Feeding ecology of the African cuttlefish Sepia bertheloti (Cephalopoda: Sepiidae) in western Africa

Abstract

The African cuttlefish, Sepia bertheloti, is a commercially exploited cephalopod in two productive system areas off West Africa. However, there is a lack of information on its feeding ecology, making it difficult to describe its ecological role (Morocco and Guinea-Bissau). In the present study, we analyse the gastric contents of 1.114 individuals, collected between July 2018 and January 2020 using the traditional analysis of stomach contents. A total of 65 and 49 prey items were identified as part of the diet of Moroccan and Guinean African cuttlefish, respectively. The sample size was evaluated using species cumulative curves and the methods used to describe the diet were the frequency of occurrence, number, and weight. Our results suggest that S. bertheloti does not present differences in diet between sexes or areas, although significant differences were observed in terms of prey abundance, richness, and diversity of species. According to the taxonomic groups, crustaceans were the most abundant prey taxa, followed by fish and cephalopods. Amphipods (Gammarus sp.) were the prey that showed the greater importance of occurrence in the diet at both study areas, showing a strictly benthic feeding behaviour. Niche breadth was evaluated using Levin’s index, indicating that S. bertheloti is an omnivorous species (Trophic level ∼3.6) with a heterogeneous diet and without a marked generalist or specialist feeding strategy.