Alternate Title
Dietary Habits of the Gafftopsail Catfish, Bagre marinus, in Tarpon Bay and Pine Island South, Florida
Abstract
A total of 507 gafftopsail catfish, Bagre marinus, were captured by hook and line in Tarpon Bay and neighboring Pine Island Sound, Florida from June 3, 1999 to May 6, 2000 in order to identify foods of this understudied species. A total of 86 (17.0%) specimens contained only unidentifiable food, and 187 (36.9%) specimens were found with empty stomachs. Based on the index of relative importance, the pink shrimp, Farfantepenaeus duorarum, was the most important food for specimens ≤200 mm fork length (FL), amphipods the most important food for specimens 201-300 mm FL, and unidentifiable fish the most important food for specimens ≥301 mm FL. Diet of B. marinus was also compared among four seasons: June through August; September through November, December through February, and March through May. Unidentifiable fish was the most important food for June through August and September through November. Clupeid fishes were the most important food for December through February. The amphipod Ampelisca abdita was the most important food for March through May. The wide variety of foods consumed by B. marinus indicates an opportunistic feeding strategy.
Recommended Citation
Rudershausen, P. J. and J. V. Locascio.
2001.
Dietary Habits of the Gafftopsail Catfish, Bagre marinus, in Tarpon Bay and Pine Island South, Florida.
Gulf of Mexico Science
19
(2).
Retrieved from https://aquila.usm.edu/goms/vol19/iss2/2