Since 2008, a severe decrease in size and body condition together with a demographic truncation has been observed in the sardine (secondarily in anchovy) population of the Gulf of Lions (NW Mediterranean Sea). In parallel, sprat biomass, which was negligible before, has increased tenfold. All of these changes have strongly affected the regional fisheries. Using trophic and isotopic data from contrasting periods of low versus high growth and condition, we investigated potential changes in diet and interspecific feeding interactions through time. Evidence of resource partitioning was found between sprat and both anchovy and sardine in 2004 and 2005. Since 2010, the isotopic niches of the 3 species have tended to overlap, suggesting higher risk of competition for food resources. Moreover, the wider trophic niche of sprat indicates higher variability in individual diets. Anchovy and sardine diet varied through time, with a high proportion of large copepods or cladocerans in periods of high growth and condition (1994 and 2007, respectively) versus a dominance of small copepods in the present (2011-2012). Furthermore, an important reduction in prey diversity was also identified in the diet of both anchovy and sardine during the most recent period. Our results support the hypothesis that changes in small pelagic fish growth, size and body condition and ultimately biomass could be due to bottom-up control characterized by changes in food availability and increasing potential trophic competition

This study was funded by the programmes PERSEUS FP7 EU project, EMIBIOS FRB, IPP WP2-MERMEX and EcoPelGol FFP.Increasing abundance of non-commercial sprats and decreasing biomass and landings of commercial anchovies and sardines justify the need to study the feeding ecology and trophic niche overlap of these planktivorous species in the Gulf of Lions. Their diet has been investigated on the basis of stomach content and stable isotope analyses in 2011 and 2012 according to different depths and regions in the study area. The main prey were Corycaeidae copepods, Clauso/Paracalanus, Euterpina acutifrons and Microsetella, for sprats and small copepods, such as Microsetella, Oncaea and Corycaeidae, for anchovies and sardines. This is the first time that the diet of sprats is described in the Gulf of Lions. Sprats fed on a larger size spectrum of prey and seem to be more generalist feeders compared to anchovies and sardines. Ontogenetic changes as well as spatial and temporal variations of the diet occurred in the three species. Stable isotope analysis revealed mobility of sardines and sprats among feeding areas while anchovies exhibited preferred feeding areas. Sprats showed a higher relative condition assessed by C/N ratios than sardines and anchovies. Our results showed an overlap of the trophic niches for the three species, indicating a potential trophic competition in the Gulf of Lions. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved