Feeding aspects of the dolphin Coryphaena hippurus Linnaeus, 1758 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Abstract

Recibido en junio de 1997; aceptado en marzo de 1998 RESUMEN Se presenta el análisis del contenido estomacal de 500 dorados, Coryphaena hippurus, capturados por pesca deportiva entre la línea de costa y 25 millas afuera, frente a Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, México. Se identificaron 51 organismos presa en el componente trófico del dorado, los cuales pertenecen a tres grandes grupos: peces, cefalópodos y crustáceos, representando en orden del índice de importancia relativa el 56.3%, 23.1% y 20.6%, respectivamente. De las 51 presas, 18 registraron el 97%. En particular, Dosidicus gigas, Pleuroncodes planipes, Balistes polylepis, Cypselurus callopterus y Auxis spp. aportaron el 70% del componente alimentario. Se describe al dorado como una especie altamente voraz, con un espectro trófico amplio y de hábitos alimentarios estrechamente ligados con el ambiente epipelágico. ABSTRACTThe analysis of the stomach contents of 500 dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus is presented. The tish were caught from the shoreline to 25 miles off Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Fifty-one prey were identifíed from the food items of the dolphinfish, which pertain to three categories: fishes, cephalopods and crustaceans and, according to the index of relative importance, represent 56.3%, 23.1% and 20.6%, respectively. Of the 5 1 prey, 18 represented 97%. Dosidicus 253

Feeding habits of dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) in the southeastern Gulf of California, Mexico

“…Cephalopods were also recorded in the dolphinfish diet in our study area, which is no surprise because of its wide distribution in the eastern Pacific (Olson and Galván‐Magaña, 2002), and off Punta Lobos, Baja California (Velasco‐Tarelo, 2003), while also occurring off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (Aguilar‐Palomino et al., 1998). The epipelagic cephalopod Argonauta spp.…”

“…Dolphinfish feeding ecology in the southeastern Gulf of California covers a range of prey species (98), representing a wide trophic spectrum compared with other food habits of dolphinfish in the Gulf of California (Aguilar‐Palomino et al., 1998; Velasco‐Tarelo, 2003). Prey species found in dolphinfish off Mazatlan were mainly epipelagic in oceanic waters and mostly associated with floating objects.…”

“…Uyeno et al. (1983) reported dolphinfish down to depths of 85 m. This species is found along the Mexican Pacific coasts and open ocean waters and is of great importance for both the sport and artisanal fishing fleets, and caught almost year round (Aguilar‐Palomino et al., 1998).…”

“…All reports indicate that the dolphinfish is a voracious predator that feeds on a wide variety of species, mainly fish. In Mexico, only one study has been published and which was done off Cabo San Lucas (Aguilar‐Palomino et al., 1998). These authors found that C. hippurus fed mainly on fish and cephalopods, with crustaceans also being an important part of the diet.…”

Population genetic structure of dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) in the Gulf of California, using microsatellite loci

“…In our study, significant values of F ST found in both years are too low to suggest genetically different populations. Besides, dolphinfish have biological features that support the hypothesis of a single population in the northern part of Mexico, including: (1) high migratory activity (Kingsford and Defries, 1999); (2) feed on many prey and change their diet according to the epipelagic environment (Aguilar-Palomino et al, 1998); (3) high reproductive capacity and capacity to spawn many times within the year (Beardsley, 1967) and (4) along the Pacific coast of Mexico, the highest abundance of dolphinfish larvae is present within the 28 • C isotherm in summer and the 24 • C isotherm in spring (Sanchéz-Reyes, 2008). That means that reproduction of dolphinfish is associated with sea surface temperature rather than a specific geographic site.…”