Food habits of blueline tilefish, Caulolatilus microps, and snowy grouper, Epinephelus niveatus, from the lower Florida Keys

Abstract

Blueline tilefish preyed principally on benthic invertebrates, and snowy grouper on fish. Copepods, ophiuroids and gastropods comprised 60% of the numerical and urochordates 40% of the volumetric intestinal contents of blueline tilefish. Frequency of occurrence of prey consumed by tilefish exceeded 50% only for Polychaeta and Natantia. Osteichthyes comprised 47% and 52% of the numerical and volumetric consumption of prey, respectively, by snowy grouper, and occurred in 72% of the intestines; cephalopods ranked 2nd in numerical importance (18%), and brachyuran crabs 2nd in volumetric importance (29%). -from Authors