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A Trophic ecology of the European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus in the Catalan Sea (northwest Mediterranean)

1997; Inter-Research; Volume: 160; Linguagem: Inglês

10.3354/meps160121

1616-1599

Sergi Tudela, Isabel Palomera,

Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 160:121-134 (1997) - doi:10.3354/meps160121 Trophic ecology of the European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus in the Catalan Sea (northwest Mediterranean) Sergi Tudela*, Isabel Palomera Institut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC), Plaça del Mar s/n, E-08039 Barcelona, Spain *E-mail: studela@icm.csic.es Analysis of adult anchovy samples collected in the Catalan Sea during the spawning periods in 1994 and 1995 showed that feeding activity by this engraulid was mainly diurnal, taking place particularly after noon. Copepods and other small prey were primary dietary items, the former presumably being concentrated at the level of the deep chlorophyll maximum during daytime. At night only sporadic consumption of large prey items, mostly decapod larvae and mysids, was recorded. The feeding pattern described results in spatio-temporal segregation of feeding and spawning activity and may account for the absence of cannibalism on anchovy eggs. An assessment of the impact of consumption by the anchovy population in the Catalan Sea on zooplankton production underscored the major role played by this species in channelling energy of the pelagic food webs to higher trophic levels. Engraulis encrasicolus · Trophic ecology · Pelagic ecosystem · Energy flows · NW Mediterranean Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 160. Publication date: December 15, 1997 Print ISSN:0171-8630; Online ISSN:1616-1599 Copyright © 1997 Inter-Research.