engleski

Feeding habits of small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula Linnaeus, 1758) from eastern central Adriatic Sea

The feeding habits of small-spotted catshark, Scyliorhinus canicula, from the central Adriatic Sea, were investigated with respect to fish size, season and sampling location. Stomach contents of 1200 specimens, collected at monthly intervals (January to December 2010) were analysed. The prey items identified in the stomachs belong to eight major groups: Cephalopoda, Polychaeta, Stomatopoda, Decapoda, Mysidacea, Euphausiacea, Amphipoda and Teleostei. Decapods were the most important ingested prey in all seasons as well as in medium sized fish (TL = 22 - 38 cm TL). Euphausiids and myisids constituted the main prey item of smallest fish (< 22 cm TL) while teleosts dominated the stomach contents of larger specimens (> 38 cm TL). Two decapods, Alpheus glaber (%IRI = 5.1) and Solenocera membranacea (%IRI = 3.0), were the most frequent preys. The mean weight of stomach contents increased significantly for fish larger than 30 cm TL, while the mean number of prey items did not differ significantly among size classes. Diet of small-spotted catshark indicated high similarity between sampling locations. The percentage of empty stomachs showed monthly variation with maximal occurrence in February (48.0%) and minimal in August (9.0%). The lowest feeding frequency could be related to low sea temperatures during the winter. The stomach contents of small-spotted catshark indicate that this species could be a considered as generalistic predator.

Adriatic Sea; feeding habits; Scyliorhinus canicula; small-spotted catshark

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