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Diet of Tetrapturus belone (Istiophoridae) in the central Mediterranean Sea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2008

Luca Castriota ,
Maria Grazia Finoia ,
Silvana Campagnuolo ,
Teresa Romeo ,
Antonio Potoschi  and
Franco Andaloro
Luca Castriota*
Affiliation:
Central Institute for Marine Research (ICRAM), STS Palermo, via Emerico Amari 124, 90139 Palermo, Italy
Maria Grazia Finoia
Affiliation:
ICRAM, via di Casalotti 300, 00166 Roma, Italy
Silvana Campagnuolo
Affiliation:
Central Institute for Marine Research (ICRAM), STS Palermo, via Emerico Amari 124, 90139 Palermo, Italy
Teresa Romeo
Affiliation:
ICRAM, STS Palermo Laboratorio di Milazzo, via dei Mille 44, 98057, Milazzo (Me), Italy
Antonio Potoschi
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Biologia Animale ed Ecologia Marina, Università di Messina, Salita Sperone, S. Agata, 98166 Messina, Italy
Franco Andaloro
Affiliation:
Central Institute for Marine Research (ICRAM), STS Palermo, via Emerico Amari 124, 90139 Palermo, Italy
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Luca CastriotaCentral Institute for Marine Research (ICRAM)STS Palermo via Emerico Amari 124 90139 PalermoItaly[email protected]
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Abstract

The stomach contents of 69 Mediterranean spearfish Tetrapturus belone collected in the Strait of Messina, central Mediterranean Sea were examined. Of the total specimens, caught by harpoon, only three stomachs were empty. Their diet consisted mainly of pelagic fish and cephalopods. The most important piscine prey belonged to the families of Belonidae, Clupeidae and Scomberesocidae. Cephalopods were mainly represented by Tremoctopus violaceus in terms of per cent weight and by Illex coindetii in terms of per cent frequency of occurrence. Tetrapturus belone is an active predator on epipelagic fast-moving prey and school-forming species. Its ecological role is similar to that of other large pelagic species which share the same environment.

Keywords

billfishdietMediterranean SeaStrait of Messinafeeding habitsTetrapturus belone
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 88 , Issue 1 , February 2008 , pp. 183 - 187
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2008

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