology of the chihuil sea catfish Bagre panamensis was studied through high-resolution variations in its feeding habits and trophic position (TP) in the SE Gulf of California, relevant to sex, size and season. The combined use of stomach content (SCA) and stable isotope analysis (SIA) allowed us to perform these analyses and also estimate the TP of its preys. Results of this study show that the chihuil sea catfish is a generalist and opportunistic omnivore predator that consumes primarily demersal fish and peneid shrimps. Its diet did not vary with climatic season (rainy or dry), size or sex. Results from the SIA indicated high plasticity in habitat use and prey species. The estimated TP value was 4.19, which indicates a tertiary consumer from the soft bottom demersal community in the SE Gulf of California, preying on lower trophic levels, which aids in understanding the species' trophic role in the food web. Because this species and its prey are important to artisanal and industrial fisheries in the Gulf of California, diet assimilation information is useful for the potential establishment of an ecosystem-based fisheries management in the area.

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Feeding habits of the speckled guitarfish Rhinobatos glaucostigma (Elasmobranchii, Batoidea) in the southeastern Gulf of California

Ciencias Marinas ◽

10.7773/cm.v39i3.2229 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 277-290 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

K De la Rosa-Meza

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of California ◽

Feeding Habits

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Organic and total mercury in muscle tissue of five aquatic birds with different feeding habits from the SE Gulf of California, Mexico

Chemosphere ◽

10.1016/j.chemosphere.2009.03.042 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 76 (3) ◽

pp. 415-418 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

J. Ruelas-Inzunza ◽

J. Hernández-Osuna ◽

F. Páez-Osuna

Keyword(s):

Muscle Tissue ◽

Gulf Of California ◽

Total Mercury ◽

Feeding Habits ◽

Aquatic Birds

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Feeding habits of the dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) in the eastern Caribbean

Scientia Marina ◽

10.3989/scimar.1999.63n3-4317 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 63 (3-4) ◽

pp. 303-315 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

Hazel A. Oxenford ◽

Wayne Hunte

Keyword(s):

Feeding Habits ◽

Coryphaena Hippurus ◽

Eastern Caribbean

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Reproductive biology and feeding habits of the common dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus (Linnaeus, 1758) off Saurashtra coast, India

Indian Journal of Fisheries ◽

10.21077/ijf.2018.65.4.74184-05 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 65 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jyoti Saroj ◽

K. Mohammed Koya ◽

K.L. Mathew ◽

Panja Tehseen

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Biology ◽

Feeding Habits ◽

Fork Length ◽

Reproductive Activity ◽

Monthly Basis ◽

Coryphaena Hippurus ◽

Saurashtra Coast ◽

The Common ◽

One Year ◽

The One

The present study analysed reproductive biology and feeding habits of the common dolphinfish Corphaena hippurus, along the Saurashtra coast of India. The study is based on an investigation of 295 specimens caught using drift gillnet at Veraval. The samples were collected on a monthly basis between March 2015 and February 2016. The sex ratio was 1:1.75 with a significant dominance of females in the population. The size at maturity for females was 593 mm FL (fork length). Absolute fecundity of the individuals ranged from 1,07,813 to 15,50,400 having ova diameter range of 0.3-1.96 mm. C. hippurus spawned throughout the year with its reproductive activity peaking in April and December. Thus the dolphin fish has an extended spawning season; during which it laid eggs almost continuously. A total of 128 stomachs of C. hippurus, whose fork length FL ranged from 380 to 1250 mm were examined during the one year period of this study. Tunas were found to be the common dietary component of the dolphinfish.

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Feeding habits of the spotted rose snapper, Lutjanus guttatus, (Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Lutjanidae), in the central Gulf of California, BCS, Mexico

Acta Ichthyologica Et Piscatoria ◽

10.3897/aiep.51.63227 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 51 (1) ◽

pp. 95-105

Author(s):

Filius L. Valle-Lopez ◽

Xchel G. Moreno-Sánchez ◽

Marina S. Irigoyen-Arredondo ◽

Leonardo A. Abitia-Cárdenas ◽

Emigdio Marín-Enríquez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of California ◽

Trophic Ecology ◽

Feeding Habits ◽

Feeding Strategy ◽

Trophic Niche ◽

Trophic Plasticity ◽

Important Prey ◽

Management Measures ◽

Reported Study ◽

Santa Rosalia

The spotted rose snapper, Lutjanus guttatus (Steindachner, 1869), is an important resource for the coastal fisheries of the Gulf of California, mainly due to its high commercial value. Despite this, there are no management measures for this species, owing in part to a lack of information on its basic biology and its trophic ecology in the area. In this context, the presently reported study had as objective to describe the feeding habits of L. guttatus through stomach content analyses, as well as to describe possible changes linked to sex, size, and season. Specimens were caught monthly from June 2016 to September 2017 with gillnets in Santa Rosalía, BCS, Mexico. The abundance, weight, and frequency of occurrence of each prey were assessed, and these parameters were integrated into the index of relative importance (%IRI) to determine the importance of each prey item in the L. guttatus diet. The Levin’s index was used to assess the trophic niche width of the species, the feeding strategy was evaluated using Costello’s graphic method and the trophic level was calculated. Finally, to establish whether there were significant differences in the diet by sex, size, or season a PERMANOVA test was used with a 95% confidence level. A total of 202 L. guttatus stomachs were analyzed, 191 of which contained food. A total of 26 prey items were identified. According to the %IRI, the most important prey were the teleost fishes Harengula thrissina (Jordan et Gilbert, 1882) (45.7%) and Sardinops sagax (Jenyns, 1842) (34.8%), the euphausiid Nyctiphanes simplex (13.4%), and the crustacean Penaeus spp. (5.6%). The PERMANOVA analysis resulted in significant differences between the analyzed categories; however, there were no significant differences in the interactions among the categories. According to Levin’s index, L. guttatus had a narrow trophic width, with changes in the main prey consumed by the different categories. According to our results, L. guttatus can be considered a benthopelagic opportunistic carnivorous predator with a narrow trophic niche, presenting mostly quantitative variations in its diet according to sex, size, and season. Its trophic plasticity allows it to take advantage of the most available and abundant food resources.

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Observations on feeding habits of the common dolphinfish, Coryphaena hippurus (Linnaeus 1758) from the western Bay of Bengal

Aquatic Living Resources ◽

10.1051/alr/2021022 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 34 ◽

pp. 24

Author(s):

Shubhadeep Ghosh ◽

Satishkumar Mamidi ◽

Manas Hoshalli Munivenkatappa ◽

Prathibha Rohit ◽

Abdussamad Eruppakkottil Median ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bay Of Bengal ◽

Prey Species ◽

Niche Breadth ◽

Feeding Habits ◽

Weight Ratio ◽

Primary Study ◽

Feeding Intensity ◽

Coryphaena Hippurus ◽

Dietary Niche ◽

Western Bay Of Bengal

Coryphaena hippurus is a large pelagic species and constitutes an important by-catch in drift gillnet, trolling and long-line fishing gears operated along the Bay of Bengal, northeastern Indian Ocean. The present study, first from the region, is aimed at deciphering the feeding dynamics from 1150 individuals collected from 2017 to 2019. 32.17% of the fishes had empty stomachs or was with food traces, 45.57% had partially-full stomachs and 22.26% had full stomachs. The feeding intensity was inferred through stomach filling and predator-prey weight ratio, which was higher in May and lower in January, and increasing as increase in the fish size. Coryphaena hippurus is considered a piscivorous pelagic predator as pelagic teleosts contribute more than half of the prey species. Major prey species were big-eye scad (27.3%), squid (10.3%), crabs (9.3%), Indian mackerel (7.2%), Indian scad (5.9%), whitebaits (5.7%) and sardines (5.4%). Scads and crabs were abundantly preyed during summer and winter, while clupeids and engraulids in monsoon; however, no significant variations were observed in prey composition between sizes. Trophic Level was 4.22 ± 0.15 and Levins Standardized Niche Breadth Index was 0.30. Dietary niche breadth was higher during summer (0.48) and monsoon (0.33) and in fishes measuring 60.0–74.9 cm (0.51) and below 45.0 cm (0.48) indicating generalised feeding. This primary study from Bay of Bengal is the first comprehensive report on trophodynamics for the species and would contribute to its management using trophic interactions.

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