Aims: This study was to establish the feeding habits of silky shark Carcharhinus falciformis in waters off Côte d’Ivoire. Study design: All stomachs of the specimens were collected using a standard method and analysed at laboratory. Place and Duration of Study: The study of the diet of C. falciformis was carried out at the laboratory of the Oceanological Research Centre (ORC) between April 2019 and August 2020. Methodology: To carry out this study, measurements and extractions of the stomachs of silky sharks were performed using a tape measure and dissection kit. Diet was described using the Index of Relative Importance (%IRI). The food overlap between sexes, size groups and marine seasons were analysed using the Morisita index. Results: A total of 265 specimens ranging in size from 79 to 254 cm total length were used. Of the stomachs examined, 163 individuals had food contents (61.51%), whilst 102 were empty (38.49%). The results indicated that silky shark has epipelagic and mesobathypelagic feeding habits, preying upon a wide number of prey taxa (33 species) but with a diet dominated by teleost fishes, especially Thunnus albacares (60.62%IRI) and Katsuwonus pelamis (33.18%IRI). The Morisita index and the Spearman rank correlation coefficient showed similarity of the diet between sexes (Cλ > 0.60; Rs = 0.776 and p = 0.001 and marine seasons (Cλ > 0.60; Rs = 0.658 and p = 0.001). The juveniles and adults did not show any overlap. The Amundsen graphical (Fig. 3) analysis suggested that silky shark displays specialist feeding behaviour in this area. Conclusion: Diet consisted mainly of T. albacares and K. pelamis, the proportions of which varied according to size and marine seasons. Carcharhinus falciformis is considered to be a specialist predator.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.