Feeding habits of small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula Linnaeus, 1758) from the eastern central Adriatic Sea

Abstract

The feeding habits of small-spotted catshark, Scyliorhinus canicula, from the central Adriatic Sea, were investigated with respect to fish size, season and sampling location. Stomach contents of 1200 specimens, collected at monthly intervals (January to December 2010), were analysed. The prey items identified in the stomachs belonged to eight major groups: Cephalopoda, Polychaeta, Stomatopoda, Decapoda, Mysidacea, Euphausiacea, Amphipoda and Teleostei. Decapods were the most important ingested prey in all seasons, for medium sized fish (22–38 cm TL). Euphausiids and mysids constituted the main prey items of small fish (<22 cm TL) while teleosts dominated the stomach contents of larger specimens (>38 cm TL). Two decapods, Alpheus glaber (%IRI = 5.1) and Solenocera membranacea (%IRI = 3.0), were the most numerous prey items identified to species level. The mean weight of stomach contents (relative to predator size) increased significantly for fish larger than 30 cm TL, while the mean number of prey items did not differ significantly among size-classes. The percentage of empty stomachs showed a monthly variation with a maximal occurrence in February (48.0%) and a minimal in August (9.0%). The lowest feeding frequency could be related to low sea temperatures during the winter. The small-spotted catshark could be considered a generalistic predator.