Feeding ecology of silky sharks Carcharhinus falciformis associated with floating objects in the western Indian Ocean

The silky shark Carcharhinus falciformis is commonly associated with floating objects, including fish aggregating devices (FADs), in the Indian Ocean. While the motives for this associative behaviour are unclear, it does make them vulnerable to capture in the tuna purse seine fishery that makes extensive use of FADs. Here, the diet of 323 C. falciformis, caught at FADs in the Indian Ocean, was investigated to test the hypothesis that trophic benefits explain the associative behaviour. A high proportion of stomachs with fresh contents (57%) suggested that extensive feeding activity occurred while associated with FADs. Multiple dietary indices showed that typical non‐associative prey types dominated, but were supplemented with fishes typically found at FADs. While the trophic benefits of FAD association may be substantial, our results suggest that associative behaviour is not driven solely by feeding.     

Size related variability in the summer diet of the blackfin tuna (Thunnus atlanticus Lesson, 1831) from Tobago,the Lesser Antilles

Blackfin tuna (Thunnus atlanticus) is a small epipelagic oceanic species known only from the western Atlantic. In Tobago, the Lesser Antilles, blackfin tuna is caught by the artisanal fishery. The diet of this species was examined during the summer of 2004 for fish landed at the Charlotteville fish market in Tobago. T. atlanticus ranged from 32 to 91 cm FL (0.7–12.4 kg). Overall numerical abundance of prey items comprised fish (48%), crustaceans (46%) and cephalopods (6%). Prey species included small pelagics such as anchovies (ranked as most important prey overall), juveniles of larger pelagics such as jacks, juveniles of fish found in coral reef communities as adults, e.g. squirrelfishes, and some mesopelagic species. The importance of major diet categories differed significantly with predator size, with fishes becoming more important and crustaceans less important with increasing size of the blackfin tuna. This study has improved our scant knowledge of the blackfin tuna diet in the Lesser Antilles.     

Diet of the Atlantic bonito Sarda sarda (Bloch, 1793) in the Northeast Aegean Sea

Seasonal and size‐related patterns in feeding habits of the Atlantic bonito (Sarda sarda) in the Northeast Aegean were investigated over a 2‐year period May 2007 – May 2009 based on analysis of stomach contents of 134 fish ranging from 266–655 mm fork length. The fish were caught by purse‐seine boats operating around the islands of Lesvos and Chios (Greece). Of the stomachs examined, 46% contained at least one prey item and significant seasonal and size‐related patterns were found in the occurrence of non‐empty stomachs. The overall diet composition in terms of numerical importance was 71% fish, 28% crustaceans and 1% cephalopods. Of the fish, Engraulidae (Engraulis encrasicolus) were the dominant prey taxon, followed by Centracanthidae (Spicara spp.) and then Clupeidae (Sardina pilchardus). Statistically significant monthly variation in diet was apparent, suggesting that S. sarda take advantage of seasonally abundant prey fish in the study area, but no size‐related variation in the importance of the main prey species was detected.     

Diet composition of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus L. 1758) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea,Turkey

This study gives relevant information on the diet composition of the bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) during the spawning period in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The stomach contents of 218 bluefin tuna were sampled from 2003 to 2006 during the fishing season (May–June) aboard purse seiners operating in the northern Levantine Sea off the coast of Turkey. Stomachs were removed from the fish soon after landing and kept frozen at ?18°C until analysis. Prey items were classified into large taxonomic categories and preserved in 70% ethanol. A total of 745 different prey specimens belonging to 47 taxa were identified, including 34 species of fish, 11 of squid, and two of crustaceans. The most important fish and cephalopod prey belonged to the families Myctophidae, Carangidae, Chauliodontidae, Paralepididae, and Octopoda. This study marks the observation of myctophid fish in the stomach contents of bluefin tuna from the Mediterranean Sea. The paper offers some new information of regional importance and compares the feeding habits of the species to other regions, bringing confirmation on the opportunistic feeding ecology of the species in the enclosed Mediterranean Sea, where bluefin tuna seasonally occur as a strong cohort. New information on the diet composition of T. thynnus in the eastern Mediterranean Sea is revealed; the findings indicate that, depending on the abundance of the different prey species in the habitat, the dominant prey species can be distinctive.     

COMPARATIVE FEEDING ECOLOGY OF SPINNER DOLPHINS (STENELLA LONGIROSTRIS) AND FRASER'S DOLPHINS (LAGENODELPHIS HOSEI) IN THE SULU SEA

Fraser's and spinner dolphins are known to feed on mesopelagic prey, bur their diets and feeding ecologies have not been compared in areas where they are observed together. In this study we examined the stomach contents of both species caught incidentally in a driftnet fishery for tuna in the eastern Sulu Sea. Importance of prey items was determined using the percent occurrence, percent number, and volumetric methods. Mesopelagic fishes, particularly myctophids (mainly Ceratoscopelus warmingi, Diaphus spp. and Myctophum asperum ), were the most important component in the diet of spinner dolphins, whereas in Eraser's dolphins, mesopelagic cephalopods ( Abraliopsis, Onychoteuthis, Histioteuthis , and Chiroteuthis ), and crustaceans ( Notostomos elegans, Acanthephyra quadrispinosa , and Acanthephyra carinata ) appeared to be equally important as the myctophid species. Fraser's dolphins appeared to feed preferentially on larger prey and had more diversified prey (Shannon's diversity index = 1.2) than spinner dolphins (diversity index = 0.9). Vertical distributions of the prey items summarized from published literature indicate that spinner dolphins forage in the upper 200 m and probably occasionally to as deep as 400 m, whereas Fraser's dolphins have a wider vertical foraging range, from near the surface to probably as deep as 600 m.     

Diet and feeding strategy of blackmouth catshark Galeus melastomus

Diet and feeding strategy of the blackmouth catshark Galeus melastomus in the deep waters of the eastern Ionian Sea were investigated. Sampling was carried out using experimental bottom longline fishing at depths ranging from 300 to 855 m in summer and autumn 2010. Diet variability with fish size, season, area, sex and depth zone was tested and only season was found to significantly affect the diet of the species. Of the 870 stomachs examined, only 1·4% were empty. Cumulative prey curves showed that the sample sizes were adequate to describe the main prey items of the diet for both seasons. Prey identified belonged primarily to three major groups: fishes, cephalopods and dendrobranchiatan and caridean shrimps. In autumn, the above three major groups were found as principal prey, whereas in summer cephalopods followed by fishes were the principal prey and shrimps were found as secondary prey. SIMPER analysis indicated high dissimilarity between seasons and highlighted that Sepiolidae, Myctophidae, fishes, cephalopods, shrimps and other crustaceans contributed to seasonal differences in the diet of G. melastomus. The prey diversity index was higher in autumn than in summer. A high dietary overlap was observed between the two seasons. Galeus melastomus behaved as an opportunistic predator with a variety of unimportant prey in its diet. Feeding strategy indicated that G. melastomus holds a generalist niche with a considerable specialization at the individual level. This strategy seems to be an adaptation to a food‐scarce environment, as typified in deep‐water habitats.     

Atlantic bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus feeding ecology in the northern Gulf of Mexico: a preliminary description of diet from the western Atlantic spawning grounds

A combination of stomach contents, nitrogen stable‐isotope and tissue C:N values are presented to demonstrate feeding activity of Atlantic bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus on the Gulf of Mexico (GOMEX) spawning grounds. Diets include teleosts, cephalopods, crustaceans and a pelagic tunicate (Pyrosoma atlanticum). Results reveal the need to classify the GOMEX as a T. thynnus feeding ground.     

我国热带金枪鱼围网人工集鱼装置特征及随附鱼群行为

金枪鱼围网渔船使用人工集鱼装置(FADs)可以增加对金枪鱼随附鱼群的捕捞能力,而大规模投放FADs引起的生态问题在数十年间引起了国际社会的广泛关注。因此,开发高效集鱼能力并降低生态影响的FADs是金枪鱼围网渔业面临的挑战。由于缺乏大量试验研究,目前对FADs和捕捞物种之间相互关系的理解极其有限。本研究通过对从事金枪鱼围网捕捞生产的船长进行问卷调查,从渔民经验的角度总结了FADs的投放现状、结构设计、捕捞和生态特性,以及随附鱼群的行为特征等,并基于一致性指数(IoC)对调查内容的认知差异进行量化。结果表明: 我国金枪鱼围网船单船每年平均投放的FADs数量为(102±37),丢失数量为(72±15)。FADs的集鱼效果优于天然流木,水下悬挂结构是吸引金枪鱼的主要原因,且悬挂吸引物(如漂带)有助于诱集金枪鱼集群。FADs投放后金枪鱼的首次出现时间平均约32 d,此后的1个月内集群量趋于稳定;海龟或鲨鱼被FADs网状结构缠绕的情况偶有发生。被调查者对“生物附着对集群效果的影响”和“优化FADs隐蔽性的意愿”两个问题的反馈具有较高的一致性(IoC均为0.73),对“筏体结构类型对集群效果影响”的反馈答案分歧较大(IoC=0.34)。当前FADs的设计存在低隐蔽性和导致非目标鱼种高脆弱性的弊端。研究结果可为开发生态效应和捕捞效益兼具的生态友好型FADs提供科学依据。     

人工集鱼装置对热带金枪鱼类行为模式的影响

金枪鱼类会聚集在漂浮物周围,人类依据该行为特性研制出人工集鱼装置(fish aggregation devices,FADs)诱集金枪鱼,从而使金枪鱼围网的产量和捕捞效率大幅提高.但目前科学界仍不确定FADs为何能够吸引金枪鱼以及其广泛使用是否会对金枪鱼资源和大洋中上层生态系统产生潜在影响.针对这些问题,国外学者展开了大量以FADs周围金枪鱼为研究对象的个体行为学试验.本文归纳并整理了过去30多年中较可靠和经典的相关试验,从金枪鱼的趋向性行为、集群行为、随附行为、摄食行为和垂直移动行为5个方面分别阐述了漂流FADs和锚泊FADs下金枪鱼的行为模式,并对国内今后开展相关研究的重点方向和注意事项进行了展望.     

人工集鱼装置对热带金枪鱼类摄食模式的影响研究进展

热带金枪鱼类具有聚集在漂浮物体周围的行为特性,形成的集群表现稳定,可捕性较高。以此特性,金枪鱼围网渔业研制并投放了大量的人工集鱼装置(Fish Aggregation Device,FAD)用于聚集并捕捞金枪鱼。然而,大规模出现的FAD会使某些海域海面漂浮物的密度迅速增加,从而在一定程度上人为地改变了金枪鱼的表层栖息环境,对金枪鱼种群具有一系列可能的潜在负面影响,摄食模式的改变就是其中之一。归纳并综合了近年来国内外关于FAD对金枪鱼类摄食模式影响的相关研究,从摄食行为、日摄食量、饵料种类与组成以及生态位宽度4个方面对比了随附于FAD的金枪鱼和自由状态下同类的不同,发现大多情况下FAD的存在会使金枪鱼的摄食模式发生一定的改变。最后,归纳了过往实验存在的不足,对今后研究的发展方向进行了展望。     

Spatial and seasonal distribution of the tuna catch on floating objects in the eastern pacific ocean during 1992–1993

An analysis of the catch associated with floating objects by the Mexican tuna purse‐seine fleet in the eastern Pacific Ocean during 1992–1993 was made to determine the spatial and seasonal distribution. The information used was generated by observers of the Programa Nacional de Aprovechamiento del Atun y Protección a los Delfines (PNAAPD). There was no clear seasonal and spatial distribution of floating objects examined in this study, however there were areas where floating objects were more common; the mouth of the Gulf of California, waters offshore Peru, and in oceanic waters. The largest catch of yellowfin tuna was offshore of Peru in winter. Two areas with largest (length) yellowfin tuna were the mouth of the Gulf of California and offshore Peru. For skipjack tuna, the largest catch was offshore Peru in winter, but the largest skipjack were caught between 120° and 130°W along 10°N in spring. The largest yellowfin tuna were captured by sets on bamboo, fish aggregating devices (FADs), planks and boards, and logs (trees or parts). The largest skipjack were captured by sets on dead whales, kelp paddies, planks and boards, and pallets and crates. Most of the sets were made during the early hours of the day but an important number of log sets were made in the early afternoon. For the period analyzed, floating objects were more frequent during fall and winter with the area offshore of Peru the most important.     

Diet composition,feeding niche partitioning and trophic organisation of large pelagic predatory fishes in the eastern Arabian Sea

Information on the ecology and feeding behaviour of the large oceanic predatory fishes is crucial for the ecosystem approaches to fisheries management models. Co-existing large pelagic predators in the open oceans may avoid competition for the limited forage by resource partitioning on spatial, temporal or trophic levels. To test this, we studied the prey species composition, diet overlap, trophic level, and trophic organisation of 12 large predatory fishes co-existing in the eastern Arabian Sea. Stomach contents of 1,518 specimens caught by exploratory longline operations in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone during the years 2006–2009 were analysed. Finfishes were dominant prey of all species except blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), which fed mainly on cephalopods, and long-snouted lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox) and pelagic stingray (Pteroplatytrygon violacea), which fed mainly on crustaceans. Common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) and yellowfin tuna fed on a wider variety of prey than the other species, while the diets of lancetfish and black marlin (Istiompax indica) were narrowest. Pelagic stingray and great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) fed on species occupying epipelagic waters, whereas the contribution of mesopelagic prey was higher in the diets of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and pelagic thresher (Alopias pelagicus). Trophic levels of these fishes ranged from 4.13 to 4.37. Diet overlap index revealed that some of the large pelagic predatory fishes share common prey species. Cluster analysis of the diets revealed four distinct trophic guilds namely ‘flyingfish feeders’ (common dolphinfish and great barracuda); ‘mesopelagic predators’ (pelagic thresher and swordfish); ‘crab feeders’ (lancetfish, pelagic stingray and silky shark) and ‘squid feeders’ (yellowfin tuna, Indo-Pacific sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus), skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), black marlin and blue marlin). Large predatory fishes of the eastern Arabian Sea target different prey types, and limit their vertical extent and time of feeding to avoid competing for prey.     

Feeding habits of Scymnorhinus licha in Catalan waters

A study has been made of the diet of Scymnorhinus licha in Catalan coastal waters by means of the analysis of the stomach contents of 97 specimens caught at depths ranging from 300 to 600 metres during a 12 month survey. The annual coefficient of repletion is 80%. Bony fishes form the basic group in the diet for all seasons: they are followed by sharks, crustaceans and cephalopods, which are secondary. As the size of G. licha increases, there is an increase in the frequency of crustaceans and sharks in the stomach contents and a drop in the frequency of cephalopods. Bony fishes are slightly more frequent in the larger specimens. The males have a higher coefficient of repletion and a higher average of prey per stomach and show a greater preference for sharks and bony fishes.     

Studying small purse‐seine vessel fishing behavior with tuna catch data: Implications for eastern Pacific Ocean dolphin conservation

Despite achievements in dolphin conservation for the tuna purse‐seine fishery of the eastern Pacific Ocean, debate continues about the magnitude and importance of dolphin mortality caused by small (unobserved) vessels. In‐port sampling of tuna catch size composition is a potentially cost‐effective means of identifying unobserved vessels that may be catching tunas associated with dolphins because yellowfin tuna caught in association with dolphins are larger, on average, than those caught in other types of purse‐seine sets. A classification algorithm to predict purse‐seine set type (“dolphin” vs. “nondolphin”) was built from port‐sampling data on yellowfin tuna length‐frequencies and the date and location of fishing of large (observed) vessels. This classification algorithm was used to screen the port‐sampling data of small vessels collected during 2006‐2009, assuming the fishing practices of the two groups resulted in similar catch characteristics. From these results, hypothetical time series of dolphin mortality for small vessels were constructed and incorporated into a population dynamics model, along with mortalities of large vessels. Results suggest that any dolphin mortality of small vessels is unlikely to be substantially affecting trends in dolphin abundance. These results underscore the importance of in‐port sampling, in combination with at‐sea observation and fishery‐independent surveys, to effective management.     

Food habits of the longnose skate, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Raja rhina</Emphasis> (Jordan and Gilbert, 1880), in central California waters

Feeding studies can provide researchers with important insights towards understanding potential fishery impacts on marine systems. Raja rhina is one of the most common elasmobranch species landed in central and northern California demersal fisheries, yet life history information is extremely limited for this species and aspects of its diet are unknown. Specimens of R. rhina were collected between September, 2002 and August, 2003 from fisheries-independent trawl surveys. Percent Index of Relative Importance values indicated that the five most important prey items in 618 stomachs of R. rhina were unidentified teleosts (31.6% IRI), unidentified shrimps (19.6% IRI), unidentified euphausiids (10.9% IRI), Crangonidae (7.4% IRI), and Neocrangon resima (6.0% IRI). There were significant dietary shifts with increasing skate total length and with increasing depths. Smaller skates ate small crustaceans and larger skates ate larger fishes and cephalopods. With increasing depths, diet included bentho-pelagic teleosts and more cephalopods and euphausiids. The findings of this study are consistent with previous researchers that report similar diet shifts in skate species with size and depth.     

Feeding habits and trophic levels of bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus of different size classes in the Mediterranean Sea

Possible changes in diet and trophic levels in relation to size of Mediterranean bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, were investigated using labelled carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) stable isotopes. Samples were obtained from two locations in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Western Mediterranean Sea) in May and October 2004. The δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N analyses revealed at least three significant isotopic groups [small juveniles (0.7–2.2 kg), sub‐adults (15–50 kg) and adults (70 to 225 kg)]. δ¹³C was negatively dependent on weight, while δ¹⁵N was positively dependent on weight [TW = 8.2 (±0.16) + 0.03 (± 0.0) *δ¹⁵N (n = 49; r = 0.91; P < 0.001)]. Different prey contribution to the diet was highlighted for each class. The diet of juveniles comprised zooplankton, small pelagic fish and some coastal fish; sub‐adults relied on medium pelagic fish, shrimps and cephalopods, and adults relied mainly on cephalopods and larger fish. The trophic level (TL) of tunas belonging to each size class was closely correlated to weight, starting from ca 3.0 TL for Group I and reaching 4.4–4.8 TL for the giants. Bluefin tuna, from small juveniles to giants, showed a shift in feeding preferences due to different use of habitats and food items as a function of the life stage.     

Temporal and spatial trends in prey composition of wahoo Acanthocybium solandri: a diet analysis from the central North Pacific Ocean using visual and DNA bar‐coding techniques

A diet analysis was conducted on 444 wahoo Acanthocybium solandri caught in the central North Pacific Ocean longline fishery and a nearshore troll fishery surrounding the Hawaiian Islands from June to December 2014. In addition to traditional observational methods of stomach contents, a DNA bar‐coding approach was integrated into the analysis by sequencing the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) region of the mtDNA genome to taxonomically identify individual prey items that could not be classified visually to species. For nearshore‐caught A. solandri, juvenile pre‐settlement reef fish species from various families dominated the prey composition during the summer months, followed primarily by Carangidae in autumn months. Gempylidae, Echeneidae and Scombridae were dominant prey taxa from the offshore fishery. Molidae was a common prey family found in stomachs collected north‐east of the Hawaiian Archipelago while tetraodontiform reef fishes, known to have extended pelagic stages, were prominent prey items south‐west of the Hawaiian Islands. The diet composition of A. solandri was indicative of an adaptive feeder and thus revealed dominant geographic and seasonal abundances of certain taxa from various ecosystems in the marine environment. The addition of molecular bar‐coding to the traditional visual method of prey identifications allowed for a more comprehensive range of the prey field of A. solandri to be identified and should be used as a standard component in future diet studies.     

Discrimination of juvenile yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) and bigeye (T. obesus) Tunas using mitochondrial DNA control region and liver morphology

Yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares (Bonnaterre, 1788) and bigeye tuna, Thunnus obesus (Lowe, 1839) are two of the most economically important tuna species in the world. However, identification of their juveniles, especially at sizes less than 40 cm, is very difficult, often leading to misidentification and miscalculation of their catch estimates. Here, we applied the mitochondrial DNA control region D-loop, a recently validated genetic marker used for identifying tuna species (Genus Thunnus), to discriminate juvenile tunas caught by purse seine and ringnet sets around fish aggregating devices (FADs) off the Southern Iloilo Peninsula in Central Philippines. We checked individual identifications using the Neighbor-Joining Method and compared results with morphometric analyses and the liver phenotype. We tested 48 specimens ranging from 13 to 31 cm fork length. Morpho-meristic analyses suggested that 12 specimens (25%) were bigeye tuna and 36 specimens (75%) were yellowfin tuna. In contrast, the genetic and liver analyses both showed that 5 specimens (10%) were bigeye tuna and 43 (90%) yellowfin tuna. This suggests that misidentification can occur even with highly stringent morpho-meristic characters and that the mtDNA control region and liver phenotype are excellent markers to discriminate juveniles of yellowfin and bigeye tunas.     

Diet and foraging opportunism of the Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) in the Abrolhos Bank,Brazil

Diet analysis allows exploring how coastal dolphins interact with the environment and their role in the marine food webs. We studied the diet and feeding ecology of the Guiana dolphin, Sotalia guianensis, through analysis of stomach content from 42 animals stranded on the eastern coast of Brazil. A total of 1,336 semidigested prey items (fish, otoliths, cephalopod beaks, and crustaceans) were identified. Teleost fish comprised the most frequent food item (92% of the total), followed by cephalopods, and crustaceans. Prey belonged to 34 taxa and richness in individual stomachs varied from 1 to 15 prey taxa. Prey were generally small, but showed a significant trend to increase in size with dolphin length. The main prey of Guiana dolphins were demersal, estuarine, and sound-making fish such as catfish and sciaenids. No sex-related differences in diet were found. Diet composition varied seasonally and occurrence of prey items was coherent with breeding or high abundance periods of some fish species and squids. Our study shows the importance of demersal prey from estuarine and soft-sediment habitats to Guiana dolphin in the Abrolhos Bank and reveals that feeding habits are generalist and opportunistic, with diet reflecting the seasonal abundance and availability of prey.     

Feeding ecology and interannual variations in diet of southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii, in relation to coastal and oceanic waters off eastern Tasmania, Australia

The diets of 1219 southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii, from inshore (shelf) and offshore (oceanic) waters off eastern Tasmania were examined between 1992 and 1994. Immature fish (< 155 cm fork length) made up 88% of those examined. In all, 92 prey taxa were identified. Inshore, the main prey were fish (Trachurus declivis and Emmelichthys nitidus) and juvenile squid (Nototodarus gouldi). Offshore, the diversity was greater, reflecting the diversity of micronekton in these waters. Interestingly, macrozooplankton prey (e.g. Phronima sedentaria) were prevalent in tuna > 150 cm. The offshore tuna, when in subantarctic waters, ate relatively more squid than when in the East Australia Current. In the latter, fish and crustacea were more important, although there were variations between years. No relationship was found between either prey type or size with size of tuna. Feeding was significantly higher in the morning than at other times of the day. The mean weight of prey was significantly higher in inshore-caught tuna than in those caught offshore. We estimated that the mean daily ration of southern bluefin tuna off eastern Tasmania was 0.97% of wet body weight day⁻¹. However, the daily ration of inshore-caught tuna was ∼ 3 times higher (2.7%) than for tuna caught offshore (0.8%) indicating that feeding conditions on the shelf were better than those offshore. Our results indicate that the inshore waters of eastern Tasmania are an important feeding area for, at least, immature southern bluefin tuna. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.