Diet Composition of Bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus, 1766) in the Sea of Marmara

Year 2020, , 46 - 50, 30.06.2020

Habib Bal , Telat Yanık , Dilek Türker

https://doi.org/10.33714/masteb.675929

Cited By: 2

Abstract

In this study, diet composition of bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus, 1766) was investigated. A total of 512 bluefish samples were monthly collected from commercial fishing boats operating in the Sea of Marmara between January and December 2014. It was determined that the total length distribution of the samples varied between 12.3-47.3 cm. 367 of them (71.67%) were found to be the full of the stomach. The nutritional composition of stomach contents only two main prey groups (teleostei and crustacean) were identified. In evaluation, relative importance indexes (IRI) food groups were calculated. According to the relative importance index (IRI=91.8%) anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) has been found to be the most preferred food group. The number of individuals whose stomachs were found to be full was low in the winter months; it started to rise with spring and reached the highest level in the autumn months. It was determined that the increase in the total number of stomachs occurred between August and October in relation to the reproductive period. It was found that stomach fullness rates significantly relationship between sex and seasons (p<0.01).

Keywords

Diet, Stomach content, Prey-predator, Bluefish, Marmara Sea

Supporting Institution

General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies

Project Number

TAGEM/HAYSÜD/2013/A11/P-02/4.

Thanks

The authors thank to General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies

References

• Artüz, M. L. (2003). 2002-2003 senesinin IX. ve III. ayları arasında Boğaziçi’nde avlanmış olan 1. yaş gurubuna ait lüfer balıkları Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus, 1766) üzerine etüt. Fisheries Advisory Commission Technical Paper.
• Arias, A. (1980). Growth, food and reproductive habits of sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) and sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) in the “esteros” (fish ponds) of Cadiz [Spain]. Investigation Pesquera Spain, 44(1): 59-83.
• Briggs, J. C. (1960). Fishes of worldwide (circumtropical) distribution. Copeia, 3: 171-180. https://doi.org/ 10.2307/1439652
• Buckel, J. A., Fogarty, M. J. & Conover, D. O. (1999). Foraging habits of bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, on the US east coast continental shelf. Fishery Bulletin, 97(4): 758-775.
• Buckel, J. A., Sharack, B. L. & Zdanowicz, V. S. (2004). Effect of diet on otolith composition in Pomatomus saltatrix, an estuarine piscivore. Journal of Fish Biology, 64(6): 1469-1484. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-1112.2004.00393.x
• Ceyhan, T., Akyol, O., Ayaz, A. & Juanes, F. (2007). Age, growth, and reproductive season of bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) in the Marmara region, Turkey. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64(3): 531-536. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsm026
• Creaser, E. P. & Perkins, H. C. (1994). The distribution, food, and age of juvenile bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, in Maine. Fishery Bulletin, 5(42): 494-508.
• Frost, W. E. (1946). On the food relationships of fish in Windermere. Biologisch Jaarboek Dodonaea, 13: 216-231.
• Grant, G. C. (1962). Predation of bluefish on young Atlantic menhaden in India River, Delaware. Chesapeake Science, 3(1): 45-47. https://doi.org/10.2307/1350413
• Hyslop, E. J. (1980). Stomach contents analysis a review of methods and their application. Journal of Fish Biology, 17(4): 411-429. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1980.tb02775.x
• Lassiter, R. R. (1962). Life history aspects of the bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus), from the coast of North Carolina. M.S. Thesis. NC, North Carolina State University, Carolina, USA.
• Lawlor, L. R. (1980). Overlap, similarity, and competition coefficients. Ecology, 61(2): 245-251. https://doi.org/10.2307/1935181
• Marks, R. E. (1993). Ontogenetic shift in the diet of young-of-the-year bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix during the oceanic phase of the early life history. Fishery Bulletin, 91: 97-106.
• Pinkas, L. (1971). Food habits study. pp. 5-10. In: Pinkas, L., Oliphant, M. S., Iverson, I. L. K. (Eds.), Food habits of albacore Bluefin tuna and bonito in California waters. Fish Bulletin 152, California, USA: Department of Fish and Game, The Resources Agency, State of California. 105p.
• Slastenenko, E. (1956). Karadeniz Havzası Balıkları. İstanbul, Turkey: Et ve Balık Kurumu Umum Müdürlüğü Yayınları. 711p.
• Tortonese, E. (1975). Osteichthes. Fauna D’Italia, sotto gli auspici Dell’Accademia. Nazionale Italiana Di Entomologia e dell’Unione Zoologica, Italiana. 151- 153.
• Türgan, G. (1959). Pomatomus saltatrix L. (lüfer balıkları)’in biyolojisi hakkında. İstanbul Üniversitesi Fen Fakültesi Hidrobiyoloji Araştırma Enstitüsü, Hidrobiyoloji Mecmuası, 5(1-4): 144-180.
• Wilk, S. J. (1977). Biological and fisheries data on bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix. National Marine Fisheries Service, Sandy Hook Laboratory, Technical Series Report No. 11. USA.
• Windell, J. T. & Bowen, S. H. (1978). Methods for study of fish diets based on analysis of stomach contents. IBP Handbook. No.3.
• Wootton, R. J. (1990). Ecology of teleost fishes. Chapman and Hall. UK: London and New York. 404p.