Interspecific trophic relationships among pelagic fish species underneath FADs

Fortnightly experimental purse-seine hauls at fish aggregation devices (FADs) and open water control sites, over a 2-year period in oceanic waters o. the eastern coast of Majorca revealed that carangid, coryphaenid, serranid, balistid and centrolophid fishes caught there were mostly planktivores. Most of the species had a high food intake. The dominance of neustonic and holoplanktonic epipelagic prey could indicate a direct link between FADs, invertebrates (biofouling) and fish. Polyprion and Schedophilus were more generalist predators than the more specialized Naucrates and Trachurus spp. There was low variation in feeding intake and the types of prey categories important for each species. Naucrates , Coryphaena and Schedophilus characterized the autumn community under FADs, while Trachurus , Seriola and Balistes were present throughout the summer. There was little diet overlap among the species suggesting only limited competition for the food resources among Trachurus spp, Naucrates and Seriola , and among Seriola and Coryphaena.