Feeding strategies and diet composition of yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares(Bonnaterre, 1788) caught along Andhra Pradesh, east coast of India
2010
Rohit, Prathibha | Rao, G Syda | Ram Mohan, K
The food of yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares caught by longlines off the east coast of India was studied in detail. Contentsof 146 non-empty stomachs were analysed for the Index of relative importance (IRI) and prey specific abundance. T. albacarescaught by the longline were found to be non-selective generalist feeders, foraging on micronektonic, pelagic or benthicorganisms available in the epipelagic waters. Teleost fish, crabs, squids and shrimps were the major component of fooditems. Priacanthus hamrur was the most preyed upon fish with a high IRI (40.5%) followed by the swimming crabCharybdis smithii (23.9%), the squid Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis (15.5%) and prawn Solenocera hextii (10.3%). Being alarge pelagic predator, it formed an important link in the food chain of the ocean system and also formed a good collector ofthe less exploited micronekton organisms of the deep scattering layer (DSL).
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