Abstract
The long-fingered bat Myotis capaccinii is a European trawling bat reported to feed on fish in several Mediterranean locations, but the ecological circumstances of this behavior have not yet been studied. To elucidate the importance of fishing in this bat's diet, we evaluated the frequency and seasonal variation of fish remains in 3,000 fecal pellets collected from M. capaccinii at a nursery roost in Dénia (Eastern Iberian Peninsula) in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Fish consumption occurred evenly throughout the year. All otoliths found in feces were identified as belonging to the surface-feeding fish Gambusia holbrooki. Measuring otoliths, we estimated that the mean size of consumed fish was significantly smaller than the mean measured for available fish, suggesting that the long-fingered bat's relatively small body may constrain its handling of larger prey. Of note, one bat had eaten 15 fish, showing that fish may be a locally or seasonally important trophic resource for this species. By capturing 15 bats and radio-tracking the four with the most fish remains in their droppings, we also identified fishing areas, including a single fishing ground comprising several ponds within a golf course. Ponds hold a high density of G. holbrooki, suggesting that the amount of fish at the water surface may be the principal factor triggering fishing. The observed six-fold increase in percentage of consumed fish across the study period may be related to recent pond-building in the area. We discuss whether this quick behavioral response is a novel feature of M. capaccinii or an intrinsic feature that has erupted and faded locally along the species' history.
Highlights
Bats exhibit an unparalleled trophic diversity among living mammalian orders, as their diet includes insects, fruit, leaves, flowers, nectar, pollen, blood, and other vertebrates [1,2]
Though predominantly insectivorous, some other bats prey on fish to varying degrees, e.g. Myotis macropus, M. albescens, M. macrotarsus, M. ricketti, M. stalkeri, M. capaccinii, Megaderma lyra, Noctilio albiventris, and Nycteris grandis (e.g. [4,10,11,12,13,14,15,16])
There was no difference in the relative importance of fish in the diet of longfingered bats between the dry (11.15614.6%, n = 32) and the wet (10.39615.0%, n = 30) season (M-W: U1,61 = 492, p = 0.864)
Summary
Bats exhibit an unparalleled trophic diversity among living mammalian orders, as their diet includes insects, fruit, leaves, flowers, nectar, pollen, blood, and other vertebrates [1,2]. Though predominantly insectivorous, some other bats prey on fish to varying degrees, e.g. Myotis macropus, M. albescens, M. macrotarsus, M. ricketti, M. stalkeri, M. capaccinii, Megaderma lyra, Noctilio albiventris, and Nycteris grandis It is restricted to the Mediterranean and the Middle East [18] and hunts over water bodies [19,20] In those habitats, it mainly preys upon arthropods [21,22,23], but fishing has been reported as an uncommon and temporally irregular behavior in the Western Mediterranean [4,21,23]; in contrast, a high frequency of fish remains was reported in fecal pellets from M. capaccinii in the Levant in winter [22]. The long-fingered bat is depicted as a predominantly insectivorous species that is able to fish under asyet undetermined ecological circumstances
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
