Feeding habits of the black anglerfish, Lophius budegassa (Osteichthyes: Lophiidae), off the Tunasian coast (central Mediterranean)
Negzaoui-Garali, N.; Ben Salem, M.; Capapé, C. (2008). Feeding habits of the black anglerfish, Lophius budegassa (Osteichthyes: Lophiidae), off the Tunasian coast (central Mediterranean). Cah. Biol. Mar. 49(2): 113-122
In: Cahiers de Biologie Marine. Station Biologique de Roscoff: Paris. ISSN 0007-9723; e-ISSN 2262-3094, more
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| Keywords |
Behaviour > Habits > Feeding behaviour > Behaviour > Feeding habits
Diet
Lophiidae Rafinesque, 1810 [WoRMS]; Lophius budegassa Spinola, 1807 [WoRMS]; Actinopterygii [WoRMS]
MED, Central Mediterranean [Marine Regions]
Marine/Coastal |
| Author keywords |
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| Authors | | Top |
- Negzaoui-Garali, N.
- Ben Salem, M.
- Capapé, C.
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| Abstract |
The feeding habits of the black anglerfish, Lophius budegassa Spinola, 1807 off the Tunisian coast, were investigated in relation to sex, size and seasons. Stomach contents of 416 specimens were collected on a monthly basis between November 2004 and January 2006. One hundred and twenty two stomachs were empty (29.32%), a proportion that significantly changed between males and females. The food composition suggests that the Tunisian black anglerfish is an active feeder. Seven zoological groups were identified in the stomach contents of L. budegassa: osteichthyans, chondrichthyans, cephalopods, bivalves, gastropods, crustaceans and echinoderms. Among the different zoological groups, osteichthyans were the most ingested (%IRI = 87.57). A total of 73 different prey species was recorded: Merluccius merluccius (%IRI = 21.51), Trachurus mediterraneus (%IRI = 18.62) and T. trachurus (%IRI = 17.34) being the most frequent prey species. The diet of L. budegassa changed qualitatively and quantitatively with special regard to size of specimens. Limited seasonal changes were observed in food spectrum. The trophic level (TROPH) of 4.47 calculated in the black anglerfish is high and indicates that the species is a top predator. The TROPH values ranged between 4.27 and 4.54, and increased asymptotically with size of specimens. |
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