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The role of fish in the diet of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in the Strait of Gibraltar

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 March 2017

Noureddine Abid ,
Amin Laglaoui ,
Abdelhay Arakrak  and
Mohammed Bakkali
Noureddine Abid*
Affiliation:
National Institute for Fisheries Research (INRH), Regional Centre of Tangier, P.O. Box 5268, Tangier, Morocco
Amin Laglaoui
Affiliation:
Team of Research in Biotechnology and Bimolecular Genius (ERBGB), Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, P.O. Box 416-Tangier, Morocco
Abdelhay Arakrak
Affiliation:
Team of Research in Biotechnology and Bimolecular Genius (ERBGB), Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, P.O. Box 416-Tangier, Morocco
Mohammed Bakkali
Affiliation:
Team of Research in Biotechnology and Bimolecular Genius (ERBGB), Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, P.O. Box 416-Tangier, Morocco
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: N. Abid, National Institute for Fisheries Research (INRH), Regional Centre of Tangier, P.O. Box 5268, Tangier, Morocco Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

To study the diet of the swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in the Strait of Gibraltar, a total of 176 stomachs were examined from the Moroccan artisanal fishery targeting this species, from April to September 2015. The frequency of occurrence (FO), percentage in number and in weight of prey as well as the per cent index of relative importance of prey (%IRI) were calculated to assess the diet preferences of swordfish in relation to its body size, sex and month. Our findings confirm the opportunistic feeding behaviour of swordfish. The prey items consist primarily of fish (54.6% in number and 82.7% in weight), followed by cephalopod (43.36% in number and 17.25% in weight). The Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) and the southern shortfin squid (Illex coindetii) are the most important prey, with a % IRI of 47.54 and 35.04%, respectively. The results revealed that there are no significant differences in the diet preferences among sexes and size classes. However, diet composition varied significantly among months. A significant correlation was found between the body length of predator and prey size. The remarkable decrease in the fullness index (fi) from June to August suggests that swordfish were in a spawning condition, with reduced feeding.

Keywords

SwordfishdietsizesexseasonStrait of Gibraltarfullness index
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 98 , Issue 4 , June 2018 , pp. 895 - 907
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2017 

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