Feeding habits of the ocean whitefish, Caulolatilus princeps Jenyns 1842 (Pisces: Branchiostegidae), in La Paz Bay, BCS Mexico

Abstract

Using four indices (numeric, volumetric, frequency of occurrence and relative importance), the food components of the trophic spectrum were determined and categorized. This was made up of five major taxa: annelids, molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms and fishes. The spectrum is dominated, most of the year, by the ostracod Chonchoecia pacifica along with secondary food items. The most intensive feeding takes place between the end of the reproductive period and its start. In conclusion, the ocean whitefish is a passive predatory teleost, that feeds mainly during daylight hours upon organisms associated with the sea floor. -from Authors