Feeding ecology of the Iberian cyprinid Barbus bocagei Steindachner, 1865 in a lowland river

Patterns of food resource utilization by Barbus bocagei in a lowland river in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula are presented and discussed. Focal points include feeding activity, diet composition and seasonal and ontogenetic diet shifts. Striking features of overall feeding pattern of barbel are its continuous feeding activity, bottom habits, high consumption of detritus and dipteran larvae and narrow diet breadth. Seasonal changes in food resource availability elicited changes in food utilization patterns, revealing a trend to more generalist feeding during spring. Barbel increase consumption of plant material and large prey during ontogeny, but overlap in prey resource utilization between size classes is high. The versatility of barbel foraging behaviour may be an important feature in its exploitation of Iberian lotic systems.     

Diet composition of the juvenile chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) in the Aegean Sea (Izmir Bay, Turkey)

Stomach contents of 296 juvenile chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus Houttuyn, 1782) specimens were examined based on samplings carried out in Izmir Bay (Aegean Sea, Turkey) during 2001. In terms of percentage weight (W%), fishes were the main food during summer and autumn. Thaliaceans (Salpa sp.) constituted the most important food source in winter, whereas planktonic crustaceans (Amphipoda, Copepoda) were the main prey during spring. According to the Bray–Curtis similarity index, diet of the chub mackerel was 64.1% similar during the summer, winter and autumn seasons.     

Seasonal patterns in feeding ecology of three small fishes in the Biandantang Lake, China

Feeding ecology of three small fish species, Hypseleotris swinhonis, Ctenogobius giurinus and Pseudorasbora parva was studied seasonally in the Biandantang Lake, a small, shallow lake in central China. Gut length, adjusted for total body length, was significantly higher in spring than in other seasons for all the three species. Seasonal changes in gut length were not associated with changes in food quality. Weight of fore-gut contents, adjusted for body weight, was significantly higher in winter and spring than in summer and autumn in H. swinhonis and C. giurinus , and significantly higher in autumn than in spring and summer for P. parva. Percentage of empty fore-guts was highest in summer and lowest in spring for H. swinhonis and C. giurinus , and highest in winter and lowest in autumn for P. parva. Diet of the three small fishes showed apparent seasonal changes, and these changes reflected partly the seasonal fluctuations of food resources in environment. Diet breadth was high in winter and low in autumn for H. swinhonis , high in winter and low in spring and summer for C. giurinus , and high in autumn and low in spring for P. parva. Diet overlaps between pairs of species were biologically significant in most cases, except between H. swinhonis and P. parva in summer and autumn and between C. giurinus and P. parva in autumn.     

You are what you eat, whenever or wherever you eat it: an integrative analysis of fish food habits in Canadian and U.S.A. waters

The degree to which fish diet differs by season and area, particularly over broad scales, was examined for the first time in temperate, contiguous north-west Atlantic Ocean waters by comparing food habit data for 10 species of fishes collected concurrently during the spring and autumn surveys in the U.S.A. (Gulf of Maine proper and Georges Bank) and in the summer survey in Canada (western Scotian Shelf and Bay of Fundy). For most species, there was a general concurrence among the three seasons and four areas: summer diets had the same dominant prey items as spring and autumn diets. Although a suite of multivariate analyses did elucidate some differences in specific proportions of the diet for these species across seasons and areas, the main prey did not substantially change for most of these species. These results suggest that there are (1) minimal differences in diet across season for these species at these taxonomic resolutions, (2) there are minimal differences in diet geographically for these species and (3) differences across species, as expected, are important. Many fisheries ecosystem and multispecies models are dependent on food habit data, where resolving seasonal and spatial differences in diet remains an important consideration; however, the present work implies that amalgamated estimates of diet from seasonal surveys may be a reasonable approach when no finer seasonal resolution exists, as long as due diligence is exercised.     

Resource partitioning of roach Rutilus rutilus and bleak Alburnus alburnus in two eutrophic lakes in SE Norway

In this paper I investigate the resource partitioning of roach Rutilus rutilus and bleak Alburnus alburnus in two eutrophic lakes in SE Norway. Zooplankton was the preferred food item for both species during summer, whereas blue-green algae dominated the diet in September/October. There was no diet overlap in May, with the roach feeding mainly on detritus and the bleak feeding on surface insects. During summer the diet overlap increased, reaching high values in autumn. Habitat overlap was close to unity in spring and early summer. Coinciding with increasing diet overlap during summer and autumn the overlap in habitat decreased.     

Fish drift in a Danube sidearm‐system: II. Seasonal and diurnal patterns

Seasonal and diurnal patterns of larval and juvenile fish drift were investigated in the Marchfeldkanal, a man‐made side branch of the Danube River near Vienna, Austria. A clear seasonal pattern with peak densities in mid‐June was found. Species composition varied over time, showed a site specific pattern and was dominated by tubenose goby Proterorhinus marmoratus . Water temperature was the main factor responsible for the increase of drift densities until the median drift date and repeated occurrence of early larval stages in drift indicated repeated spawning for many species. Significant differences in drift densities between different time periods of the day (day, dusk, night and dawn) were found for common bream Abramis brama , barbel Barbus barbus , chub Leuciscus cephalus , tubenose goby and roach Rutilus rutilus . The highest drift rates occurred at night (2200–0400 hours), with 86% of all larvae drifting during the hours of darkness. Fish larvae of different lengths drifting at different phases of the day were found for common bream, bleak Alburnus alburnus and chub, with largest larvae drifting during dusk (chub) and day (bleak and common bream). For bleak, all gudgeon species Gobio spp., tubenose goby, roach and for all cyprinid species combined, one 2 h night sample was found to be sufficient to predict the total 24 h drift.     

Observations on the occurrence and maturation of the nematode Rhabdochona denudata (Dujardin, 1845) in Chub, Leuciscus cephalus (L.), of the Rokytná River, Czechoslovakia

From October 1985 until July 1987, the seasonal dynamics of Rhabdochona denudata in its principal definitive host, the chub (Leuciscus cephalus), was studied in the Rokytná River (the Danube basin), Czechoslovakia. Prevalence (overall prevalence 77%) and intensity of infection (1-59 nematodes per fish) in the fish were high all year, with both abiotic and biotic factors influencing the fluctuations. Maximum values of prevalence (82-87%) were found in the fish with body length exceeding 20 cm; the mean intensity was highest in the size-group of fish 20-25 cm long, whereas its values gradually decreased in larger fish, this being due to the choice of food by fish of different size-groups. In contrast to the situation in other localities, an annual maturation cycle was not evident and egg-producing female nematodes were present in fish throughout the year. New infections in fish were most common in summer but occurred all year round. This life history pattern seems to be mainly due to the availability of infected ephemeropteran intermediate hosts during all seasons, in this case the nymphs of Ephemera danica, a species noted for its two-year development. In this locality, specifically not determined Rhabdochona larvae were recorded from the mayfly nymphs Ephemera danica (0.4%), Ecdyonurus aurantiacus (7%), and Caenis macrura (10%). The diet of the chub included mayfly nymphs at all seasons.     

东海北部大管鞭虾的食性

根据对2009年6月至2010年5月在东海北部采集到的720尾大管鞭虾胃含物的分析,对不同季节、性别、个体大小以及发育条件下大管鞭虾的摄食习性进行了研究.结果表明: 东海大管鞭虾的饵料生物共有43种(包含未鉴定种),甲壳类、有孔虫类和多毛类为其主要的摄食群类,在食物中所占的数量百分比分别为34.7%、29.4%和12.4%.大管鞭虾的饵料组成具有明显的季节波动,春季以有孔虫、藻类和无脊椎卵为主要食物;夏、秋季以有孔虫、鱼类和多毛类为主要食物;冬季则以多毛类和有孔虫类为主要食物.其摄食强度在春季和夏季较高,秋季较低.不同甲长的个体食性变化显著,小于24 mm的个体主食有孔虫类和藻类,24 mm以上的个体主食有多毛类和十足类;随着性腺发育雌性个体摄食等级呈现减弱的趋势,表明大管鞭虾摄食活动受到繁殖周期的影响.不同性别和不同季节大管鞭虾的食物重叠指数均较高,与栖息环境饵料资源的波动有关.大管鞭虾的营养级为2.67,属低级肉食性动物.     

东海北部大管鞭虾的食性

根据对2009年6月至2010年5月在东海北部采集到的720尾大管鞭虾胃含物的分析,对不同季节、性别、个体大小以及发育条件下大管鞭虾的摄食习性进行了研究.结果表明: 东海大管鞭虾的饵料生物共有43种(包含未鉴定种),甲壳类、有孔虫类和多毛类为其主要的摄食群类,在食物中所占的数量百分比分别为34.7%、29.4%和12.4%.大管鞭虾的饵料组成具有明显的季节波动,春季以有孔虫、藻类和无脊椎卵为主要食物;夏、秋季以有孔虫、鱼类和多毛类为主要食物;冬季则以多毛类和有孔虫类为主要食物.其摄食强度在春季和夏季较高,秋季较低.不同甲长的个体食性变化显著,小于24 mm的个体主食有孔虫类和藻类,24 mm以上的个体主食有多毛类和十足类;随着性腺发育雌性个体摄食等级呈现减弱的趋势,表明大管鞭虾摄食活动受到繁殖周期的影响.不同性别和不同季节大管鞭虾的食物重叠指数均较高,与栖息环境饵料资源的波动有关.大管鞭虾的营养级为2.67,属低级肉食性动物.     

Seasonal patterns of food storing in the Jay Garrulus glandarius

This study investigated seasonal patterns in food consumption and food storage in six captive Jays Garrulus glandarius. In the first experiment, seasonal changes in food-storing intensity were tested by presenting acorns (oak seeds, Quercus spp.) in spring, summer and autumn. There were no significant differences between the seasons in the amount of food eaten. However, significantly more food was taken and stored in the autumn than in the spring and summer months. In the spring and summer, the acorns were stored between the doorframes, on the ledges of the aviaries and under the bark of branches. In the autumn, Jays also began to hoard underneath the plastic sheeting covering the hard-board flooring by ripping the polythene to create a hidden cache site. The length of time over which the stored food was left before retrieval increased from summer to autumn. Food storing also occurred in spring and summer but was short term. The second experiment tested whether or not there were seasonal changes in food preference by presenting birds with acorns, peanuts and mealworms in the summer and autumn. More peanuts were eaten, taken and stored in the autumn than in the summer, and, as in the first experiment, significantly more acorns were taken and stored in the autumn. In the autumn, only a few mealworms were eaten before the birds stored acorns and peanuts, whereas in the summer, birds tended to eat most of the mealworms before they began to store. As in the first experiment, items tended to be buried in the ground in the autumn and left for longer periods before retrieval. These results are discussed in relation to the demand that each food type places on the Jay's time.     

Seasonal and successional dietary shifts of two sympatric rodents in coastal heathland: A possible mechanism for coexistence

Abstract Using microscopic analysis of faecal pellets, we compared the seasonal and successional patterns of food resource use of two Australian native rodents, the eastern chestnut mouse (Pseudomys gracilicaudatus) and the swamp rat (Rattus lutreolus) in a coastal heathland at Myall Lakes National Park, New South Wales. Using the Mantel test, the diets of the two mammal species were significantly different in autumn and winter but not in spring and summer. Further, the two species showed differential use of resources at the young and middle-aged stages of vegetation succession following fire. The mean dietary overlaps for pairs of individuals between the two species were relatively high in all seasons and successional stages, but they were significantly lower than those for pairs of individuals within each species in autumn and winter, and at the young and middle successional stages. Analysis of dietary niche position (γ) and breadth (β) showed lower γ and larger β for P. gracilicaudatus than for R. lutreolus, confirming previous observations that R. lutreolus is more specialized, and less opportunistic in diet than P. gracilicaudatus. Overall, the dietary separations of the two species were less marked in canonical space than they were for specific seasons and successional stages. These results, together with previous studies, indirectly suggest that while these two mammal species may be partitioning diet in autumn and winter in the middle stages, for spring and summer in the old successional stage they might need to partition habitats to facilitate their coexistence. Our results indicate that the local community is more dynamic and complex than previously thought and that other mechanisms of coexistence (e.g. temporal rotation of food resources) may be operating rather than traditional habitat and diet separation.     

Trophic relationships among concentrated populations of small fishes in seagrass meadows

Changes in available food and utilized foods for a densely populated guild of animals can uncover periods of niche displacement among particular consumer species or their separate size classes. Dense populations of small fishes and their foods were çensussed for 13 months and studied experimentally in shoalgrass and turtlegrass meadows of Redfish Bay, Texas. Feeding habits were determined with respect to prey availability, and illustrated the extent to which seasonal partitioning of food corresponded to food depletion among these abundant consumers in seagrass meadow food webs. The darter goby, code goby, pinfish, and Gulf pipefish were the most common species throughout the year. Although the darter goby did not show distinct ontogenetic changes in food habits, the code goby, Gulf pipefish, and pinfish demonstrated major ontogenetic progressions of foods selected.Food availability in the seagrass meadows changed seasonally. When major prey such as amphipods were abundant, during spring, many fish species showed high overlap in food use. Regardless of food availability, the code goby and Gulf pipefish fed mainly on amphipods or copepods. The more common darter goby and pinfish seasonally changed their diets with changes in food availability; the darter goby and pinfish were more carnivorous during spring, but they largely consumed epiphytic algae during summer. Cage experiments were used to monitor foods confined with elevated densities of pinfish and darter gobies, relative to control cages at natural overall densities. Prey items in the former cages decreased sharply, with corresponding dietary shifts by these common fishes. During resource depletion, these changes in resource use by these naturally concentrated consumers appeared as temporary partitioning of available resources. This shift occurred during both natural (seasonal) and experimental depletions of food, and appears to result from increased interspecific and intraspecific competition during periods of depleted preferred foods.     

Long-term variation in fruiting and the food habits of wild Japanese macaques on Kinkazan Island, northern Japan

We studied the relationship between the food habits of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) and the availability of nuts (Fagus crenata, Zelkova serrata, Carpinus spp., and Torreya nucifera) on Kinkazan Island, northern Japan, from 1997 to 2005 to examine the long-term variations in both food habits and availability. The food habits of the monkeys showed clear seasonal changes: the staple foods were woody leaves and flowers in spring (May and June), woody leaves and seeds or fruits other than nuts in summer (July and August), nuts and seeds or fruits other than nuts in fall (September-November), and herbaceous plants in winter (December-April). The availability of nuts, combinations of masting species, and energy production varied among years. Food habits varied among years, but the magnitude of variability of food habits differed among seasons, with large variability during summer and winter, and small variability in spring. Food availability was poor in summer and winter, but in several years the monkeys were able to consume nuts during those seasons. We emphasize the importance of conducting long-term studies on both food availability and the food habits of animals in the temperate zone.     

Seasonal variation in the lateral distribution of mayfly nymphs in a boreal river

Seasonal variations in the lateral distribution of mayfly nymphs were investigated in the North Swedish river Vindelälven; a river with large seasonal differences in water level, current velocity and ice conditions, A total of 22 mayfly species about equally divided between summer and winter species were found along a single transect. At low water level in late summer and autumn most species were distributed over the whole transect. In winter the populations occupying the littoral moved into deeper water, so avoiding the ice. Only very small mortalities were detected in the ice. Prior to the spring flood most characteristically still water species moved to the shallow uppermost littoral while lotic species and the burrowing Ephemera vulgata L. did not show the same aggregation near the shore. It is suggested that these lateral movements allow the nymphs to avoid adverse environmental conditions and to exploit food resources over the whole transect.     

Food and habitat partitioning among juveniles of three fish species in the pelagial of a mesotrophic lake

An analysis of the diet of 0⁺ perch, smelt and roach caught at night of the pelagial of a mesotrophic lake showed that their food was composed mainly of herbivorous and predatory cladocerans, copepods and Chaoborus larvae during summer, and of herbivorous cladocerans and copepods during October. An analysis of habitat use by juveniles revealed separation among the species: roach occurred in the upper, perch and smelt in the deeper water layers. Food and habitat were alternatively partitioned among the juveniles. In early summer the lowest food overlap between perch and smelt coincided with high habitat overlap. In October high food overlap between perch and smelt corresponded with low habitat overlap. Smelt and roach fry used common food resources throughout the season, but they were segregated in habitat.     

Diet and feeding habits of Economidichthys pygmaeus (Perciformes: Gobiidae) in Lake Pamvotis,NW Greece

The purpose of the study was to define the diet composition, feeding preferences, seasonal, size and sex related changes in diet, feeding strategy and diel cycle of Economidichthys pygmaeus. Important features of the overall feeding patterns of the goby include (i) feeding activity, (ii) bottom habits and (iii) consumption of food items to identify the dietary breadth. Stomach contents of 533 specimens, 13.42–48.65 mm total length (TL), collected by hand net (2 mm mesh size) from October 2006 to September 2007 were analyzed. The percentage of 76 empty stomachs (14.26%) did not vary significantly with season. The food composition suggested that the goby is a carnivorous fish. Prey items identified in the stomachs belonged to four major groups: Crustaceans, Insects, Mollusca and Plants. Copepods were the most important (%IRI = 57.51), especially in fish larger than 23 mm TL. Chironomids (%IRI = 43.23) constituted the main prey for fish <23 mm TL. Diet composition showed little seasonal variation. Copepoda dominated the diet in autumn and winter (43.4%; 82.4%) and were replaced by Chironomidae larvae in spring (39.7%) and summer (47.7%). During the reproductive season, large males show a narrow food spectrum as opposed to large females, reflecting the different activity pattern exhibited by males and females during the breeding season, since the former supports parental care. According to the modified Costello graphical method, specialist individuals form the goby population that feeds on two preferential prey types (e.g. Copepods, Chironomids). Nevertheless, they consume some occasional prey (e.g. Cladocera, Insects, Gastropods). The species foraged chiefly at night and early morning, during lower light intensity. The highest feeding activity recorded at night (02.00 hours) and during early morning (08.00 hours) could be related to the cryptic behaviour displayed by the species.     

Ground-truthing the impact of invasive species: spatio-temporal overlap between native least chub and introduced western mosquitofish

Western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) are one of the most destructive introduced species in the American West. The negative impact of introduced species on native taxa depends on their spatio-temporal overlap, which will determine the availability of refugia for native species. Experiments on the mechanisms underlying the interactions between introduced and native species rarely address habitat use, overlap, and refugia because individuals are confined to enclosures. In a previous study we used cages, microcosms, and aquaria to show that mosquitofish could prey on and out-compete native least chub (Iotichthys phlegethontis). In this study, we examined the spatio-temporal overlap between mosquitofish and least chub under natural conditions. We found periods of overlap and partitioning in the seasonal and diel habitat use of these species. Both species used shallow habitats during the day and night throughout the spring when least chub were spawning. Predation by adult mosquitofish on young least chub during the spring likely explains the reduction in least chub recruitment in the presence of mosquitofish. During the summer least chub avoided mosquitofish by exclusively using cooler habitats, or by occupying deeper, cooler habitats during the day when mosquitofish were active, and shallower, warmer habitats at night when mosquitofish were inactive. A shift to cooler habitats in the presence of mosquitofish may result in decreased growth and fecundity of least chub. However, we suggest that a reduction of warm shallow habitat may have a disproportionately greater negative impact on mosquitofish than species native to temperate regions, such as least chub. Habitat manipulations that reduce or eliminate warm habitats may ameliorate the harmful effects of mosquitofish and promote the long-term persistence of native taxa.     

Microhabitat use and diet of 0+ cyprinid fishes in a lentic, regulated reach of the River Great Ouse, England

In the River Great Ouse, 0+ roach, bream, chub, bleak and gudgeon were each divided into three' ecospecies' on the basis of their morphology: young larvae, old larvae and juveniles. Ecologically similar species were positively associated and dissimilar species were negatively associated. All ecospecies, except juvenile bleak preferred water < 1 m deep, within 6 m of the bank with some plant cover. Habitat use was similar for all species. It is suggested that this habitat offers increased growth rate, reduced predation risk and increased food abundance to all species, and that species overlap is due to complementary habitat use rather than aggregation. During the early larval period all species fed predominantly upon rotifers and diatoms. During the late larval period there was a switch to Cladocera, primarily Chydoridae and Ceriodaphnia sp., and chironomid larvae. Species-specific dietary selection was evident during the juvenile period, with roach feeding primarily upon aufwuchs, bream upon Cladocera, chub upon Diptera, and gudgeon upon Copepoda.     

Seasonal and ontogenetic variations in resource use by two sympatric Arctic charr morphs

The study compares the resource utilization of two sympatric Arctic charr morphs over an annual period in a subarctic lake. The two morphs are reproductively isolated in time and place of spawning, and are referred to as the littoral and profundal morphs (L-morph and P-morph) according to their spawning habitats. Fish were sampled monthly (ice-free season) or bimonthly (winter) using gillnets in the main lake habitats. The spatial range of the P-morph was restricted to the profundal zone throughout the whole annual period. The L-morph in contrast utilized all main habitats, exhibiting distinct seasonal and ontogenetic variations in habitat distribution. In the spring, the whole L-morph population was located along the bottom profile of the lake, in profundal and littoral habitats. During summer and autumn, habitat segregation occurred between different life-stages, juveniles mainly utilizing the profundal, pre-adults the pelagic and adult fishes the littoral zone. During winter the whole population was assembled in the littoral habitat. The L-morph also had large seasonal and ontogenetic variations in their feeding ecology, with littoral zoobenthos, zooplankton and surface insects being important prey. The P-morph had a narrower diet niche mainly consisting of chironomid larvae and other profundal zoobenthos. Hence, the two Arctic charr morphs exhibited a consistent resource differentiation during all annual seasons and throughout their life cycles, except for a dietary overlap between P-morph and juvenile L-morph charr in the profundal during summer. The findings are discussed in relation to resource polymorphism and incipient speciation.     

Seasonal variation in diet of juvenile Amur sturgeon Acipenser schrenckii in the lower reaches of the Songhua River,Northeast China

We investigated seasonal variation in the diet of hatchery-reared juvenile Amur sturgeon Acipenser schrenckii in the Tongjiang reach of the Songhua River, Northeast China. The results indicated that Amur sturgeon fed mainly on Chironomidae and Ephemeroptera and secondarily on unspecified bony fish, Odonata, and Trichoptera. Diet changed throughout the year, with autumn 2017 and spring 2018 dominated by Ephemeroptera larvae, while summer 2018 prey comprised primarily Chironomidae larvae. Unspecified bony fish were observed at greater frequency in autumn 2017. Amur sturgeon captured in summer contained a greater quantity of Trichoptera larvae compared to those from autumn and spring sampling. Results were consistent with previous reports of Amur sturgeon diet in other areas of its native distribution and suggested that they may be opportunistic feeders throughout the year, although larval Chironomidae and Ephemeroptera appear to be important prey. These results represent the first reported diet composition data for juvenile Amur sturgeon in the lower Songhua River. Results of the study form part of a comprehensive investigation of feeding habits of juvenile Amur sturgeon that provides basic data for study of the biological characteristics of the species.