FOOD HABITS, SCHOOLING AND PREDATORY BEHAVIOUR OF THE YELLOWMOUTH BARRACUDA, SPHYRAENA VIRIDENSIS (PERCIFORMES: SPHYRAENIDAE) IN THE AZORES
2002; Muséum national d'histoire naturelle; Volume: 26; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
0399-0974
AutoresJoão P. Barreiros, Ricardo S. Santos, Alfredo Borba,
Tópico(s)Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
ResumoThe yellowmouth barracuda is one of the most common coastal pelagic predator in the Azores archipe- lago which probably constitutes their northernmost range in the Eastern North Atlantic. The biology, behaviour and fee- ding ecology of this species is virtually unknown. Between 1997 and 1998, 100 individuals of S. viridensis were collected in the Azores islands. Their size ranged from 545 to 1190 mm (TL). Stomach contents were analysed and 66% of them contained food. Fish were the only prey observed. Juveniles of Trachurus picturatus were the dominant item identified, occurring in 82.2% of the stomachs containing food. Mean size of prey was correlated to the mean size of barracudas. Some 550 hours of behavioural observations were carried out. Different types of aggregations were observed with small groups and isolated individuals in winter conditions and big schools in summer, displaying several types of predatory behaviour.
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