Feeding in Deep Waters: Temporal and Size-Related Plasticity in the Diet of the Slope Predator Fish <i>Coelorinchus caelorhincus</i> (Risso, 1810) in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea
In-depth studies on the effect of size and period in the diet of the hollow-snout grenadier <i>Coelorinchus caelorhincus</i> in the Mediterranean Sea are scant and incomplete. We obtained 75 specimens of this species from the discard of deep trawl fishing on the slope of the central Tyrr...
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/10/9/1235 |
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| author | Umberto Scacco Francesco Tiralongo Emanuele Mancini |
| author_facet | Umberto Scacco Francesco Tiralongo Emanuele Mancini |
| author_sort | Umberto Scacco |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In-depth studies on the effect of size and period in the diet of the hollow-snout grenadier <i>Coelorinchus caelorhincus</i> in the Mediterranean Sea are scant and incomplete. We obtained 75 specimens of this species from the discard of deep trawl fishing on the slope of the central Tyrrhenian Sea. As corollary data, we estimated the length–weight relationship, the size frequency distribution, and composition of sexual maturity stages of the sampled individuals. We deepened stomach content analysis aiming at the evaluation of size and period’s effect in the fish diet by Costello’s interpretation of dietary indexes and correspondence analysis. The corollary results suggested negative allometric growth (b = 2.69), an asynchronous reproductive strategy (paucity of mature individuals) and a size-related bathymetrical distribution for this species (prevalence of small and intermediate-sized specimens). The prey importance index (PII) revealed that the hollow-snout grenadier is a generalist feeder on cephalopods (PII: 0–1200), fish (PII: 0–1000), crustaceans (PII: 4000–6000), and <i>polychaetes</i> (PII: 400–1800), and a light specialist at population level on the dominant prey among them. At the micro-taxa level, the species was found to be a generalist feeder on 10 groups of rare prey and a light specialist at population level on amphipods (PII: 1300–3200). Overall, results indicated the presence of two feeding gradients that determined an intermingled effect of size and period on fish diet. In particular, intraspecific competition and stability of food resources appeared as the factors that significantly harmonize the diet of <i>Coelorinchus caoelorhincus</i> in the context of the ecotrophic constraints of a deep-sea species. |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:32:30Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
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| series | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-c5d72c5e7c054505bc361802d97654902023-11-23T17:06:57ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122022-09-01109123510.3390/jmse10091235Feeding in Deep Waters: Temporal and Size-Related Plasticity in the Diet of the Slope Predator Fish <i>Coelorinchus caelorhincus</i> (Risso, 1810) in the Central Tyrrhenian SeaUmberto Scacco0Francesco Tiralongo1Emanuele Mancini2National Centre of Laboratories, Biology (CN-LAB-BIO), Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, (ISPRA), 00128 Rome, ItalyEnte Fauna Marina Mediterranea, Scientific Organization for Research and Conservation of Marine Biodiversity, 96012 Avola, ItalyDepartment of Marine Eco-Biology (DEBM), University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, ItalyIn-depth studies on the effect of size and period in the diet of the hollow-snout grenadier <i>Coelorinchus caelorhincus</i> in the Mediterranean Sea are scant and incomplete. We obtained 75 specimens of this species from the discard of deep trawl fishing on the slope of the central Tyrrhenian Sea. As corollary data, we estimated the length–weight relationship, the size frequency distribution, and composition of sexual maturity stages of the sampled individuals. We deepened stomach content analysis aiming at the evaluation of size and period’s effect in the fish diet by Costello’s interpretation of dietary indexes and correspondence analysis. The corollary results suggested negative allometric growth (b = 2.69), an asynchronous reproductive strategy (paucity of mature individuals) and a size-related bathymetrical distribution for this species (prevalence of small and intermediate-sized specimens). The prey importance index (PII) revealed that the hollow-snout grenadier is a generalist feeder on cephalopods (PII: 0–1200), fish (PII: 0–1000), crustaceans (PII: 4000–6000), and <i>polychaetes</i> (PII: 400–1800), and a light specialist at population level on the dominant prey among them. At the micro-taxa level, the species was found to be a generalist feeder on 10 groups of rare prey and a light specialist at population level on amphipods (PII: 1300–3200). Overall, results indicated the presence of two feeding gradients that determined an intermingled effect of size and period on fish diet. In particular, intraspecific competition and stability of food resources appeared as the factors that significantly harmonize the diet of <i>Coelorinchus caoelorhincus</i> in the context of the ecotrophic constraints of a deep-sea species.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/10/9/1235macrouridsdietfeeding strategyontogenytemporal variationMediterranean |
| spellingShingle | Umberto Scacco Francesco Tiralongo Emanuele Mancini Feeding in Deep Waters: Temporal and Size-Related Plasticity in the Diet of the Slope Predator Fish <i>Coelorinchus caelorhincus</i> (Risso, 1810) in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea Journal of Marine Science and Engineering macrourids diet feeding strategy ontogeny temporal variation Mediterranean |
| title | Feeding in Deep Waters: Temporal and Size-Related Plasticity in the Diet of the Slope Predator Fish <i>Coelorinchus caelorhincus</i> (Risso, 1810) in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea |
| title_full | Feeding in Deep Waters: Temporal and Size-Related Plasticity in the Diet of the Slope Predator Fish <i>Coelorinchus caelorhincus</i> (Risso, 1810) in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea |
| title_fullStr | Feeding in Deep Waters: Temporal and Size-Related Plasticity in the Diet of the Slope Predator Fish <i>Coelorinchus caelorhincus</i> (Risso, 1810) in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Feeding in Deep Waters: Temporal and Size-Related Plasticity in the Diet of the Slope Predator Fish <i>Coelorinchus caelorhincus</i> (Risso, 1810) in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea |
| title_short | Feeding in Deep Waters: Temporal and Size-Related Plasticity in the Diet of the Slope Predator Fish <i>Coelorinchus caelorhincus</i> (Risso, 1810) in the Central Tyrrhenian Sea |
| title_sort | feeding in deep waters temporal and size related plasticity in the diet of the slope predator fish i coelorinchus caelorhincus i risso 1810 in the central tyrrhenian sea |
| topic | macrourids diet feeding strategy ontogeny temporal variation Mediterranean |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/10/9/1235 |
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