SNIPEFISH (MACRORAMPHOSUS SPP.) ABUNDANCE AND TROPHIC DYNAMICS IN RESPONSE TO UPWELLING REGIME IN THE ATLANTIC REGION FROM CAPE BLANC TO CAPE BOUJDOR (20°50 N TO 26°00 N)

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of this study is to to deepen the understanding of the trophic behavior of the snipefish through an analysis of its diet in relation to the pelagic ecosystem's parameters. Theoretical Framework: Two sympatric species of snipefish have shown significant population increases on the continental shelf of the northern sub-region of the Canary Current upwelling system during intermittent periods in the 1970s, 1990s, and again over the past five years. Method: Between 2018 and 2021, we collected samples to analyze the stomach contents of snipefish and measure zooplankton size. Trophic indices were calculated to characterize the feeding habits of the species. To examine potential affinities between hydrological and biological parameters in snipefish distribution areas, we applied Principal Component Analysis (PCA), a statistical method that clarifies relationships between these two data matrices. Results and Discussion: The results obtained reveal a significant correlation between the range of engulfed prey through the snout of the snipefish and the size of zooplankton available and accessible on the continental shelf. The trophic strategy of the snipefish seems attesting to a case of a species responding to a marine ecosystem subject to hydrological disturbances generated by the level of the upwelling’s intensity. Research Implications: this research will contribute to the current understanding regarding the resurgence of snipefish in the northern sub-region of the Canary Current upwelling ecosystem. Originality/Value: This study contributes to understanding the snipefish's trophic strategy and its responses within a marine ecosystem affected by hydrological disturbances caused by the intensity of upwelling.