Skip to main content
Log in

Feeding ecology and interannual variations in diet of southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii, in relation to coastal and oceanic waters off eastern Tasmania, Australia

Environmental Biology of Fishes Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The diets of 1219 southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii, from inshore (shelf) and offshore (oceanic) waters off eastern Tasmania were examined between 1992 and 1994. Immature fish (< 155 cm fork length) made up 88% of those examined. In all, 92 prey taxa were identified. Inshore, the main prey were fish (Trachurus declivis and Emmelichthys nitidus) and juvenile squid (Nototodarus gouldi). Offshore, the diversity was greater, reflecting the diversity of micronekton in these waters. Interestingly, macrozooplankton prey (e.g. Phronima sedentaria) were prevalent in tuna > 150 cm. The offshore tuna, when in subantarctic waters, ate relatively more squid than when in the East Australia Current. In the latter, fish and crustacea were more important, although there were variations between years. No relationship was found between either prey type or size with size of tuna. Feeding was significantly higher in the morning than at other times of the day. The mean weight of prey was significantly higher in inshore-caught tuna than in those caught offshore. We estimated that the mean daily ration of southern bluefin tuna off eastern Tasmania was 0.97% of wet body weight day−1. However, the daily ration of inshore-caught tuna was ∼ 3 times higher (2.7%) than for tuna caught offshore (0.8%) indicating that feeding conditions on the shelf were better than those offshore. Our results indicate that the inshore waters of eastern Tasmania are an important feeding area for, at least, immature southern bluefin tuna.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References cited

  • Bennetti, D.D., R.W. Brill & S.A. Kraul, Jr. 1995. The standard metabolic rate of dolphin fish. J. Fish Biol. 46: 987–996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bigg, M.A. & M.A. Perez. 1985. Modified Volume: a frequency-volume method to assess marine mammal food habits. pp 277–283. In: J.R. Beddington, R.J.H. Beverton & D.M. Lavigne (ed.) Marine Mammals and Fisheries, George Allen and Unwin, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brandt, S.B. 1981. Effects of a warm-core eddy on fish distributions in the Tasman Sea off east Australia. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 6: 19–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boisclair, D. & F. Marchand. 1993. The guts to estimate daily ration. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 50: 1969–1975.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caton, A., P. Ward & C. Colgan. 1995. The Australian 1989–90 to 1994–5 southern bluefin tuna seasons. Council for the conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna Scientific Meeting. 10–19 July 1995.

  • Clarke, A., L.J. Holmes & D.J. Gore. 1992. Proximate and elemental composition of gelatinous zooplankton from the Southern Ocean. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 155: 55–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dickson, K.A. 1995. Unique adaptations of the metabolic biochemistry of tunas and billfishes for life in the pelagic environment. Env. Biol. Fish. 42: 65–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Durbin, E.G., A.G. Durbin, R.W. Langton & R.E. Bowman. 1983. Stomach contents of silver hake, Merluccius bilinearis, and Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, and estimation of their daily rations. U.S. Fish. Bull. 81: 437–454.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elliot, J.M. & L. Persson. 1978. The estimation of daily rates of food consumption for fish. J. Anim. Ecol. 47: 977–991.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, F.B. & V.A. Wadley. 1986. Synoptic comparison of fishes and crustaceans from a warm-core eddy, the East Australian Current, the Coral Sea and the Tasman Sea. Deep-Sea Res. 33: 1907–1922.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jordan, A., G. Pullen, J. Marshall & H. Williams. 1995. Temporal and spatial patterns of spawning in jack mackerel, Trachurus declivis (Pisces: Carangidae), during 1988–91 in eastern Tasmanian waters. J. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 46: 831–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harris, G.P., F.B. Griffiths, L.A. Clementson, V. Lyne & H. Van der Doe. 1991. Seasonal and interannual variability in physical processes, nutrient cycling and the structure of the food chain in Tasmanian shelf waters. J. Plankton Res. 13: 109–113

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris, G., C. Nilsson, L. Clementson & D. Thomas. 1987. The water masses of the east coast of Tasmania: seasonal and interannual variability and the influence on phytoplankton biomass and productivity. Aust. J. Mar. Freshw. Res. 38: 569–590

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hespenheide, H.A. 1975. Prey characteristics and predator niche width. pp. 158–180. In: Cody, M.L., & J.M. Diamond (ed.). Ecology and Evolution of Communities, Belknap Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hynd, J.S. 1968. Sea surface temperature maps as an aid to tuna fishing. Aust. Fish. Newsl. 27: 23–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hynd, J.S. 1969. Isotherm maps for tuna fishermen. Aust. Fish. 28: 13–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Kashkina, A.A. 1986. Feeding of fishes on salps (Tunicata, Thaliacea). J. Ichthyol. 26(A): 57–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magnuson, J.J. 1969. Digestion and food consumption by skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis). Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 98: 379–392

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maldeniya, R. 1996. Food consumption of yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares, in Sri Lankan waters. Env. Biol. Fish. 47: 101–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olson, R.J. & C.H. Boggs. 1986. Apex predation by yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares): independent estimates from gastric evacuation and stomach contents, bioenergetics and cesium concentrations. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 43: 1760–1775.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ortega-Garìa, S., F. Galván-Mangaña & J. Arvizu-Martínez. 1992. Activity of the mexican purse seine fleet and the feeding habits of yellowfin tuna. Ciencias Marinas 18: 139–149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pauly, D., A.Ch. de Vildoso, J. Mejia, M. Samamé & M.L. Palomares. 1987. Population dynamics and estimated anchoveta consumption of bonito (Sarda chiliensis) off Peru, 1953 to 1982. pp. 248–267. In: D. Pauly & I. Tsukayama (ed.), The Peruvian Anchoveta and its Upwelling Ecosystem, Three Decades of Change, ICLARM Studies and Reviews 15, Manila.

  • Persson, L. 1986. Patterns of food evacuation in fishes: a critical review. Env. Biol. Fish. 16: 51–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinkas, L., M.S. Oliphant & I.L.K. Iverson. 1971. Food habits of albacore, bluefin tuna, and bonito in California waters. U.S. Fish Bull. 152. 105 pp.

  • Robins, J. P. 1952. Further observations on the distribution of striped tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis L., in eastern Australian waters, and its relation to surface to temperature. Aust. J. Mar. Freshw. Res. 3: 101–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robins, J.P. 1963. Synopsis of the biological data on bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus maccoyii (Castelnau) 1872. FAO Fish. Rep. 6: 562–587.

    Google Scholar 

  • Serventy, D.L. 1956. The southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus maccoyii (Castelnau), in Australian waters. Aust. J. Mar. Freshw. Res. 7: 1–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shingu, C. 1981. Ecology and stock of southern bluefin tuna. CSI-RO Div. Fish. Oceanogr. Rep. No. 131. 79 pp. (translated by Hintze, M.A.).

  • Talbot, F.H. & M.J. Penrith. 1963. Synopsis of the biological data on species of the genus Thunnus (sensu lato) (South Africa). FAO Fish. Rep. 6: 608–649.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tranter, D. J., G. S. Leech & D. Airey. 1983. Edge enrichment in an ocean eddy. Aust. J. Mar. Freshw. Res. 34: 665–680.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, H. & G. Pullen. 1993. Schooling behaviour of jack mackerel, Trachurus declivis (Jenyns), observed in the Tasmanian purse seine fishery. Aust. J. Mar. Freshw. Res. 44: 577–587.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Webb, B.F. 1972. Report on the investigation of the ‘Lloret Lopez II’ 8 January to 2 April 1970, Sect. 6: Tuna catch analysis and seawater temperatures. Fish. tech. Rep. N.Z. Min. Ag. Fish. 108. 105 pp.

  • Young, J.W. & T.L.O. Davis. 1992. Feeding ecology and interannual variations in diet of larval jack mackerel, Trachurus declivis (pisces: Carangidae), from coastal waters off eastern Tasmania. Mar. Biol. 113: 11–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young, J.W., A. R. Jordan, C.M. Bobbi, R.E. Johannes, K. Haskard & G. Pullen. 1993. Seasonal and interannual variability in krill (Nyctiphanes australis) stocks and their relationship to the jack mackerel (Trachurus declivis) fishery off eastern Tasmania, Australia. Mar. Biol. 116: 9–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young, J.W., R.W. Bradford, T.D. Lamb & V.D. Lyne. 1996a. Biomass of zooplankton and micronekton in the southern bluefin tuna fishing grounds off eastern Tasmania, Australia. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 138: 1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Young, J.W., T.D. Lamb & R.W. Bradford. 1996b. Distribution and community structure of midwater fishes in relation to the subtropical convergence off eastern Tasmania, Australia. Mar. Biol. 126: 571–584.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young, J.W. & V.D. Lyne. 1993. Ocean conditions affect Tasmanian tuna aggregations. Aust. Fish. 52: 24–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zar, J. H. 1984. Biostatistical analysis. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs. 718 pp.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Young, J.W., Lamb, T.D., Le, D. et al. Feeding ecology and interannual variations in diet of southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii, in relation to coastal and oceanic waters off eastern Tasmania, Australia. Environmental Biology of Fishes 50, 275–291 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007326120380

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007326120380

Navigation