Feeding habits of the pelagic stingray Pteroplatytrygon violacea (Chondrichthyes: Dasyatidae) in the Adriatic Sea

The feeding habits of the pelagic stingray (Pteroplatytrygon violacea) were studied using 84 stomachs of specimens caught in the northern Adriatic Sea in the period from April 2004 to October 2005. Percentage of empty stomachs found was overall very low, being a bit bigger in smaller specimens. The...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2013-03, Vol.93 (2), p.285-290
Main Authors: Lipej, L., Mavrič, B., Paliska, D., Capapé, C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biomass
Crustaceans
Diet
Ecology of Elasmobranchs
Fish
Fishing
Food
Prey
Taxonomy
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Summary:The feeding habits of the pelagic stingray (Pteroplatytrygon violacea) were studied using 84 stomachs of specimens caught in the northern Adriatic Sea in the period from April 2004 to October 2005. Percentage of empty stomachs found was overall very low, being a bit bigger in smaller specimens. The diet consisted of two main taxonomic groups such as teleost fish and cephalopods, but few specimens of crustaceans were recorded as well. The main food item was represented by anchovy, while cuttlefish and red band fish represented the alternative preys. Prey size was positively correlated with the size of predator. The proportion of anchovies in the diet grew with size of predator, while the one for red band fish decreased. The stingray was confirmed to be a top predator of pelagic fish species, although the presence of benthic prey shows that it feeds also at the bottom.
ISSN:0025-3154
1469-7769
DOI:10.1017/S0025315412000197