Observations on the trophodynamics of sawtooth barracuda, Sphyraena putnamae from the Bay of Bengal, northern Indian Ocean

Ghosh, Shubhadeep and Manas, H M and Rohit, Prathibha and Satishkumar, Mamidi and Median, A E and Gopalakrishnan, A (2022) Observations on the trophodynamics of sawtooth barracuda, Sphyraena putnamae from the Bay of Bengal, northern Indian Ocean. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. pp. 1-13.

[img] Text
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom_2022_Shubhadeep Ghosh.pdf
Restricted to Registered users only

Download (467kB) | Please mail the copy request to cmfrilibrary@gmail.com
Official URL: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of...
Related URLs:

    Abstract

    Marine capture of Sphyraena putnamae along western Bay of Bengal has been increasing.Owing to scarcity of information available on feeding dynamics globally, the present study was conducted using 763 individuals captured during 2017–19, to decipher trophic ecologyand relationships. Of the individuals analysed, 54.8% had their stomachs either empty or with trace amounts of food, 27.3% had part-full stomachs and 18.0% had full stomachs. Stomach vacuity and fullness as well as predator–prey weight ratio varied with increase in body size, implying higher feeding intensity in large-sized fishes. Feeding activity was highest during July–November and lowest during March–April. The species is an opportunistic piscivorous pelagic predator that feeds on teleosts (>85%) and cephalopods. Sardines were the major prey, followed by whitebait, squid, bigeye scad, Indian scad, silverbellies and Indian mackerel. Diet contents were similar between sexes (82.17%); however, it varied among seasons (56.86–69.85%). Shifts in prey preferences from sardines, squid and bigeye scad to ribbonfish, shad, grunter, Indian mackerel, horse mackerel and Acetes were observed with increase in fish size, and diet varied between individuals sized <60.0 and >60.0 cm. Trophic level value was 3.51 ± 0.13 and Levin’s Standardized Niche Breadth Index was 0.21. Dietary niche breadth varied across seasons and sizes, with higher values during summer and winter (0.36–0.41) and in fish measuring >45.0 cm (0.50–0.68), which implies generalized feeding behaviour. The present study represents the first detailed report on the diet of S. putnamae and will provide a substantial contribution to stock management through understanding of trophic interactions.

    Item Type: Article
    Uncontrolled Keywords: Feeding intensity; feeding preference; feeding strategy; index of relative importance; sawtooth barracuda; Sphyraena putnamae
    Subjects: Demersal Fishes
    Demersal Fisheries
    Divisions: CMFRI-Visakhapatnam
    Depositing User: Arun Surendran
    Date Deposited: 29 Jan 2022 04:33
    Last Modified: 29 Jan 2022 04:33
    URI: http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/id/eprint/15699

    Actions (login required)

    View Item View Item