Diets of sympatric flatfishes, Hippoglossoides platessoides, Pleuronectes ferrugineus, Pleuronectes americanus, from Sable Island Bank, Canada

Abstract

Prey exploitation was documented for Hippoglossoides platessoides, Pleuronectes ferrugineus, and P. americanus collected from southeast Sable Island Bank in February and June 1989. Diets varied significantly by sample and with fish species and length. Of 239 species consumed by flatfishes, 66 were determined to be principal prey. Crustaceans, particularly amphipods, were the most frequently exploited prey of all three flatfish species. Small H. platessoides fed on suprabenthic fauna, while larger fish exploited epifauna and hyperiid suprafauna. P. ferrugineus exploited epibenthic fauna, consuming crustaceans and tunicates when small and polychaetes when larger. P. americanus preyed on epifauna; smaller fish exploited polychaetes while larger fish usually consumed crustaceans associated with ectoproct colonies. Feeding intensity was dramatically lower in February, food being found in stomachs of only 36% of H. platessoides and 49% of P. ferrugineus, and lacking in the stomachs of P. americanus. In June, stomachs of 86% of H. platessoides, 94% of P. ferrugineus and 96% of P. americanus contained food. Results indicate that prey resources for the three flatfish species are partitioned by specific habitat and prey type preferences.

Distributions, Size Compositions and Diets of Two Abundant Benthic Ambush-Feeding Teleosts in Coastal Waters of South-Western Australia

“…The consumption of mainly amphipods and mysids by the small individuals of M. scabriceps is similar to the situation found with small representatives of other scorpaenids, such as those of C. australis, H. rubripinnis, Scorpaena notata and Scorpaena porcus (Bell et al, 1978;Baba & Sano, 1987;Harmelin-Vivien et al, 1989), and of other pleuronectid species (Martell & McClelland, 1994;Redon et al, 1994). Likewise, the relatively low importance of amphipods and mysids and relatively greater contributions of carid decapods and brachyrhyncan crabs in larger fish also parallels the composition of the prey of larger individuals of other scorpaenids, such as G. marmoratus (Grant, 1972) and of S. notata and S. porcus, which reach a much greater maximum size (Harmelin-Vivien et al, 1989).…”

“…The very large contribution made by epibenthic crustaceans to the diet of M. scabriceps parallels the situation exhibited in nearshore and far shallower waters by other small species of scorpaenid, such as G. marmoratus and C. australis (Grant, 1972;Bell et al, 1978;Robertson & White, 1986;Edgar & Shaw, 1995). The marked consumption of crustaceans by M. scabriceps parallels the situation with other cryptic ambush feeders, such as different species of pleuronectids and soleids (Wheeler, 1978;Ntiba & Harding, 1993;Martell & McClelland, 1994). While M. scabriceps mainly consumes amphipods, mysids and crabs, as is also the case with similar-sized C. australis (Bell et al, 1978), the larger representatives of G. marmoratus also consume larger and faster prey, such as penaeid decapods (Grant, 1972;Robertson & White, 1986).…”

A field experiment on trophic relations within the benthic boundary layer (BBL) over an oligotrophic continental shelf

“…The importance of crustaceans as a source of prey across the fish species has been clearly illustrated in the present study and was expected in a way as these animals represent a high quality of calorific return for predators (USDA, 2003). Furthermore, the strong preference for these prey items is most likely attributed to their availability which is not a function of their abundance in the habitat but mostly of their behaviour and distribution (Martell and McClelland, 1994). Crustaceans (e.g.…”

Review of experimental and natural invertebrate hosts of sealworm (<i>Pseudoterranova decipiens</i>) and its distribution and abundance in macroinvertebrates in eastern Canada

“…American plaice had the heaviest infections, followed by yellowtail flounder (Pleuronectes ferrugineus) and lastly, winter flounder (Pleuronectes americanus). American plaice principally consume cumaceans, amphipods, mysids, and pagurids; yellowtail flounder primarily polychaetes, cumaceans, amphipods, and tunicates; and winter flounder mainly polychaetes, crustaceans, and tunicates (Martell and McClelland 1994).…”