Diet of Scorpaena porcus and Scorpaena notata (Pisces: Scorpaenidae) in the western Mediterranean
Morte, S.; Redon, M.J.; Sanz-Brau, A. (2001). Diet of Scorpaena porcus and Scorpaena notata (Pisces: Scorpaenidae) in the western Mediterranean. Cah. Biol. Mar. 42(4): 333-344
In: Cahiers de Biologie Marine. Station Biologique de Roscoff: Paris. ISSN 0007-9723; e-ISSN 2262-3094, more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Morte, S.
- Redon, M.J.
- Sanz-Brau, A.
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| Abstract |
Food preferences of 230 Scorpaena porcus and 576 S. notata were investigated from the stomach contents of fish caught in the Gulf of Valencia (Spain), between October 1991 and October 1994. Our aim was to study the effects of predator size and season on the feeding habits of both species, the existence of a possible dietary overlap between species, and to compare our results with those of other studies in the Mediterranean. Crustacea Decapoda constituted the preferential prey of both fish species, whereas Amphipoda were secondary prey. However, these two scorpaenids had different diets, shown by the prey species composition of the stomach contents. Scorpaena notata had a more diverse diet (67 different species) than S. porcus (44 different species). The vacuity index was low for both species, although it varied significantly over the year, with a maximum during the reproductive period. Little variation was found in the food composition of different S. porcus size groups: brachyura dominated in number and occurrence in the diet of all size classes. A variation was found in the food composition of different S. notata size groups: the frequency of occurrence of reptantia and brachyura increased with increasing S. notata size, whereas the frequency of amphipods, mysids, isopods, and copepods decreased. In both species, seasonal dietary changes were also recorded. There was a moderate dietary overlap between these two species. |
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