Abstract
The stomach and gut content of 22 Mugil cephalus from the Banc d’Arguin shallows (Mauritanian coast, West Africa) is examined. Quartz grains are the predominant material found in the stomach together with small portions of benthic diatoms and ‘flakes’, aggregates of fine-grained inorganic and organic particles. As the composition of this material is modified by a sorting procedure during feeding it is difficult to conclude, whether seagrass stands (muddy and mixed sediments with sand fraction) or sandy flats are preferred as feeding habitats. The animals studied did not or not relevantly utilize the non-diatom microphytes, though the environment of the Banc d’Arguin is rich in microbial mats (cyanobacteria), Vaucheria beds and epiphytic vegetation of seagrass leaves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Günther, A. C. L. G., 1880. An introduction to the study of fishes. Edinburgh, 720 pp.
Hickling, C. F., 1970. A Contribution to the Natural History of the English Grey Mullets (Pisces, Mugilidae). J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 50: 609–633.
Krefft, G. & H. Michaelis, 1976. Die Meeräsche im niedersächsischen Wattenmeer. Natur u. Museum 106: 23–29.
Maigret, J. & B. Ly, 1986. Poissons de Mer de Mauritanie. Centre National de Recherche Oeceanographique et de Pêche. Compiegne, France, 213 pp.
Nikolskii, G. W., 1957. Spezielle Fischkunde (translated from Russian). VEB Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften, Berlin, 632 p.
Odum, W. E., 1966. The food and feeding of the striped mullet, Mugil cephalus, in relation to the environment. M.S. Thesis, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Miami. Miami, Florida, 118 p.
Odum, W. E., 1968. The ecological significance of fine particle selection by the striped mullet Mugil cephalus. Limnol. Oceanogr. 13: 92–98.
Odum, W. E., 1970. Utilization of the direct grazing and plant detritus food chain by the striped mullet Mugil cephalus. In Steele, H. J. (ed.): Marine Food Chains: 1&–43. Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh.
Schwartz, H. U., G. Einsele & D. Herrn, 1975. Quartz-sandy, grazing-contoured stromatolites from coastal embayments of Mauritania, West-Africa. Sedimentology 22: 539–561.
Sterrenburg, F. A. S. & F. J. G. Sterrenburg, 1990. An Outline of the Marine Littoral Diatom Biocoenosis of the Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania, West Africa. Botanica Marina 33: 459–465.
Thomson, J. M., 1954. The organs of feeding and the food of some Australian mullet. Aust. J. mar. Freshwat. Res. 5: 469–484.
Thomson, J. M., 1966. The Grey Mullets. Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. annu. Rev. 4: 301–335.
Wolff, W. J. & C. Smit, 1990. The Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania, as an environment for coastal birds. Ardea 78: 17–38.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this paper
Cite this paper
Michaelis, H. (1993). Food items of the grey mullet Mugil cephalus in the Banc d’Arguin area (Mauritania). In: Wolff, W.J., van der Land, J., Nienhuis, P.H., de Wilde, P.A.W.J. (eds) Ecological Studies in the Coastal Waters of Mauritania. Developments in Hydrobiology 86, vol 86. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1986-3_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1986-3_15
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4877-4
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-1986-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive