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Feeding habits of the velvet belly lanternshark Etmopterus spinax (Chondrichthyes: Etmopteridae) off the Algarve, southern Portugal
Neiva, J.; Coelho, R.; Erzini, K. (2006). Feeding habits of the velvet belly lanternshark Etmopterus spinax (Chondrichthyes: Etmopteridae) off the Algarve, southern Portugal. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K. 86(4): 835-841. https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0025315406013762
In: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. Cambridge University Press/Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom: Cambridge. ISSN 0025-3154; e-ISSN 1469-7769, more
Peer reviewed article  
Available in  Authors 
Keywords
    Behaviour > Feeding behaviour
    Diets
    Feeding
    Interspecific relationships > Predation > Prey selection
    Stomach content
    Etmopterus spinax (Linnaeus, 1758) [WoRMS]
    ANE, Portugal, Algarve [Marine Regions]
    Marine/Coastal
Authors  Top 
  • Neiva, J.
  • Coelho, R.
  • Erzini, K.
Abstract
    Etmopterus spinax is one of the most abundant predators of the upper continental slope off the Algarve (southern Portugal), where it is captured in large quantities in deep-water fisheries. The feeding habits of E. spina off the Algarve were investigated through the analysis of stomach contents of 376 individuals. Prey composition was described and maturity, sex and size related variations in the diet analysed. The overall diet of E. spinaxsuggested a fairly generalized benthopelagic foraging behaviour primarily tuned to pelagic macroplankton/microneckton, teleost fish and cephalopods. Sex and maturity related differences in the diet were not significant. Two main ontogenic diet shifts were observed at about 17 and 28 cm total length. Small and medium sized immature sharks had a diet dominated by eurybathic crustaceans, chiefly Meganyctiphanes norvegica and Pasiphaea sivado. Larger individuals consumed more teleosts and cephalopods, in part associated with scavenging as a new feeding strategy. With increasing shark size the diet diversified both in terms of resources exploited and prey size.
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