scholarly journals Feeding habits of oriental sole (Brachirus orientalis) on the Bushehr coast of the Persian Gulf

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-185
Author(s):  
Dima Alghada ◽  
Yazdan Keivany ◽  
Fatemeh Paykan-Heyrati
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Persian Gulf ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
The Persian Gulf ◽  
Prey Items

AbstractThe feeding habits of oriental sole, Brachirus orientalis (Bloch & Schneider) were investigated using 300 male and female specimens collected from coastal waters of Bushehr Province (Persian Gulf) between June 2015 and July 2016. The total length of females and males ranged from 16.2 to 38.5 cm and 14.1 to 29.1 cm, respectively. Of the total number of stomachs examined, 225 were empty (vacuity index = 77%). This index varied significantly over the year (P < 0.05), with maximum values in April and September and minimum in October and May. The B. orientalis diet was composed of nine prey species belonging to five classes. The most important prey items were Crustacea and Mollusca (Bivalvia and Gastropoda). Diet composition showed little seasonal variation, and Crustacea, Bivalvia, and Gastropoda were the most important prey items in all seasons. Sex did not appear to have any significant effects on dietary composition, and the main prey items were consumed by both males and females (P > 0.05).

Trophic spectrum of the sailfish Istiophorus platypterus caught off Acapulco in the southern Mexican Pacific

2012 ◽  
Vol 93 (4) ◽  
pp. 1097-1104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Berenice Hernández-Aguilar ◽  
Leonardo Andrés Abitia-Cárdenas ◽  
Xchel Gabriel Moreno-Sánchez ◽  
Marcial Arellano-Martínez ◽  
Eduardo González-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Prey Species ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Mexican Pacific ◽  
Istiophorus Platypterus ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Index Of Relative Importance ◽  
Size Interval

The sailfish Istiophorus platypterus is one of the most common billfish species in the Mexican Pacific. Information about its feeding habits in the coastal region of Acapulco, Guerrero is extremely limited. In the present study we quantified the diet of sailfish, based on captures made from March 2008 to December 2009 by the sport fishing fleet of Acapulco. We analysed a total of 561 stomachs, of which 254 contained food (45%). The size interval of examined specimens was between 101 and 212 cm postorbital length and between 15 and 47 kg total weight. In general, teleosts were the most important prey, followed by cephalopods. According to index of relative importance, the most important species in the diet were the fish Auxis thazard (63.04%) and Fistularia commersonii (6.62%), followed by the cephalopod Octopus spp. (4.58%). There were no significant differences in the diet by sex (males and females), sexual maturity (immature and mature), or by season (warm and cold seasons). In all cases the most important prey species was A. thazard. We conclude that the sailfish I. platypterus off Acapulco behaves as a specialist predator because, despite the consumption of a high number of prey items, it feeds preferentially on a reduced number of prey species that form schools, and are available and abundant in the ocean.

Feeding habits of the sandskate Psammobatis extenta (Garman, 1913): sources of variation in dietary composition

2005 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 395 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Matías Braccini ◽  
Jorge E. Perez
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Seasonal Patterns ◽  
Dietary Composition ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Eastern Brazil ◽  
Prey Diversity ◽  
Sources Of Variation ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Prey Items

Understanding the variation in the diet of skates is crucial for determining their roles in marine ecosystems. The diet of 458 sandskates, Psammobatis extenta, from Puerto Quequén, Argentina was quantified to determine whether there was geographical, sexual, ontogenetic, and/or seasonal variation in dietary composition. Cumulative prey-diversity curves reached a stable level at ~30 stomachs and thus the sample size was large enough to describe the overall diet of the sandskate. The diet comprised a variety of small invertebrates, suggesting that the sandskate is a secondary consumer (trophic level of 3.5). The most important prey items were gammarids, shrimps and, to a lesser extent, polychaete worms. A significant correlation was found between the diets of sandskates from south-eastern Brazil and Puerto Quequén, suggesting that in both locations they used similar resources and would have similar ecological roles. No difference was found between the diets of males and females, but ontogenetic and seasonal patterns were detected. Small sandskates preyed largely on gammarids and shrimps but consumed fewer polychaetes and brachyurans than larger individuals. In summer and winter, the most important prey item by number was gammarids, whereas the consumption of shrimps peaked in autumn. This ontogenetic and seasonal pattern indicates that large and small sandskates are versatile predators that can shift their diets in response to prey abundance.

Further data on Iranian marine nematode diversity, with description of three new Desmodoridae Filipjev, 1922 (Nematoda: Desmodorida) species from the Persian Gulf

Nematology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Azadeh Gharahkhani ◽  
Ebrahim Pourjam ◽  
Daniel Leduc ◽  
Majid Pedram
Keyword(s):  
Persian Gulf ◽  
Buccal Cavity ◽  
First Record ◽  
The Body ◽  
Pharyngeal Bulb ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
Nematode Diversity ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
The Persian Gulf ◽  
Amphidial Fovea

Summary The Desmodoridae is a diverse and widespread family of free-living nematodes. Here, we provide the first record of the group in the Persian Gulf and describe three new species: Metachromadoroides sinuspersici sp. n., Zalonema iranicum sp. n. and Z. supplementorum sp. n. Metachromadoroides sinuspersici sp. n. is characterised by finely annulated cuticle, short and stout cephalic sensilla, amphidial fovea on cuticular thickening, pharyngeal bulb well developed and partitioned into three sections, absence of precloacal supplements, and presence of 6-8 pairs of rounded postcloacal papillae. Zalonema iranicum sp. n. is characterised by papilliform subcephalic sensilla (best observed with SEM), convex cephalic capsule, large multispiral amphidial fovea with 4-5 turns in both males and females, buccal cavity with one ventrosublateral and two dorsal teeth and posterior body of males with lateral alae extending from the last third of the body to the cloacal aperture and ventral alae extending 1395-2250 μm anterior to the cloacal aperture, and no precloacal supplements. Zalonema supplementorum sp. n. is characterised by four subcephalic sensilla 1-2 μm long, multispiral amphidial fovea with three turns in both males and females, buccal cavity with one dorsal and two ventrosublateral teeth, males with lateral alae present on each side of body from posterior half of body to cloacal aperture, ventral alae extending 942-1257 μm anterior to cloacal aperture, strongly cuticularised spicules 41-43 μm long, and 12-16 precloacal supplements. Near full length SSU and partial D2-D3 LSU sequences are provided for M. sinuspersici sp. n. and Z. iranicum sp. n., and the COI sequence is provided for Z. iranicum. The SSU phylogeny suggests a close relationship between M. sinuspersici sp. n. and Metachromadora and Metachromadoroides species and the monophyly of Zalonema (after currently available data). The LSU phylogeny suggests an affinity between Metachromadoroides and Zalonema with Spirinia and Acanthopharynx, respectively.

scholarly journals Feeding Ecology of Short-Toed Snake-Eagle (Circaetus gallicus [Gmelin, 1788]) in the Montados of Iberian Peninsula

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-179
Author(s):  
Nuno Onofre ◽  
Luís Sampaio
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Prey Selection ◽  
Prey Type ◽  
Generalist Predator ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Psammodromus Algirus ◽  
Circaetus Gallicus ◽  
Water Snakes

The diet of Short-toed Snake-eagle (Circaetus gallicus) during the breeding season in an area dominated by cork and holm oak parkland forests (Montados) was analyzed in this study. As expected, results showed that snakes are the dominant prey in the diet of this eagle, comprising up to 92.5% of the identified items, if potential secondary prey species were excluded. The Montpellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus) was the most consumed one (42.2%), followed by the Ladder Snake (Zamenis scalaris) (28.0%), and the water snakes (Natrix spp.) (14.2%). According to the same criteria, lizards (mainly Psammodromus algirus) and mammals represent between 4.8 and 2.2%, respectively. Other animals such as pond turtle and amphibians are irregular prey (<1%), and no bird remains were found at all. Short-toed Snake-eagle is usually referred as a stenophagic predator where snakes are by far its most important prey type, and where within this taxonomic group it behaves as a generalist predator. In this study this premise was then tested comparing the relative abundance of the snake species with their proportion in the diet composition of the eagle in order to know whether or not prey selection exists with regard to the species of snakes in this region. Results point to a quite plausible "preference" for the Ladder Snake and an "avoidance" for the smooth snakes group (Macroprotodon brevis/Coronella girondica), and possibly for the Horseshoe Whip (Hemorrhois hippocrepis). The avoidance to the Horseshoe Whip must be indirect and habitat related, while in relation to the two smooth snakes it may be due in large extend to its small size, in particular.

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.

Trophic ecology of large pelagic fish in the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago, Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (10) ◽  
pp. 1402 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. V. Albuquerque ◽  
A. F. Navia ◽  
T. Vaske ◽  
O. Crespo ◽  
F. H. V. Hazin
Keyword(s):  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Saint Paul ◽  
Pelagic Fish ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Trophic Relationships ◽  
Main Prey ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Saint Peter ◽  
Prey Items

Trophic relationships of large pelagic predators can determine the structure and dynamics of oceanic food webs. The feeding habits and trophic ecology of five large pelagic fish (Acanthocybium solandri, Coryphaena hippurus, Elagatis bipinnulata, Thunnus albacares and Thunnus atlanticus) in the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago were evaluated to determine whether there is a trophic-niche overlap or resource partitioning among them. Eighty prey items found in 1528 stomachs were identified and grouped into Cephalopoda, Cnidaria, Crustacea, Gastropoda, Teleostei and Tunicata. Exocoetidae and Scombridae were the main prey in the diet of Acanthocybium solandri. In C. hippurus, Cheilopogon cyanopterus and Exocoetus volitans were the most important prey items, whereas C. cyanopterus was the main prey for T. albacares. Thunnus atlanticus consumed a great proportion of invertebrate species, with shrimps of Sergestidae family being particularly important. The gastropod Cavolinia sp. was the most important prey for E. bipinnulata. The five species had a high trophic specialisation and a high trophic level (&gt;4.4), whereas most dietary overlaps were consistently low. The most important factor for diet dissimilarity was the consumption of Exocoetidade. All species were classified as top predators with varied diets, indicating their structural and functional importance in the food web of the Archipelago.

Population diet variation and individual specialization in the poison toad, Melanophryniscus rubriventris (Vellard, 1947)

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Fernanda Quiroga ◽  
Marcos Vaira ◽  
Maria Ines Bonansea
Keyword(s):  
Entire Range ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individual Specialization ◽  
Generalist Species ◽  
Defensive Strategies ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Diet Variation ◽  
Prey Items

AbstractFew studies have investigated the level of individual variation in diet composition of poisonous frogs and toads. We compare the diet composition of three populations of a poisonous toad, Melanophryniscus rubriventris, and predicted that toads within a population might be constrained to forage on particular types of alkaloid-containing prey and consequently diets among populations might not diverge from each other. Most important prey categories in the diets of the three populations consisted of the same ground-dwelling arthropods. We found evidence for individuals consuming different arrays of prey types in all populations implying that this “generalist” species is actually comprised of individuals eating different sets of the available range of prey. Formicidae, Acari, and Coleoptera were all important alkaloid-containing prey items in the diets of all populations and individuals, although there were differences in their order of importance among populations and individuals use different sets of the entire range of alkaloid-containing preys. Future research should evaluate individual diet variation in other poisonous anurans taxa given that shifts in diet composition might have important implications for understanding the consequences of alternate foraging strategies in the evolution of defensive strategies among species.

scholarly journals Trophic ecology and foraging behavior of Tropidurus hispidus and Tropidurus semitaeniatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae) in a caatinga area of northeastern Brazil

2011 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo B. Ribeiro ◽  
Eliza M. X. Freire
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Lepidopteran Larvae ◽  
Prey Items

This study aimed to analyze the seasonal variation in diet composition and foraging behavior of Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825) and T. semitaeniatus (Spix, 1825), as well as measurement of the foraging intensity (number of moves, time spent stationary, distance traveled and number of attacks on prey items) in a caatinga patch on the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Hymenoptera/Formicidae and Isoptera predominated in the diet of both species during the dry season. Opportunistic predation on lepidopteran larvae, coleopteran larvae and adults, and orthopteran nymphs and adults occurred in the wet season; however, hymenopterans/Formicidae were the most important prey items. The number of food items was similar between lizard species in both seasons; however the overlap for number of prey was smaller in the wet season. Preys ingested by T. hispidus during the wet season were also larger than those consumed by T. semitaeniatus. Seasonal comparisons of foraging intensity between the two species differed, mainly in the wet season, when T. hispidus exhibited less movement and fewer attacks on prey, and more time spent stationary if compared to T. semitaeniatus. Although both lizards are sit-and-wait foragers, T. semitaeniatus is more active than T. hispidus. The diet and foraging behavior of T. hispidus and T. semitaeniatus overlap under limiting conditions during the dry season, and are segregative factors that may contribute to the coexistence of these species in the wet season.

Feeding of tub gurnard Chelidonichthys lucerna (Scorpaeniformes: Triglidae) in the north-east Mediterranean

2011 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 605-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Stagioni ◽  
Stefano Montanini ◽  
Maria Vallisneri
Keyword(s):  
Diet Composition ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
East Mediterranean ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Important Prey

The stomach contents of 1096 specimens of Chelidonichthys lucerna were examined in order to analyse their diet composition according to fish size, sex, depth and season. Sampling was carried out from May 2005 to March 2007 during several bottom trawl surveys in the Adriatic Sea (north-east Mediterranean). Feeding activity was more intense in juveniles than in adults. The most important prey was Crustacea (mainly Decapoda: Brachyura, such as Goneplax rhomboides, Liocarcinus spp., Philocheras spp.) and Teleostei (mainly European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus and black goby Gobius niger). There was no difference between male and female diet. Feeding habits varied with size, with fish dominating the stomach contents of larger specimens. Finally, fish increased in winter and crustaceans in summer. Chelidonichthys lucerna shows a generalist and opportunistic foraging behaviour, preying mainly epibenthic and nectobenthic organisms.

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