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Diet composition of carnivorous fishes from coral reef lagoons of New Caledonia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 November 2005

Michel Kulbicki ,
Yves-Marie Bozec ,
Pierre Labrosse ,
Yves Letourneur ,
Gérard Mou-Tham  and
Laurent Wantiez
Michel Kulbicki
Affiliation:
UR-CoRéUs, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Université de Perpignan, 66860 Perpignan Cedex, France
Yves-Marie Bozec
Affiliation:
UR-CoRéUs, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Université de Perpignan, 66860 Perpignan Cedex, France Département Halieutique UPR Mesh, Agrocampus Rennes, 65 rue de St-Brieuc, CS 84215, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
Pierre Labrosse
Affiliation:
Université de la Méditerranée, Centre d'Océanologie de Marseille, Campus de Luminy, Case 901, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France
Yves Letourneur
Affiliation:
Université de la Méditerranée, Centre d'Océanologie de Marseille, Campus de Luminy, Case 901, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France
Gérard Mou-Tham
Affiliation:
UR-CoRéUs, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Université de Perpignan, 66860 Perpignan Cedex, France
Laurent Wantiez
Affiliation:
Université de Nouvelle-Calédonie, BP 4477, 98847 Nouméa, New Caledonia
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Abstract

A total of 212 carnivorous coastal fish species from New Caledonia, represented by 7335 individuals, were analysed for their diet. Fifty two prey items were identified and later grouped into broader taxonomic categories refered as “prey types”. For each fish species 6 biological traits were defined: maximum adult size, major biotope, schooling behaviour, home range, nycthemeral behaviour, degree of crypticity. A general linear model was fit to the diet data taking into account these traits, and depth of capture and fish family. This model was applied to the average number of prey types/stomach and to the volume of 5 prey types: nekton, crustaceans, molluscs, echinoderms, worms. A second analysis was performed on the effect of observed size on diet composition, taking into account these traits and taxonomy. This analysis was restricted to species with at least five individuals, representing 113 species from 33 families. More detailed information is given for the three major families, Serranidae, Lutjanidae and Lethrinidae and intra-family variations are illustrated for Lethrinidae. All the factors tested had significant effects on diet, fish size and taxonomy being the two major factors. The five prey types analysed in detail displayed marked differences according to the factors studied. In particular nekton increased in importance with fish size, whereas crustaceans decreased and molluscs presented a dome shaped relationship. Nekton and crustaceans made the bulk of the diet of most species, with molluscs being at times important. Echinoderms and worms were never a major food item and were eaten only by a restricted range of species.

Keywords

Coral reefsFish dietTrophic levelIndian Ocean
Type
Research Article
Information
Aquatic Living Resources , Volume 18 , Issue 3 , July 2005 , pp. 231 - 250
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, IFREMER, IRD, 2005

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