Publication Date:
2019-07-17
Description:
The summer diet of two species of icefishes
(Channichthyidae) from the South Shetland Islands and
Elephant Island, Champsocephalus gunnari and Chaenocephalus
aceratus, was investigated from 2001 to 2003.
Champsocephalus gunnari fed almost exclusively on krill
(Euphausia superba) in all years. The importance of
other taxa (Themisto gaudichaudii, mysids, myctophids)
in the diet was negligible. The average feeding rate of
Champsocephalus gunnari inferred from an exponential
gastric evacuation model was between 1.0 and 1.5%
body weight per day. Most of the stomachs of Chaenocephalus
aceratus were empty. Stomachs with food
contained mainly krill, mysids and fish. Among the fish
taken, locally abundant species formed the bulk of the
diet: Gobionotothen gibberifrons in 2001, Lepidonotothen
larseni and Champsocephalus gunnari in 2002 and L.
larseni in 2003. An ontogenetic shift in feeding preference
of Chaenocephalus aceratus was observed: fish
smaller than 30 cm fed on krill and mysids, while larger
animals relied primarily on fish.
Repository Name:
EPIC Alfred Wegener Institut
Type:
Article
,
isiRev
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