Feeding ecology of two sympatric species of large-sized groupers (Perciformes: Epinephelidae) on Southwestern Atlantic coralline reefs

Matheus O Freitas,Vinicius Abilhoa,Les Kaufman,Henry L Spach,Carolina V Minte-Vera,Ronaldo B Francini-Filho,Rodrigo L Moura

doi:10.1590/1982-0224-20160047

Abstract

ABSTRACT Red and black groupers are large-bodied opportunistic ambush predators commonly found in Southwestern Atlantic tropical reefs. We investigated the diet of both species in order to detail ontogenetic, spatial and temporal trends, and to assess the extent of overlap in resource use between these two sympatric predators on the Abrolhos Bank, Brazil. Decapods and fishes were the main food items of Epinephelus morio while fishes were the main prey of Mycteroperca bonaci. Both diets were significantly influenced by body size and habitat, but only smaller individuals of E. morio feed almost exclusively on crustaceans. While the two groupers rely on many of the same prey types, coexistence may be facilitated by E. morio feeding more heavily on crustaceans, particularly the blackpoint sculling crab Cronius ruber, while black grouper take comparatively few crustaceans but lots of fish prey. Predators like red and black groupers could trigger indirect effects in the community and influence a large range of ecological processes, such as linkages between top and intermediate predators, and intermediate predators and their resources.

Highlights

Epinephelids are demersal predatory fishes found in shallow to mesophotic waters of all tropical and subtropical oceans, especially in hard bottom habitats (Heemstra, Randall, 1993; Craig et al, 2011)
In the present study we investigated food habits of the black and red groupers obtained from eight years of artisanal fisheries monitoring program in the Abrolhos
Seven teleost species were registered as prey of adults, including greenback parrotfish Scarus trispinosus and Scarus spp., the ocean surgeon Acanthurus bahianus, the burrfish Chilomycterus spinosus and the seadevil Ogcocephalus vespertilio

Summary

Introduction

Epinephelids are demersal predatory fishes found in shallow to mesophotic waters of all tropical and subtropical oceans, especially in hard bottom habitats (Heemstra, Randall, 1993; Craig et al, 2011). Diet of E. morio and M. bonaci in Abrolhos reefs (Crabtree, Bullock, 1998) They are among the most common epinephelids in the Tropical Western Atlantic and support important fisheries throughout their range (Burgos et al, 2007; Crabtree, Bullock, 1998; Freitas et al, 2011b) from Massachusetts (EUA) to Southeastern Brazil (Heemstra, Randall, 1993). Black and red groupers are important predators in hard-bottom communities of the tropical Western Atlantic (Brulé, Canché, 1993; Brulé et al, 1994; Brulé et al, 2005). In the Northern Hemisphere, fishes, crustaceans, gastropods and cephalopods are important dietary components of both species (Moe, 1969; Bullock, Smith, 1991; Brulé, Canché, 1993; Brulé et al, 1994; Brulé et al, 2005), but there is no information on their food habits for the entire Southwestern Atlantic

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