Cannibalism in South African anchovy: Egg mortality and egg consumption rates

Abstract

Cannibalism by adult anchovy on their eggs was investigated within an area of intensive spawning over the Agulhas Bank by comparing estimates of daily per capita egg production and consumption of eggs derived from repeated sampling of plankton by CalVET net dips and offish by midwater trawl. Consumption of eggs over a 15-hour feeding period was estimated to have caused, on average, 70 per cent of the total egg mortality within the study area, although cannibalism was shown to be density-dependent. © 1987 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.