Abstract

ROJAS M, José Rodrigo; PALMA, Sergio  and  PEQUENO R, Germán. Food of the grouper Caprodon longimanus from Alejandro Selkirk Island, Chile (Perciformes: Serranidae). Rev. biol. trop [online]. 1998, vol.46, n.4, pp.943-949. ISSN 0034-7744.

Diet and food preference of Caprodon longimanus were studied at Alejandro Selkirk Island, Chile. The fishes (N=55) were collected in November and December 1996 using long line and the sizes ranged from 176-286 mm in SL. This grouper is a pelagic opportunistic zooplanktivorous predator. Thalia sp. (Tunicata:Salpida) was the most frequent and abundant prey accounting for 93.3% occurrence based on 1655 individuals. A total of 17 genera of crustaceans as well as pteropods, chaetognaths and polychaete worms were found in the stomach contents. A total of 14.3% of all stomachs were empty.

Keywords : Caprodon longimanus; Serranidae; stomach content analysis; Alejandro Selkirk Island; Eastern South Pacific; Chile.