Diet of Atlantic lizardfish, <em>Synodus saurus</em> (Linnaeus, 1758) (Pisces: Synodontidae) in the central Mediterranean Sea

Valentina Esposito; Pietro Battaglia; Luca Castriota; Maria Grazia Finoia; Gianfranco Scotti; Franco Andaloro

doi:10.3989/scimar.2009.73n2369

Authors

Valentina Esposito ISPRA-ex ICRAM (High Institute for Environment Protection and Research)
Pietro Battaglia ISPRA-ex ICRAM (High Institute for Environment Protection and Research)
Luca Castriota ISPRA-ex ICRAM
Maria Grazia Finoia ISPRA-ex ICRAM
Gianfranco Scotti ISPRA-ex ICRAM (High Institute for Environment Protection and Research)
Franco Andaloro ISPRA-ex ICRAM

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3989/scimar.2009.73n2369

Keywords:

diet, feeding habits, Synodontidae, Synodus saurus, ontogeny, central Mediterranean Sea, Sicily

Abstract

The diet composition of the Atlantic lizardfish Synodus saurus, caught on sandy bottoms of the north-western coast of Sicily (southern Tyrrhenian Sea) is described. The stomachs of 224 specimens (from 73 to 280 mm TL) were collected between June 2005 and May 2006. The analysis of stomach contents showed that this species is almost exclusively piscivorous. Unlike other benthic predators of the study area, it mainly feeds on pelagic school-forming fish, such as Clupeidae, Engraulidae and Myctophidae and juveniles of Sparidae and Centracanthidae, and benthic prey play a secondary role. The diet of S. saurus is related to the seasonal availability of resources, depending on the occurrence of juveniles of several species and on the migration of pelagic fishes in the study area. There were no significant changes in prey items between predator length groups, but a positive, significant linear relationship between prey size and predator size was recorded.

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