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Food habits of fishes in a subtropical seagrass bed in Nagura Bay, Ishigaki Island, southern Japan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 August 2022

Masashi Shimizu ,
Kusuto Nanjo Open the ORCID record for Kusuto Nanjo [Opens in a new window] ,
Iwao Tanita Open the ORCID record for Iwao Tanita [Opens in a new window] ,
Koetsu Kon  and
Hideaki Yamada
Masashi Shimizu
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Fisheries Science, National Fisheries University, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Yamaguchi, Japan
Kusuto Nanjo*
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Aquabiology, National Fisheries University, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Yamaguchi, Japan
Iwao Tanita
Affiliation:
Yaeyama Field Station, Fisheries Technology Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Okinawa, Japan
Koetsu Kon
Affiliation:
Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shizuoka, Japan Department of Ocean Sciences, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
Hideaki Yamada
Affiliation:
Nagasaki Field Station, Fisheries Technology Institute, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, Nagasaki, Japan
*
Author for correspondence: Kusuto Nanjo, Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Recent losses of seagrass beds have resulted in a decrease in seagrass-associated fishes, highlighting the need for the improved management of such habitats and resources. Analyses of feeding patterns of fish associated with seagrass habitats are useful for understanding their habitat dependence, which contributes to achieving their effective conservation. The gut contents of 61 fish species were examined to clarify the food habits of subtropical seagrass fishes in Nagura Bay, Ishigaki Island, southern Japan. A cluster analysis based on dietary overlaps showed that the seagrass fish assemblage comprised six trophic groups (small crustacean, large crustacean, detritus, plant, fish and zooplankton feeders). Small and large crustacean feeders were the most abundant, followed by detritus, plant and fish feeders. Zooplankton feeders were represented by only two species. Ontogenetic changes in food preference were recognized in four species, including Lutjanus fulviflamma, Ostorhinchus ishigakiensis, Gerres oyena and Siganus fuscescens. Small individuals of the four species generally fed on small crustaceans or detritus, subsequently switching to other larger prey items with growth (e.g. crabs, shrimps and seagrass fronds). The most important food items for the assemblage comprised harpacticoid copepods, shrimps, crabs and detritus, representing high cumulative gut volumes for all fishes. Some species showed diets remarkably different from those determined for fishes in other seagrass beds off a nearby neighbouring island, evidence of the food-use patterns of seagrass fishes varying on a small spatial scale. Such dietary flexibility may increase the adaptability of fishes to seagrass beds characterized by significant variations in available food resources.

Keywords

Dietfish assemblageontogenetic trophic shiftseagrass bedsubtropicaltrophic group
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 102 , Issue 5 , August 2022 , pp. 361 - 369
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

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