Historical Diet Analysis of Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta Caretta) in Virginia

Digestive tract contents were examined from 297 Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta) in Virginia during 1983–2002. Analyses revealed a shift from predominantly Atlantic Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) during the early to mid-1980s to predominantly Common Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) durin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Copeia 2007-05, Vol.2007 (2), p.478-489
Main Authors: Seney, Erin E, Musick, John A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Brevoortia tyrannus
Callinectes sapidus
Caretta caretta
Crabs
Crustaceans
Data analysis
Data collection
Decapoda
Diet
Digestive tract
Fish
Fishing
Horseshoe crabs
Limulus polyphemus
Marine
Micropogonias undulatus
Mitochondrial DNA
Ocean fisheries
Population
Sea turtles
Shorter Contributions
Shorter Contributors
Snails
Turtles
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Summary:Digestive tract contents were examined from 297 Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta) in Virginia during 1983–2002. Analyses revealed a shift from predominantly Atlantic Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) during the early to mid-1980s to predominantly Common Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Diet in the mid-1990s and in 2000–2002 was dominated by finfish, particularly Atlantic Menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) and Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias undulatus). These diet shifts suggest that horseshoe crab and blue crab population declines have caused loggerheads to forage in nets or on discarded fishery bycatch.
ISSN:0045-8511
2766-1512
1938-5110
2766-1520
DOI:10.1643/0045-8511(2007)7[478:HDAOLS]2.0.CO;2