Feeding habits of horse mackerel, Trachurus trachurus (Linneaus, 1758), from the central Adriatic Sea

Summary The feeding habits of the horse mackerel, Trachurus trachurus, from the central Adriatic Sea were investigated with respect to fish size and season. Stomach contents of 1200 specimens 12.9–37.6 cm total length (TL) taken at monthly intervals (January–December 1995) were analyzed. Of the total number of stomachs examined, 597 were empty (49.7%). This percentage varied significantly with season; the maximum number of empty stomachs was observed during January (80%) and February (82%) and a minimum number observed during July (15%) and August (19%). A total of 30 different prey species belonging to five major groups: Crustacea (Euphausiacea, Mysidacea, Decapoda), Cephalopoda, and Teleostei was identified in the stomach contents. Euphausiids were the most important ingested prey in all seasons as well as in small- and medium-size classes ( 30 cm TL individuals. The mean weight of stomach contents increased significantly for fish larger than 24.1 cm TL, while the mean number of prey items significantly declined in the large-size classes.

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