Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T21:41:54.314Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Feeding behaviour of greater amberjack Seriola dumerili (Risso, 1810) from Central Mediterranean (Gulf of Gabes, Tunisia)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 January 2016

Ayda Sley ,
Aymen Hadj Taieb ,
Othman Jarboui ,
Mohamed Ghorbel  and
Abderrahmen Bouain
Ayda Sley*
Affiliation:
National Institute of Marine Science and Technologies of Tunisia, Box 1035, Sfax 3018, Tunisia
Aymen Hadj Taieb
Affiliation:
National Institute of Marine Science and Technologies of Tunisia, Box 1035, Sfax 3018, Tunisia
Othman Jarboui
Affiliation:
National Institute of Marine Science and Technologies of Tunisia, Box 1035, Sfax 3018, Tunisia
Mohamed Ghorbel
Affiliation:
National Institute of Marine Science and Technologies of Tunisia, Box 1035, Sfax 3018, Tunisia
Abderrahmen Bouain
Affiliation:
University of Sfax, Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, Tunisia, Box 1171, Sfax 3000, Tunisia
*
Correspondence should be addressed to:A. Sley, National Institute of Marine Science and Technologies of Tunisia, Box 1035, Sfax, 3018, Tunisia email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The diet of greater amberjack Seriola dumerili (Carangidae) in the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia, Mediterranean) was described from analysis of stomach contents of 290 specimens fished between June 2004 and May 2006. The index of vacuity (%VI) was relatively low (37.9%) and differed significantly across size classes. Seriola dumerili is an opportunistic predator that consumes mostly pelagic organisms; benthic prey were also examined in small proportion. The diet was quantified using the frequency of occurrence (%O), numerical abundance (%N), weight (%W) and the index of relative importance (IRI and %IRI) for each prey taxa. The most important prey were teleosts (%IRI = 99.61); molluscs and crustaceans were found occasionally (%IRI, 0.38 and 0.01%, respectively). Among teleosts, Clupeidae were also the dominant food items in number (%N = 36.06%) and then in frequency of occurrence (%O = 36.7%). In term of weight, Sparidae were the most abundant prey (%W = 36.5%). There is no significant difference between male and female diets. Seasonal differences in the diet components were observed.

Keywords

Feeding behaviourSeriola dumeriliCentral MediterraneanGulf of GabesTunisia
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 96 , Issue 6 , September 2016 , pp. 1229 - 1234
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Andalaro, F. and Pipitone, C. (1997) Food and feeding habits of the amberjack, Seriola dumerili in the Central Mediterranean Sea during the spawning season. Cahiers de Biologie Marine 38, 91–96.Google Scholar
Badalamenti, F., D'anna, G., Lopiano, L., Scilipoti, D. and Mazzola, A. (1995) Feeding habits of young-of-the-year greater amberjack Seriola dumerili (Risso, 1810) along the N/W Sicilian Coast. Sciences Marines 59, 317–323.Google Scholar
Ben Othman, S. (1973) Le sud tunisien (golfe de Gabès), hydrologie, sédimentologie, flore et faune. PhD Thesis. Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Tunisia, 166 pp.Google Scholar
Bradai, M.N. and Bouain, A. (1994) La mer: ressources et problèmes. Sfax, Tunisia: APNES Press. 291 pp.Google Scholar
Bradai, M.N., Quignard, J.P., Bouain, A., Jarboui, O., Ouannes-Ghorbel, A., Ben Abdallah, L., Zaouli, J. and Ben Salem, S. (2004) Ichtyofaune autochtone et exotique des côtes tunisiennes: recensement et biogéographie. Cybium 28, 315–328.Google Scholar
Chavance, P., Ba, I. and Krivospitchenko, S. (1991) Les ressources pélagiques de la zone économique exclusive mauritanienne. Bulletin du Centre National de Recherches Océanographiques et des Pêches Nouadhibou 23, 28–72.Google Scholar
Christmas, J.Y., Perry, A. and Waller, R.S. (1974) Investigations of coastal pelagic fishes. Completion Report, project.2–128-R. Ocean Springs, MS: Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, 105 pp.Google Scholar
Cortés, E. (1997) A critical review of methods of studying fish feeding based on analysis of stomach contents: application to elasmobranch fishes. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 54, 726–738.Google Scholar
Fischer, W., Schender, M. and Bauchot, M.L. (1987a) Fiches F.A.O. d'identification des espèces pour les besoins de la pêche. (Révision I). Méditerranée et Mer Noire. Zone de pêche 37, Volume I. Végétaux et Invertébrés. Rome: FAO 1, pp. 1–760.Google Scholar
Fischer, W., Schender, M. and Bauchot, M.L. (1987b) Fiches F.A.O. d'identification des espèces pour les besoins de la pêche. (Révision I). Méditerranée et Mer Noire. Zone de pêche 37. Volume II. Vertébrés. Rome: FAO 2, pp. 761–1530.Google Scholar
Fredj, G. and Maurin, C. (1987) Les poissons dans les banques de données Médifaune. Application à l’étude des caractéristiques de la faune ichtyologique méditerranéenne. Cybium 11, 218–299.Google Scholar
Gaamour, A. (1999) La sardinelle ronde (Sardinella aurita Valienciennes, 1847) dans les eaux tunisiennes: Reproduction, croissance et pêche dans la région du Cap bon. PhD thesis, University of Western Bretagne, France, 246 pp.Google Scholar
Hacunda, J.S. (1981) Trophic relationships among demersal fishes in a coastal area of the Gulf of Maine. Fishery Bulletin 79, 775–788.Google Scholar
Hanson, J.M. and Chouinard, G.A. (2002) Diet of Atlantic cod in the southern Gulf of St Lawrence as an index of ecosystem change, 1959–2000. Journal of Fish Biology 60, 902–992.Google Scholar
Hyslop, E.J. (1980) Stomach content analysis: a review of methods and their applications. Journal of Fish Biology 17, 411–429.Google Scholar
Jennings, S., Pinnegar, J.K., Polunin, N.V.C. and Boon, T.W. (2001) Weak cross-species relationships between body size and trophic level belie powerful size-based trophic structuring in fish communities. Journal of Animal Ecology 70, 934–944.Google Scholar
Jobling, M. (1995) Environmental biology of fishes. London: Chapman and Hall, 455 pp.Google Scholar
Ktari-Chakroun, F. and Azouz, A. (1971) Les fonds chalutables de la région sud-est de la Tunisie (golfe de Gabès). Bulletin of National Institute of Technology and Fishery of Tunisia 2, 5–47.Google Scholar
Lazzari, A., and Barbera, G. (1989) Farming the Mediterranean yellowtail, Seriola dumerili (Risso, 1810) in concrete ponds: results and perspectives. In De Pauw, N., Jaspers, E., Ackefors, H. and Wilkins, N. (eds) Aquaculture, a biotechnology in progress. Bredene: European Aquaculture Society, pp. 209–213.Google Scholar
Maigret, J. and Ly, B. (1986) Les poissons de mer de Mauritanie. Centre National de Recherches Océanographies et des Pêches de Nouadhibou, Mauritanie, 213 pp.Google Scholar
Manooch, C.S. III and Potts, J.C. (1997) Age, growth, and mortality estimates of greater amberjack, Seriola dumerili, from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico headboat fishery. Bulletin of Marine Science 61, 671–683.Google Scholar
Marchal, E. (1991) Location of the main West Africa pelagic stock. In Cury, P. and Roy, C. (eds) Pêcheries Ouest-africaines Variabilité, Instabilité et Changement (West African fisheries variability, instability and change). Paris: ORSTOM, pp. 187–191.Google Scholar
Marino, G., Mandicha, A., Massari, A., Andaaloro, F. and Porrello, S. (1995a) Aspects of reproductive biology of the Mediterranean amberjack (Seriola dumerili Risso, 1810): gonadal development. In Basurco, B. (eds) Cahiers options Méditerranéennes, marine aquaculture finfish species diversification, no. 16. Zaragoza: CIHEAM, pp. 115–124.Google Scholar
Marino, G., Mandich, A., Massari, A., Andaloro, F., Porrello, S., Finoia, M.G. and Cevasco, F. (1995b) Aspects of reproductive biology of the Mediterranean amberjack (Seriola dumerili, Risso) during spawning period. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 11, 9–24.Google Scholar
Masuma, S., Kanematu, M. and Teruya, K. (1990) Embryonic and morphological development of larvae and juveniles of the amberjack, Seriola dumerili . Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 37, 164–169.Google Scholar
Mazzola, A., Lopiano, L., Sara, G. and D'anna, G. (1993) Sistema di pesca, cattuura ed abitudini alimentari di Seriola dumerili (Risso 1810) nel di Castellammare (Sicilia Occidentale) (Pisces: Perciformes). Naturalista Siciliano 12, 137–148.Google Scholar
McCormick, M.I. (1998) Ontogeny of diet shifts by a microcarnivorous fish, Cheilodactylus spectabilis, relationship between feeding mechanisms, microhabitat selection and growth. Marine Biology 132, 9–20.Google Scholar
Micale, V., Genovesa, L., Greco, S. and Perdichizzi, F. (1993) Aspect of the reproductive biology of the amberjack Seriola dumerili (Risso 1810). In Carrillo, M. et al. (ed.) World aquaculture 93. Special Publication No. 19. Ostende: European Aquaculture Society, 413 pp.Google Scholar
Morato-Gomes, T.M., Sola, E., Gros, M.P., Menezes, G. and Pinho, M.R. (1998) Trophic relationships and feeding habits of demersal fishes from the Azores: importance to multispecies assessment. ICES Journal of Marine Science 35, 7–21.Google Scholar
Nakamura, Y., Horimonchi, M., Nakai, T. and Sano, M. (2003) Food habits of fishes in a seagrass bed on a fringing reef at Iriomote Island, Southern Japan. Ichthyology Resources 50, 15–22.Google Scholar
Overko, S.M. (1979) Morpho-biological characteristics of Caranx rhonchus in the Eastern-Central Atlantic. COPACE/PACE Series 78/10, 127–129.Google Scholar
Piet, G.J. (1998) Ecomorphology of a size structured tropical freshwater fish community. Environmental Biology of Fishes 51, 67–86.Google Scholar
Pinkas, L., Oliphant, M.S. and Iverson, I.L.K. (1971) Food habits of albacore, Bluefin tuna and bonito in California waters. Fishery Bulletin 152, 1–105.Google Scholar
Pipitone, C. and Andaloro, F. (1995) Food and feeding habits of juvenile greater amberjack, Seriola dumerili (Osteichtyes, Carangidae) in inshore waters of the central Meditrerranean Sea. Cybium 19, 305–310.Google Scholar
Postel, E. (1956) Les affinités tropicales de la faune ichtyologique du golfe de Gabès. Bulletin de Station océanographique de Salammbô 53, 64–68.Google Scholar
Randall, J.E. (1967) Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Studies in Tropical Oceanography 5, 655–867.Google Scholar
Sley, A. (2010) Etude écobiologique et état d'exploitation de trois espèces de Carangidae: Caranx crysos, Caranx rhonchus et Seriola dumerili du golfe de Gabès. PhD thesis, University of Sfax, Faculty of Science of Sfax, Tunisia. 216 pp.Google Scholar
Smith-Vaniz, W.F. (1986) Carangidae. In Whitehead, P.J.P., Bauchot, M.-L., Hureau, J.-C., Nielsen, J. and Tortonese, E. (eds) Fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Paris: UNESCO, no. 2, pp. 815–844.Google Scholar
Sokal, R.R. and Rohlf, F.J. (1981) Biometry: the principles and practice of statistics in biological research, 2nd edn. San Francisco, CA: W.H. Freeman and Co.Google Scholar
Sudekum, A.E., Parrish, J.D., Radtke, R.L. and Rarlson, S. (1991) Life history and ecology of large jacks in undisturbed, shallow, oceanic communities. Fishery Bulletin US 89, 493–513.Google Scholar
Tachihara, K., Ebisu, R. and Tukasima, Y. (1993) Spawning, eggs, larvae and juveniles of the purplish amberjack (Seriola dumerili). Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi 59, 1479–1788.Google Scholar
Thompson, A.B., Beasley, M. and Wilson, C.A. (1999) Age, distribution and growth of greater amberjack, Seriola dumerili, from the north-central gulf of Mexico. Fishery Bulletin 97, 362–371.Google Scholar
Wooton, R.J. (1990) Ecology of teleost fishes. London: Chapman and Hall.Google Scholar