Naslov
Feeding habits of horse mackerel, Trachurus trachurus (Linneaus, 1758), from the central Adriatic Sea

Autori
Šantić, Mate ; Jardas, Ivan ; Pallaoro, Armin

Izvornik
Journal of applied ichthyology (0175-8659) 21 (2005), 2; 125-130

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
horse mackerel; feeding habits; Adriatic Sea

Sažetak
The feeding habits of the horse mackerel, Trachurus trachurus, from the central Adriatic Sea were investigated with respect to fish size and season. Stomach contents of 1200 specimens 12.9–37.6 cm total length (TL) taken at monthly intervals (January–December 1995) were analyzed. Of the total number of stomachs examined, 597 were empty (49.7%). This percentage varied significantly with season ; the maximum number of empty stomachs was observed during January (80%) and February (82%) and a minimum number observed during July (15%) and August (19%). A total of 30 different prey species belonging to five major groups: Crustacea (Euphausiacea, Mysidacea, Decapoda), Cephalopoda, and Teleostei was identified in the stomach contents. Euphausiids were the most important ingested prey in all seasons as well as in small- and medium-size classes (<28 cm TL). Two species of euphausiids, Nyctiphanes couchii (%IRI ¼ 36.0) and Euphausia krohni (%IRI ¼ 12.9), were the most frequent prey. The proportion of teleosts in stomach contents increased with the increasing size class of horse mackerel and was 15.5% IRI in >30 cm TL individuals. The mean weight of stomach contents increased significantly for fish larger than 24.1 cm TL, while the mean number of prey items significantly declined in the large-size classes.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija

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