The diet and feeding ecology of Conger conger (L. 1758) in the deep waters of the Eastern Ionian Sea
Published:
Jun 21, 2013
Keywords:
European conger eel stomach analysis intestine analysis feeding Ionian Sea feeding strategy.
Abstract
The diet of the European conger eel Conger conger was investigated for the first time in the Eastern Mediterranean. Fish dominated the European conger eel diet in the deep waters of E. Ionian Sea. All other prey taxa were identified as accidental preys. However, intestine analysis showed that Natantia, Brachyura and Cephalopoda might have a more important contribution in the diet of the species. C. conger exhibited a benthopelagic feeding behavior as it preyed upon both demersal and mesopelagic taxa. The high vacuity index and the low stomach and intestine fullness indicated that the feeding intensity of the species in the deep waters of Eastern Ionian Sea was quite low. C. conger feeding strategy was characterised by specialisation in various resource items. A between-phenotype contribution to niche width was observed for some prey categories. European Conger eel feeding specialisation seemed to be an adaptation to a food-scarce environment, as typified in deep-water habitats
Article Details
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ANASTASOPOULOU, A., MYTILINEOU, C., LEFKADITOU, E., KAVADAS, S., BEKAS, P., SMITH, C., PAPADOPOULOU, K., & CHRISTIDES, G. (2013). The diet and feeding ecology of Conger conger (L. 1758) in the deep waters of the Eastern Ionian Sea. Mediterranean Marine Science, 14(2), 365–368. https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.479
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- Vol 14, No 2 (2013)
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- Short Communication
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References
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Amundsen, P.A, Gabler, H.M., Staldvik, F.J., 1996. A new approach to graphical analysis of feeding strategy from stomach contents data-modification of the Costello (1990) method. Journal of Fish Biology, 48, 607-614.
Bauchot, L.M., Saldanha, L., 1986. Congridae. In: Fishes of the North-Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Whitehead P.J.P., Bauchot M.-L., Haureau J.-C., Nielsen J. and Tortonese E. (Eds). Paris: UNESCO, pp. 567-574.
Cartes, J.E., Abello, P., 1992. Comparative feeding habits of polychelid lobsters in the Western Mediterranean deep-sea communities. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 84, 139-150.
Cau, A., Manconi, P., 1984. Relationship of feeding, reproductive cycle and bathymetric distribution in Conger conger. Marine Biology, 81, 147-151.
Correia, A.T., Antunes, C., Coimbra, J., 2002. Aspects of the early life history of the European conger eel (Conger conger) inferred from the otolith microstructure of metamorphic larvae. Marine Biology, 140 (1), 165-173.
Danovaro, R., Company, JB., Corinaldesi, C., D’Onghia, G., Galil, B. et al., 2010. Deep –Sea biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea: the Known, the Unknown and the Unknowable. PLoS ONE, 5(8): e11832. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone 0011832.
Fischer, M.L., Bauchot, M.L., Schneider, M., 1987. Fiches FAO d'identification des espèses pour les besoins de la pêches. (rev. 1). Méditerranée et mer Noire. Zone de pêche 37. Vol. II. Commission des Communautés Européennes and FAO, Rome.
Göthel, H. 1992. Fauna marina del Mediterráneo. Ediciones Omega, S.A., Barcelona. 319 p.
Hyslop, E.J., 1980. Stomach contents analysis - a review of methods and their application. Journal of Fish Biology, 17, 411-429.
Lythgoe, J., Lythgoe, G. Fishes of the sea: The costal waters of British Isles, northern Europe and the Mediterranean. Blandford Press London.
Morato, T., Solà, E., Grós, M.P., Menezes, G., 1999. Diets of forkbeard (Phycis phycis) and conger eel (Conger conger)off the Azores during spring of 1996 and 1997. Life and Marine Sciences, 17A, 61-64. Ponta Delgada. ISSN 0873-4704.
Mytilineou, C., Politou, C-Y., Papaconstantinou, C., Kavadas, S., D’Onghia, G. et al., 2005. Deep-water fish fauna in the Eastern Ionian Sea. Belgium Journal of Zoology, 135, 229-233.
Olaso, I., Rodrígues-Marín., 1995. Alimentatión de veinte especies de peces demersales pertenecientes a la división VIIIc del ICES. Otoño 1991. Informes Técnicos Instituto Español de Oceanografia 157, 56pp.
O’Sullivan, S., Moriarty, C., Davenport, J., 2004. Analysis of the stomach contents of the European conger eel Conger conger in Irish waters. Journal of Marine Biological Association of the U.K., 84, 823-826.
Pinkas, L., Olipham, M.S., Iversor, I.L.K., 1971. Food habits of albacore, bluefin tuna and bonito in California waters. Fisheries Bulletin, 152, 1-105.
Vallisneri, M., Scapolatempo, M., Piccinetti C., 2007. Preliminary biological data on the northeast Mediterranean conger eel Conger conger L., 1758. Boletín Instituto Espanol de Oceanografía, 23(1-4), 111-114.
Xavier, J.C., Cherel, Y., Assis, C.A. Sendão, J., Borges, T.C., 2010. Feeding ecology of conger eels (Conger conger) in north-east Atlantic waters. Journal of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 90(3), 493-501.
