Diet of larval albacore Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788) off Mallorca Island (NW Mediterranean)

Authors

  • Ignacio Alberto Catalán IEO-Centre Oceanogràfic de Balears, Palma de Mallorca
  • Francisco Alemany 1IEO-Centre Oceanogràfic de Balears, Palma de Mallorca
  • Ana Morillas 1IEO-Centre Oceanogràfic de Balears, Palma de Mallorca
  • Beatríz Morales-Nin Grupo de Oceanografía Interdisciplinar, Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats, Islas Baleares

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3989/scimar.2007.71n2347

Keywords:

Thunnus alalunga, larvae, Mediterranean, feeding, niche breadth

Abstract


These are the first data on the feeding of larval albacore (Thunnus alalunga Bonnaterre, 1788) in the Mediterranean. Specimens were gathered from day-time bongo-hauls conducted over the SW Mallorcan (Balearic Islands) shelf-slope. Ninety eight percent of 101 individuals ranging from 2.65 to 9.4 mm standard length (SL) contained 1 to 15 prey items per gut. Mean number of prey/gut was 3.55 ± 2.19 (SD). A positive correlation was found between larval SL and the number of prey/gut. The analysis of frequency of occurrence (F), numerical frequency (N), weight frequency (W) and the Index of Relative Importance (IRI) showed a dominance of copepodites and nauplii in the smallest size-class. As larvae grew, cladocerans and Calanoida copepodites dominated the diet, and cladocerans and copepodites were important in F, N and W. Piscivory was observed after notochord flexion and was important in terms of W. A positive correlation between mean prey size and both SL and lower jaw length (LJL) was observed. The niche breadth (S) did not vary with LJL, but the raw prey size range did. Larger copepodites, the absence of nauplii and the incorporation of fish larvae and a larger number of cladocerans in the diet accounted for the increase in mean prey size through increased larval size.

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Published

2007-06-30

How to Cite

1.
Catalán IA, Alemany F, Morillas A, Morales-Nin B. Diet of larval albacore Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788) off Mallorca Island (NW Mediterranean). Sci. mar. [Internet]. 2007Jun.30 [cited 2024Mar.29];71(2):347-54. Available from: https://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/13

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