Synopsis
Gastric evacuation in young lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris, was studied in a field enclosure. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the adequacy of linear, exponential, and square root models in describing the decrease in stomach contents with time after feeding. The linear model produced the best fit and was thus used to compare gastric evacuation at the three temperatures. Gastric evacuation in young lemon sharks is considerably longer than for carnivorous teleosts but shorter than for other elasmobranchs. These differences are the result of differing energy requirements determined by the physiology and behavior of the species.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References cited
Backiel, T. 1971. Production and food consumption of predatory fish in the Vistula River. J. Fish Biol. 3: 369–405.
Brett, J.R. & J.M. Blackburn. 1978. Metabolic rate and energy expenditure of the spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 35: 816–821.
Bushnell, P.G. 1982. Respiratory and circulatory adjustments to exercise in the lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris (Poey). M.S. Thesis, University of Miami, Miami. 90 pp.
Cortés, E. & S.H. Gruber. 1990. Diet, feeding habits, and estimates of daily ration of young lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris (Poey). Copeia 1990: 204–218.
Draper, N.R. & H. Smith. 1981. Applied regression analysis. Second edition, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. 407 pp.
Fänge, R. & D.J. Grove. 1979. Digestion. pp. 161–260. In: W.S. Hoar, D.J. Randall & J.R. Brett (ed.) Fish Physiology, Volume 8, Academic Press, New York.
Gruber, S.H. 1984. Bioenergetics of the captive and free-ranging lemon shark. Proceedings American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums 1984: 341–373.
Gruber, S.H. & R.G. Stout. 1983. Biological materials for the study of age and growth in a tropical marine elasmobranch, the lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris (Poey). NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS 8: 193–205.
Jobling, M. 1980. Gastric evacuation in plaice, Pleuronectes platessa L.: effects of dietary energy level and food composition. J. Fish Biol. 17: 187–196.
Jobling, M. 1981. Mathematical models of gastric emptying and the estimation of daily rates of food consumption for fish. J. Fish Biol. 19: 245–257.
Jobling, M. 1986. Mythical models of gastric emptying and implications for food consumption studies. Env. Biol. Fish. 16: 35–50.
Jobling, M. 1987. Influences of food particle size and dietary energy content on patterns of gastric evacuation in fish: test of a physiological model of gastric emptying. J. Fish Biol. 30: 299–314.
Jones, B. & G. Gcen. 1977. Food and feeding of spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) in British Columbia waters. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 34: 2067–2078.
Kapoor, B.C., H. Smith & I.A. Verighina. 1975. The alimentary canal and digestion in teleosts. pp. 109–239. In: F.S. Russell & M. Yonge (ed.) Adv. Mar. Biol. 13, Academic Press, London.
Livingston, P.A. 1986. Incorporating fish food habits data into fish population assessment models. pp. 225–243. In: C.A. Simenstad & G.M. Cailliet (ed.) Contemporary Studies on Fish Feeding, Dev. in Env. Biol. Fish. 7, Dr W. Junk Publishers, Dordrecht.
Macpherson, E., J. Lleonart & P. Sanchez. 1989. Gastric emptying in Scyliorhinus canicula (L): a comparison of surfacedependent and non-surface dependent models. J. Fish Biol. 35: 37–48.
Medved, R.J. 1985. Gastric evacuation in the sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus). J. Fish Biol. 26: 239–253.
Medved, R.J., C.E. Stillwell & J.G. Casey. 1988. The rate of food consumption of young sandbar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus) in Chincoteague Bay, Virginia. Copeia 1988: 956–963.
Olson, R.J. & A.J. Mullen. 1986. Recent developments for making gastric evacuation and daily ration determinations. Env. Biol. Fish. 16: 183–191.
Persson, L. 1979. The effects of temperature and different food organisms on the rate of gastric evacuation in perch (Perca fluviatilis). Freshw. Biol. 9: 99–104.
Persson, L. 1984. Food evacuation and models for multiple meals in fishes. Env. Biol. Fish. 10: 305–309.
Persson, L. 1986. Patterns of food evacuation in fishes: a critical review. Env. Biol. Fish. 16: 51–58.
Schurdak, M.E. & S.H. Gruber. 1989. Gastric evacuation of the lemon shark Negaprion brevirostris (Poey) under controlled conditions. Exp. Biol. 48: 77–82.
Sokal, R.R. & F.J. Rohlf. 1981. Biometry. 2nd ed. W.H. Freeman and Co., New York. 859 pp.
Somerton, D.A. 1980. Fitting straight lines to Hiatt growth diagrams: a re-evaluation. J. Cons. Int. Explor. Mer 39: 15–19.
Swenson, W.A. & L.L. Smith. 1973. Gastric digestion, food consumption, feeding periodicity, and food conversion efficiency in walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum). J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 30: 1327–1336.
Wetherbee, B.M. & S.H. Gruber. 1990. The effects of ration level on food retention time in juvenile lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris. Env. Biol. Fish. 29: 59–65.
Wetherbee, B.M., S.H. Gruber & A.L. Ramsey. 1987. X-radiographic observations of food passage through the digestive tract of the juvenile lemon shark. Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 116: 763–767.
Windell, J.T. 1966. Rate of digestion in the bluegill sunfish. Invest. Indiana Lakes and Streams 7: 185–214.
Windell, J.T. 1978. Digestion and the daily ration of fishes. pp. 159–183. In: T. Bagenal (ed.) Ecology of Freshwater Fish Production, Blackwell, London.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cortés, E., Gruber, S.H. Gastric evacuation in the young lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris, under field conditions. Environ Biol Fish 35, 205–212 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00002195
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00002195