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Feeding ecology of the apron ray Discopyge tschudii (Elasmobranchii, Narcinidae) in San Jorge Gulf, Patagonia, Argentina

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2015

M. Cecilia Spath ,
Gabriela Delpiani  and
Daniel E. Figueroa
M. Cecilia Spath*
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Ictiología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Deán Funes 3350, Mar del Plata, Argentina
Gabriela Delpiani
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Ictiología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Deán Funes 3350, Mar del Plata, Argentina
Daniel E. Figueroa
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Ictiología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Deán Funes 3350, Mar del Plata, Argentina
*
Correspondence should be addressed to:M.C. Spath, Laboratorio de Ictiología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Deán Funes 3350, Mar del Plata B7602AYL, Argentina email: ceciliaspath@gmail.com
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Abstract

The study of the feeding habits of elasmobranch populations should help to elucidate the ecological role of these fishes in the marine ecosystem. Feeding habits of the apron ray, Discopyge tschudii from San Jorge Gulf were investigated. An evaluation of whether the diet of D. tschudii changes with body size, seasons, maturity stage and sex was performed using a multiple-hypothesis modelling approach. Discopyge tschudii preyed mainly on polychaetes. The consumption of polychaetes was higher in males. Also, amphipods and siphons of clams were preyed more heavily in the cold season and Munida gregaria in the warm season. Stomatopods were consumed more with increasing body size. All prey categories were independent of maturity stage. We concluded that D. tschudii is a benthic feeder.

Keywords

diet variationpredationMagellanic provinceGLMAkaike's weight

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 96 , Issue 5 , August 2016 , pp. 1093 - 1099
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2015 

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