Palaemon elegans Rathke, 1837 in the food of Baltic cod (Gadus morhua callarias L., 1758) from the Gulf of Gdansk
Gruszka, P.; Wiecaszek, B. (2011). Palaemon elegans Rathke, 1837 in the food of Baltic cod (Gadus morhua callarias L., 1758) from the Gulf of Gdansk. Mar. Biol. Res. 7(1): 100-105. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17451001003660285
In: Marine Biology Research. Taylor & Francis: Oslo; Basingstoke. ISSN 1745-1000; e-ISSN 1745-1019, more
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| Keywords |
Food preferences
Interspecific relationships > Predation
Stomach content
Gadus morhua callarias Linnaeus, 1758 [WoRMS]; Palaemon elegans Rathke, 1836 [WoRMS]
ANE, Baltic, Gdansk Gulf [Marine Regions]
Marine/Coastal |
| Author keywords |
Baltic Sea; cod; food; Gulf of Gdansk; Paleamon elegans |
| Authors | | Top |
- Gruszka, P.
- Wiecaszek, B.
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| Abstract |
Analysis of stomach contents of 52 cod (Gadus morhua callarias) individuals (TL 37.0-58.0 cm) caught in November 2003 in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Gda sk showed the presence of the prawn Palaemon elegans, a malacostracan species that has been recently reported as abundant in various parts of the Baltic Sea. This is the first observation of P. elegans as a cod food item in the Baltic Sea. The prawns were found in 88.5% of the stomachs analysed, accounting for 17% and almost 7% of food weight of cod <45.0 cm and ≥45.0 cm, respectively. The prawns consumed by the cod measured from 20 to 48 mm (average±SD: 31.7±5.3 mm), the prawn length increasing slightly with the cod length. Although P. elegans seems to be the most important invertebrate food item, diet in the cod was still dominated by fish. Neogobius melanostomus and Zoarces viviparus were the most important fish species found in the cod stomachs examined. In addition, the contents of some of the cod stomachs featured other malacostracan species, mainly Crangon crangon, as well as other invertebrates; however, these were of lesser importance. The significance of P. elegans as food of the cod fished commercially in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Gdask in comparison with other species preyed upon by cod there is discussed. |
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