Abstract
ABSTRACT The feeding habits of Callorhinchus callorynchus were investigated in coastal waters off northern Argentina. The effect of body size, seasons and regions was evaluated on female diet composition using a multiple-hypothesis modelling approach. Callorhinchus callorynchus fed mainly on bivalves (55.61% PSIRI), followed by brachyuran crabs (10.62% PSIRI) and isopods (10.13% PSIRI). Callorhinchus callorynchus females showed changes in the diet composition with increasing body size and also between seasons and regions. Further, this species is able to consume larger bivalves as it grows. Trophic level was 3.15, characterizing it as a secondary consumer. We conclude that C. callorynchus showed a behavior of crushing hard prey, mainly on bivalves, brachyuran, gastropods and anomuran crabs. Females of this species shift their diet with increasing body size and in response to seasonal and regional changes in prey abundance or distribution.
Highlights
The cockfish, Callorhinchus callorynchus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Callorhinchidae), is an endemic holocephalan from South America, occurring from 23°S in the Southwestern Atlantic to 18°S in the Southeastern Pacific (López et al, 2000; Didier, 2004; Cousseau, Perrotta, 2013)
The diet of C. callorynchus consists mainly of bivalves, followed by brachyuran crabs, isopods, and other benthic invertebrates, which implies that this species has benthic feeding habits
A previous study conducted in the San Matías Gulf, northen Patagonia (41°30 ́S 64°15 ́W), found that bivalves were the main prey consumed by C. callorynchus, followed by polychaetes, decapods and stomatopods (Di Giácomo, Perier, 1996)
Summary
The cockfish, Callorhinchus callorynchus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Callorhinchidae), is an endemic holocephalan from South America, occurring from 23°S in the Southwestern Atlantic to 18°S in the Southeastern Pacific (López et al, 2000; Didier, 2004; Cousseau, Perrotta, 2013) This species inhabits depths ranging from the shoreline to 200 m (Cousseau, Perrotta, 2013). In northern Argentina, the area with the highest catch and landings of chondrichthyans, C. callorynchus represents an important resource for recreational and artisanal fisheries (Massa et al, 2004; Consejo Federal Pesquero, 2009; Cedrola et al, 2011; Lucifora et al, 2012; Cousseau, Perrotta, 2013). The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorized C. callorynchus in South America as least concern (Dagit et al, 2007)
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