Food habits of fishes on unvegetated tidal mudflats in Tokyo Bay, central Japan |
| |
| Authors: | Kouki KANOU Mitsuhiko SANO AND Hiroshi KOHNO |
| |
| Institution: | Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8657 and;Laboratory of Ichthyology, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Minato, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan |
| |
| Abstract: | ABSTRACT: To clarify the feeding habits of tidal mudflat fishes, the gut contents of 29 fish species, collected from unvegetated tidal mudflats in Tokyo Bay, central Honshu, Japan, were examined. Ontogenetic changes in food preference were recognized in 21 species, including several of commercial importance (e.g. Acanthogobius flavimanus , Konosirus punctatus , Mugil cephalus cephalus , Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis , and Sardinella zunasi ). In general, larvae and/or juveniles of these species fed mainly on small zooplankton or benthic harpacticoid copepods, later switching to other prey items with growth (e.g. gammaridean amphipods, mysids, polychaetes, detritus, bivalves, and juvenile fishes). A cluster analysis based on dietary overlaps showed that the tidal mudflat fish assemblage comprised six feeding guilds (small benthic and epiphytic crustacean, zooplankton, detritus, mollusc, polychaete, and fish feeders). Of these, small benthic and epiphytic crustacean feeders were the most abundantly represented in the number of species. |
| |
| Keywords: | fish assemblage ontogenetic diet shift tidal mudflat trophic guilds |
|
|
