Journal
SCIENTIA MARINA
Volume 84, Issue 2, Pages 119-131Publisher
CONSEJO SUPERIOR INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS-CSIC
DOI: 10.3989/scimar.04958.24A
Keywords
distribution patterns; stomach content analysis; Brazil; cross-shelf; stable isotopes
Categories
Funding
- French oceanographic fleet
- IRD
- CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel)
- National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) [305014/2016-1, 312211/2017-1]
- TAPIOCA, programme CAPES/COFECUB [88881.142689/2017-01]
- PADDLE project from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme [73427]
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This study provides information about the feeding habits, population aspects and spatial distribution of the spotted goatfish, Pseudupeneus maculatus, along the coast of the tropical Brazilian continental shelf. Distribution patterns are described using length frequencies and catch rates. Stable isotope ratios of carbon (delta C-13) and nitrogen (delta N-15), along with stomach contents, were analysed to determine the diet of the spotted goatfish. Multivariate analysis and numerical indicators of the diet, such as numerical frequency. frequency of occurrence and weight percentage, were computed to evaluate the diet composition. The mean trophic position was defined using both stable isotope ratios and stomach content analysis. The length at first maturity for the species was determined as 13.7 cm. A slight pattern in size distribution was observed, with mean size increasing with depth along the shelf. The diet was mainly composed of crustaceans, teleosts and Polychaeta. No clear dietary difference was found between habitat types, water depth or latitude. Both trophic positions estimated by stable isotopes and stomach contents analysis ranged between levels 3 and 4. P. maculatus was found to be feeding on many rare and infrequent prey items, classifying it as a generalist zoobenthivorous predator, probably due to its efficient search strategy.
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