The use of food resources by 0+ snapper, Chrysophrys auratus, from northern Spencer Gulf, South Australia

Saunders, Richard J., Fowler, Anthony J., and Gillanders, Bronwyn M. (2012) The use of food resources by 0+ snapper, Chrysophrys auratus, from northern Spencer Gulf, South Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research, 63 (8). pp. 680-686.

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Abstract

Food availability is an important factor in survival and growth of juvenile fish and has been proposed as a major factor shaping the patterns of distribution and abundance of 0+ snapper, Chrysophrys auratus, in New Zealand and Japan. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that diet of 0+ snapper would exhibit spatial variation related to their abundance within a major nursery region. Therefore, we described the stomach contents of 0+ snapper collected from within a nursery region in areas of low and high abundance of 0+ snapper. The data also provided the opportunity to consider sized based differences in diet and temporal feeding patterns. 0+ snapper were generalist carnivores that preyed on a wide range of invertebrates and fish. No evidence of sized based dietary variation was identified but feeding either ceased or was much reduced during the hours of darkness. The major finding was that more polychaetes were present in the stomachs of 0+ snapper in the area of high 0+ snapper abundance than in the areas of low 0+ snapper abundance. The spatial differences in diet observed supports the hypothesis that prey availability is important as a driver of habitat selection by 0+ fish.

Item ID: 23560
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1448-6059
Keywords: diet, nursery, Pagrus, recruitment
Date Deposited: 03 Oct 2012 05:42
FoR Codes: 06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0602 Ecology > 060205 Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl Marine Ichthyology) @ 100%
SEO Codes: 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9608 Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity > 960808 Marine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity @ 100%
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