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Temporal and sexual effects in the feeding ecology of the marbled sand skate Psammobatis bergi Marini, 1932

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Abstract

Temporal and sexual effects in feeding ecology were examined in the marbled sand skate (Psammobatis bergi). Of 137 stomachs analysed, 130 (95%) contained food. Among these, >50% contained between 2 and 4 items, with a maximum of 18 prey items found. Thirty taxonomic levels of prey items were identified: 18 crustaceans, 5 polychaetes, 3 molluscs, 3 teleosts, and 1 chondrichthyan. Coenophthalmus tridentatus and unidentified Brachyura were the dominant prey items by number, frequency of occurrence and index of relative importance (IRI). Libinia spinosa was the dominant item by mass and third most important by %IRI. Psammobatis bergi consumed mostly brachyurans and showed little variability in overall mean prey importance, hence, only a small number of stomachs was needed for a precise description of its dietary composition. There was no interaction between season and sex in the diet composition of P. bergi and there were no differences between the diets of males and females during winter and spring. However, a seasonal pattern was found. The most important prey in spring was C. tridentatus by number and L. spinosa by mass whereas in winter the most important prey was Peltarion spinosulum. The temporal pattern indicates that P. bergi probably modifies its diet in response to prey abundance.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to M. J. Dávolos, M. Iurman, A. J. Alarcos, M. L. Estalles, D. Sanfelice, M. G. Collado, F. Weyland, and G. Pastorino for their help during fieldwork, skippers and crews of fishing vessels FV ‘Deledele’, FV ‘Angela’, FV ‘La Cruz del Sur’, FV ‘Jesús de Nazareth’, FV ‘Felicitas’, FV ‘Eusonia’, FV ‘Angel Antonio’ and FV ‘La Cruz del Sud’. R. Bruno (Santa Cecilia) and J. Renaudo (La Portuguesa), and their personnel, and Prefectura Naval Argentina–Prefectura Quequén. Also, to Guido Pastorino and Daniel Roccatagliata for their help with invertebrate identification. This study was supported by a grant from Fundación Antorchas (H. L. C., Proyecto A–13672/1–3). All experiments carried out in this study comply with the laws of Argentina.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Proyecto ECORAYA, Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero, Mar del Plata, 7600, Argentina

    M. J. San Martin

  2. Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, Darling Building DP 418, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia

    J. M. Braccini

  3. Primary Industries Research Victoria, P.O. Box 114, Queenscliff, VIC, 3225, Australia

    J. M. Braccini

  4. División Ictiología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Av. Angel Gallardo 470, Buenos Aires, C1405DJR, Argentina

    L. L. Tamini, G. E. Chiaramonte & J. E. Perez

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  1. M. J. San Martin
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  3. L. L. Tamini
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  4. G. E. Chiaramonte
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Correspondence to J. M. Braccini.

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Communicated by M. S. Johnson, Crawley.

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San Martin, M.J., Braccini, J.M., Tamini, L.L. et al. Temporal and sexual effects in the feeding ecology of the marbled sand skate Psammobatis bergi Marini, 1932. Mar Biol 151, 505–513 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-006-0499-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-006-0499-6

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