The diet of Brycinus nurse (Pisces: Characidae) from Asa reservoir,Ilorin, Nigeria

From November 1991 to October 1993, 980 specimens of the characid Brycinus nurse were collected from Asa reservoir to examine its diet. The diet was analyzed using the frequency of occurrence, numerical and gravimetric methods. Two hundred and sixty nine (27.45%) of the stomachs examined were empty. The fish was an omnivore feeding extensively on a wide array of plant and animal food items. These consisted of 9 families, 10 genera and 10 species. The most extensively consumed plant food item was aquatic plant parts which occurred in 63.88% of the stomachs, and accounted for 6.06% by number and 12.10% by weight while the ephemeropteran, Povilla adusta was the most dominant animal food item, occurring in 50.92% of the stomachs, and accounting for 11.98% by number and 11.86% by weight. Conversely, the least consumed plant food item was Volvox occurring in 4.49% of the stomachs and accounting for 0.18% by number and 0.35% by weight, while the fish Barbus sp. was the least consumed animal food item occurring in 0.51% of the stomachs, accounting for 0.03% by number and 1.62% by weight. New food items not previously recorded such as a watermite. Aspatharia sinuata and Barbus callipterus were found in the stomach contents. The nonspecific feeding regime of the fish and its ability to utilize different food items effectively was what accounted for the prominence and wide distribution of the fish in the lake.     

The food and feeding habits of the silver pomfret, Pampus argenteus (Euphrasen), in Kuwait waters

The food habits of the silver pomfret, Pampus argenteus (Euphrasen 1788), in Kuwait waters were investigated by examining the stomach contents of 738 specimens collected from May 1996 to April 1997. Their diet consisted of a broad spectrum of food types, but Crustacea were dominant, with copepods and their eggs constituting 39 % other non-copepod Crustacea constituted 16 %. The next major food group was Bacillariophyta (21 %), followed by Mollusca (11 %), fish scales (10 %) and, finally, fish eggs and larvae (3 %). In summer the species fed on a wider variety of food items than in winter. Copepods, other non-copepod crustaceans, and molluscs tended to occur in the stomachs in higher frequencies with an increase in P. argenteus size (up to 18.5–20.4 cm), while the bacillariophytes tended to increase in stomachs at fish sizes between 22.5–24.5 cm. Analysis of monthly variations in stomach fullness indicated that feeding intensity fluctuated throughout the year, with a low during August and September, corresponding to the spawning period.     

Diet diversity among five co-existing fish species in a tropical river: integration of dietary and stable isotope data

Diets were estimated from stomach contents and the MixSIR model using stable isotope values for five co-existing and abundant benthic fishes in relation to potential prey from a riffle habitat in a tropical river in eastern Thailand. Collectively, aquatic insects were of greatest dietary importance based on stomach contents and, except for one fish species, predicted from the MixSIR. The most prominent functional feeding insect groups in fish diets were collector-filterers and scrapers and, to a lesser extent, predators. MixSIR predicted shrimp to be the most important single dietary constituent for all fishes in contrast to stomach contents, which indicated they are a major item for only one species. MixSIR predicted plant material to be more important in fish diets than stomach contents where the composition of detritus was a concern. Differences in temporal feeding schedules, prey availability, species adaptations and others are important in understanding diet and in the construction of food webs. Stable isotope and dietary analysis provides a more accurate assessment of the food web structure and dynamics of tropical river ecosystems than either method alone.     

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.     

Diel variation in feeding rate and prey composition of herring and mackerel in the southern Gulf of St Lawrence

Diel feeding patterns of herring Clupea harengus and mackerel Scomber scombrus in the southern Gulf of St Lawrence were examined based on samples obtained by midwater trawling between 19 and 26 June 2001. Within 3 h time periods, stomach contents tended to be more similar between fish from the same tow than between fish from different tows. Thus, in contrast to previous diet studies, which have used individual fish stomachs as independent observations, tow was used as the experimental unit in statistical analyses in this study. Diel patterns in stomach fullness were identified using generalized additive models. Two peaks in stomach fullness occurred for herring, one in the morning and the other in the evening. Mackerel showed an increase in feeding intensity throughout the day with a peak in mid‐afternoon. The diel changes in stomach contents suggested rapid gastric evacuation rates for both species, especially for herring. The estimate of the instantaneous evacuation rate for herring was twice that for mackerel. Calanus copepods (mainly C. hyperboreus ), fishes (mainly capelin Mallotus villosus ) and euphausiids were the main prey found in the stomachs of both species. Calanus copepods dominated the diet of herring regardless of time period. They also dominated the diet of mackerel during the late afternoon, evening and night while fishes and euphausiids were dominant during the morning and early afternoon. These diel patterns emphasize the need for sampling throughout the day and night in order to estimate ration and diet composition for bioenergetic and ecosystem models.     

Feeding habits of the king soldier bream,Argyrops spinifer (Forsskål, 1775) (Perciformes: Sparidae), in the northern Persian Gulf

The feeding habits of the king soldier bream Argyrops spinifer (Forsskål, 1775), were examined in the northern part of the Persian Gulf (coastal waters of Bushehr, Iran). The stomach contents of 622 specimens, 13.5–64.2 cm in total length, collected by a trawl boat from June 2010 to May 2011, were analysed to assess the influence of size, season and sex on their diet composition. Amongst the examined stomachs, 57 were empty (vacuity index = 9.2%), which varied significantly (P < 0.05) throughout the year. According to the results, this species is a generalist carnivorous feeder with a diet consisting of 52 different prey items belonging to nine main categories. Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Malacostraca, Crustacea and Teleostei were the most important prey items. Fish size and gender showed no significant effects on diet composition. Moreover, in the main food catagories no seasonal variations were detected.     

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.     

The forgotten feeding ground: patterns in seasonal and depth-specific food intake of adult cod Gadus morhua in the western Baltic Sea

This study presents the diet composition of western Baltic cod Gadus morhua based on 3150 stomachs sampled year-round between 2016 and 2017 using angling, gillnetting and bottom trawling, which enhanced the spatio-temporal coverage of cod habitats. Cod diet composition in shallow areas (<20 m depth) was dominated by benthic invertebrate species, mainly the common shore crab Carcinus maneas. Compared to historic diet data from the 1960s and 1980s (limited to depth >20 m), the contribution of herring Clupea harengus decreased and round goby Neogobius melanostomus occurred as a new prey species. Statistical modelling revealed significant relationships between diet composition, catch depth, fish length and season. Generalized additive modelling identified a negative relationship between catch depth and stomach content weight, suggesting reduced food intake in winter when cod use deeper areas for spawning and during peak summer when cod tend to avoid high water temperatures. The results of this study highlight the importance of shallow coastal areas as major feeding habitats of adult cod in the western Baltic Sea, which were previously unknown because samples were restricted to deeper trawlable areas. The results strongly suggest that historic stomach analyses overestimated the role of forage fish and underestimated the role of invertebrate prey. Eventually, this study shows the importance of a comprehensive habitat coverage for unbiased stomach sampling programmes to provide a more reliable estimation of top predator diet, a key information for food web analyses and multispecies models.     

嘉陵江不同江段蛇鮈的食性分析

2015年和2016年的10—11月,在嘉陵江上游(广元)、中游(蓬安)、下游(合川)采集210尾蛇鮈Saurogobio dabryi,采用传统镜检法对其食性进行研究。结果表明:嘉陵江蛇鮈属于杂食性鱼类,饵料生物包括5大类(79小类);聚类分析表明,出现率(F%)、数量百分比(N%)和相对重要性指数(IRI%)在衡量食物对嘉陵江蛇鮈的重要性方面表现一致,但基于质量百分比(W%)的食物重要性结果与前三者之间的差异有统计学意义。4种指数显示,上游和中游江段蛇鮈均以动物性饵料为主,为偏肉食性的杂食性鱼类,下游江段蛇鮈以藻类为主,为偏植食性的杂食性鱼类。选用W%对其食性进行不同江段之间比较,聚类分析表明中游与上游和下游存在显著差异(d> 0. 3); Schoener重叠指数比较显示,不同江段蛇鮈摄食的饵料生物存在空间差异(C_xy<0. 60)。研究认为蛇鮈的食性具有较强的地域性和可塑性,可能是对不同江段水生生态环境适应的结果。     

Food and growth of arctic char, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), in the Cumberland Sound area of Baffin Island

Arctic char, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), captured during the summer, 1972, in Cumberland Sound, Baffin Island, fed mainly on planktonic amphipods (Parathemisto libellula, Pseudalibrotus glacialis), copepods (Calanus hyperboreus), and fish (Boreogadus saida, Myoxocephalus sp.), but failed to utilize coelenterates, planktonic gastropods, and epi- and infauna. The considerable variation in the species composition of the diet of char of different lengths was due primarily to size selection. The average length of all individuals in stomach contents and of representatives of most food species increased with the length of fish. The minimum and maximum length of frequently ingested organisms increased four and 90 times, respectively, as char increased from 4 to 85 cm. Char less than 10 cm in length captured in rivers tributary to the Sound fed mainly on larval Chironomidae (Eukiefferiella bavaria) during the summer, whereas those longer than 10 cm fed predominantly on other char. During the winter the stomachs of the smaller individuals were always empty while the diet of the large char was restricted to other fish. Most species available to the char were consumed in proportion to their relative abundance in the rivers. The dry weight of stomach contents, when expressed on a unit weight basis, decreased with the wet weight of char in both fresh and salt water. Thus, fish 10 g in weight contained approximately 1.5 times more food in their stomachs than those weighing 1000 g. The stomach contents of char captured in salt water weighed approximately 11 times more than those of char of comparable size captured simultaneously in fresh water. The fish fed at random intervals during the day and ceased feeding at night. Arctic char, at all sampling areas, had reached a length of approximately 9.6 cm after four years. Upon migrating to salt water, their growth rate increased sharply with the result that after eight years they were 26.5 cm in length, reflecting food availability. The growth rate gradually decreased in fish older than nine years so that 20 year olds were approximately 70.0 cm in length.     

崂山湾人工鱼礁区星康吉鳗摄食生态及食物网结构

根据2015年4月至2017年1月于崂山湾人工鱼礁区地笼网和延绳钓捕获的279尾星康吉鳗样本,从胃含物组成、食性类型、摄食等级、营养生态位和营养级等方面对其摄食生态进行研究,同时结合海区许氏平鲉、大泷六线鱼、斑头鱼、褐菖鲉、花鲈等9种鱼类的胃含物分析结果,构建人工鱼礁区鱼类关键种的简化食物网模型.食性研究结果表明:星康吉鳗共摄食7类30余种饵料,虾类是其最主要的饵料类群,其次为鱼类和头足类,大泷六线鱼、方氏云鳚、鹰爪虾、玉筋鱼和日本鼓虾等是其优势饵料.星康吉鳗的饵料生物组成随肛长和季节发生显著变化.四季均以鱼类和虾类为主,春季胃含物中包括头足类,秋季包括头足类和蟹类,冬季亦有蟹类出现.肛长≤120 mm的星康吉鳗主要摄食鱼卵和鹰爪虾,120~130 mm肛长组主要摄食玉筋鱼和日本鼓虾,肛长>130 mm的星康吉鳗主要摄食大泷六线鱼和方氏云鳚.其摄食强度也随季节和肛长而变化,空胃率的季节性差异显著,平均胃饱满系数的季节性差异不显著,不同肛长组的空胃率和平均胃饱满系数均不存在显著差异.人工鱼礁区简化食物网结构显示:鱼类关键种的营养级均在3级以上,星康吉鳗的营养级为4.636,处于海区食物网的最顶端.虾类、蟹类、端足类和软体动物等是鱼类关键种的主要饵料,甲壳类、方氏云鳚、大泷六线鱼和玉筋鱼是高营养级鱼类花鲈和星康吉鳗的主要饵料.     

Food and feeding habits of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) (Pisces: Clariidae) in Lake Koka,Ethiopia

The food and feeding habits of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) were studied in Lake Koka, Ethiopia, in May 2011 (dry month) and September 2011 (wet month). Three hundred and thirty eight nonempty stomach samples were analysed using frequency of occurrence and volumetric methods of analysis. Detritus, insects, macrophytes, zooplankton and fish were the dominant food categories by occurrence, and they occurred in 79.6%, 63.6%, 63.0%, 56.2% and 15.4% of the stomachs, respectively. Volumetrically, the above food items comprised 24.3%, 14.1%, 14.5%, 19.3% and 21.8% of the total volume of food categories. Phytoplankton and gastropods were of low importance, and they occurred in 28.7% and 8.6% of the stomachs, respectively. Their volumetric contributions were 3.2% and 2.8% of the total volume of food categories. During the dry month, fish, zooplankton, insects and detritus were important food categories, while during the wet month detritus, macrophytes, insects and gastropods were important. Smaller catfish diets were dominated by detritus, macrophytes and insects, whereas larger catfish shifted to fish and zooplankton. Based on the results, C. gariepinus was found to be omnivorous in its feeding habits in Lake Koka.     

Feeding habits of megrim, Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis (Walbaum, 1792), from the central Adriatic Sea

The feeding habits of the megrim, Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis , from the central Adriatic Sea were investigated with respect to fish size and seasons. Stomach contents of 510 specimens, 9.0–28.9 cm total length (TL), collected by bottom-trawl from 2004 to 2006 were analyzed. The percentage of 97 empty stomachs varied significantly with season (maximum during the winter, 32.1%; minimum during summer, 7.4%). The food composition suggests that the megrim is a carnivorous fish. Prey items identified in the stomachs belong to four major groups: Teleostei, Decapoda, Mysidacea and Cephalopoda. Teleosts were the most important (%IRI = 82.2), especially in fish larger than 14 cm TL. Mysidacea constituted the main prey for fish less than 14 cm TL. At the species level, the teleost Antonogadus megalokynodon (%IRI = 1.5) and decapod Processa canaliculata (%IRI = 0.9) were the most frequent prey. The mean weight of stomach contents increased significantly for fish larger than 14 cm TL, while the mean number of prey items did not differ significantly among size classes. Diet composition showed little seasonal variation; teleosts were the most important prey in all seasons, especially during spring. The lowest intensity of feeding recorded in winter could be related to the lower sea temperature and to the spawning period.     

Diet and condition of three fish species (Characidae) of the Andean foothills in relation to deforestation

Synopsis I studied effects of deforestation on diet and condition of three characid species; Astyanax zonatus, Knodus gamma, and Prionobrama filigera in small streams in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The best condition of K. gamma was found at sites with low canopy cover, while the best condition of P. filigera was found at sites with high canopy cover. Deforestation changed population structure of A. zonatus by decreasing mean size of individuals, but this was not associated with lower fish condition. A. zonatus was omnivorous, and fed equally on invertebrate and plant food. A. zonatus increased feeding on aquatic food items (filamentous algae and fish scales) in the deforested sites (43%) compared to the forested sites (16%). K. gamma was an omnivorous species with preference for invertebrates. K. gamma was mainly feeding on terrestrial food sources in the forested sites, but switched to equal feeding between terrestrial and aquatic food sources in the deforested sites. P. filigera was an terrestrial insectivore feeder, and no differences in the overall food categories was found between stream groups. In contrast, there were no pronounced difference in the composition of invertebrate taxa in the stomachs of K. gamma between stream groups. However, less empty stomachs were observed among K. gamma in the deforested sites. The stomach contents of P. filigera showed great changes in composition of the predominating prey taxa between stream groups and less empty stomachs were observed among P. filigera in the forested sites. Food availability and utilisation seemed to be of main importance for the condition of these fish. Deforestation seems to favour species with high availability to utilise aquatic food items. In contrast, deforestation seems to have negative effects on species that are specialised on terrestrial invertebrates, and have low capacity to switch between aquatic and terrestrial food items.     

Does the rat have an empty stomach after an overnight fast?

Variable amounts of food have been observed in the stomachs of male rats following an overnight fast. The effects of diet and diet type on the amount of residual food left in the stomach and on fat deposition and liver weight in the male rat were investigated. The implications of these results on metabolism and pharmacokinetic studies are discussed.     

Body size, sex ratio and diet composition of Arctogadus glacialis (Peters, 1874) (Pisces: Gadidae) in the Northeast Water Polynya (Greenland)

Little is known about the biology and feeding ecology of Arctogadus glacialis (Peters, 1874), an endemic gadid fish species occurring circumpolarly in both ice-free and ice-covered Arctic seas. In this study we analysed specimens sampled from bottom trawl and Agassiz trawl catches conducted at eight stations in water depths from 115 to 490 m in the Northeast Water Polynya off Greenland in August 1990. Size composition and sex ratios were assessed for 585 fish with standard lengths ranging from 7.8 to 34.5 cm. Median fish sizes at the stations ranged between 8.6 and 18.8 cm. Quantitative stomach content analyses of a subsample of 175 specimens revealed that in the Northeast Water A. glacialis fed almost exclusively on pelagic prey. Truly benthic organisms were not found in the stomachs, and sympagic species were rarely recorded. Overall, calanoid copepods were the major prey in terms of numbers. However, stomach contents varied considerably between fish size groups. In terms of prey biomass, copepods dominated the diet of small fish (<12 cm), primarily occurring at shallow stations (115–250 m), whereas amphipods and mysids were relatively more important for larger fish (>16 cm), which dominated the catches at deep stations (360–480 m). The broad variety of diet composition indicated an opportunistic pelagic feeding pattern. Received: 6 November 1997 / Accepted: 11 May 1998     

Fish assemblages across a vegetation gradient in a restoring tidal freshwater wetland: diets and potential for resource competition

Marsh habitats have been the focus of recent worldwide restoration efforts due to their degradation and destruction as a result of human development. We assessed fish resource use at a naturally restoring marsh (Liberty Island, California, USA) by comparing diet composition, stomach fullness, normalized stomach weight, and diet overlap across a vegetation gradient. Fish were collected using gill nets and fyke nets at six sites during spring 2010, summer 2011 and winter 2012. We analyzed 392 stomachs from the eleven most abundant species collected. Prey composition and biomass varied seasonally for all fish species, but there were no notable differences across sites or seasons for stomach fullness or normalized stomach weight for most fish species. Results from non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and two-way analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) indicated minimal diet overlap between species (R?=?0.633, p?=?0.001) and seasons (R?=?0.413, p?=?0.001). Seasonal habitat and resource use across the vegetation gradient was species-specific. Small but significant spatial diet differences were detected for inland silverside, striped bass and bigscale logperch. Delta smelt exhibited seasonal diet differences by shifting from chironomids and zooplankton during spring, to amphipods and zooplankton during winter. More generally, fish maintained stomach fullness across all sites and seasons while maintaining minimal dietary overlap. Our study emphasizes the importance of tidal marshes as feeding habitat for several fish species, including the endangered delta smelt.     

Diet composition and trophic guild structure of fish assemblage in headwaters of the Chishui River,a tributary of the upper Yangtze River,China

In this study, the diet composition and trophic structure of the fish assemblage in the headwaters of the Chishui River were investigated. A total of 1677 fish specimens belonging to 14 species were collected and dissected. Of these specimens, 1063 individuals with undigested food in their stomachs or guts were used for analysis. Our analysis identified thirty-one kinds of prey, which were classified into eight categories, namely, diatoms, chlorophytes, other vegetable prey, aquatic insects, mollusks, other invertebrates, fishes, and unidentified organic matters. Among these categories, diatoms were the most important prey for this fish assemblage. With an ontogenetic dietary shift, the 14 species were subdivided into 16 predator groups, which were categorized into five trophic guilds, namely, algivore (diatoms), algivore (chlorophytes), omnivore, aquatic insectivore, and piscivore. Their diet composition significantly differed from one guild to another (p?<?0.05), and an evident overlap was observed in the diet spectrum between predator group in the algivore (diatoms) guild. These results suggested that autochthonous organic carbon was an important nutrient source for the fish assemblage in the headwaters of the Chishui River rather than allochthonous nutrients. For the protection of the fish resources, conservation efforts on the river substratum and the riparian zone in the headwaters of the Chishui River should be prioritized because these places are the main nutrient sources.     

Fish eggs and larvae in the diet of herring Clupea harengus membras Linnaeus, 1758 and the sprat Sprattus sprattus balticus (Schneider, 1904) (Clupeidae) in the Southeastern Baltic Sea

The qualitative and quantitative composition of fish eggs and larvae in the stomach contents of Baltic herring and sprat was examined. The occurrence of fish eggs and larvae in the diet of herring was markedly higher, compared to sprat. Eggs of four and larvae of nine fish species were found in the herring stomachs. The prey species composition of the herring and sprat diets was related to the ichthyoplankton composition and to the degree of overlapping of the prey and predator distributions. Sprat eggs were the predominant prey in the herring diet in May and sprat larvae prevailed in August. The daily ration estimates indicate that the sprat larvae consumption by herring in August exceeded the sprat egg consumption in May by many times. Cod eggs in the herring stomachs were only found at the optimal oxygen content and salinity for the cod eggs in the near-bottom water layer.     

Food and feeding habits of Ilisha africana (Bloch) (Pisces: Clupeidae) off the Lagos coast, Nigeria

A total of 2215 specimens of Ilisha africana (Bloch) were examined for the food habits of the species off the Lagos coast, Nigeria. Their food consisted mainly of crustaceans, fish and molluscs; less important in the stomach contents were insects, annelids, chaetognaths, coelenterates, urochordates and phytoplankton. The incidence of nematodes in the stomachs was low. Monthly variation of food as well as variation with fish size and water depth were examined, as was the relationship of food composition to components of the plankton fauna. Feeding habits of I. africana were compared with those Sardinella maderensis (Lowe), Galeoides decadatylus (Bloch), Brachydeuterus auritus (Val.) and Vomer setapinnis (Mitchill); there was an overall diversity in the diets of these fish species.