Biometric properties and diet of common pandora, Pagellus erythrinus (Osteichthyes: Sparidae), from the eastern Adriatic Sea

Abstract

Biometric properties and diet composition were examined in 120 specimens of the common pandora caught in the eastern Adriatic Sea. Biometric analysis of the morphometric and meristic characteristics indicate a homogenous morphology stock of P. erythrinus in the eastern Adriatic Sea. Changes in some of the morphometric characteristics obtained in conjunction with an increase in body length showed that smaller specimens have a longer dorsal fin, standard length, eye diameter and postorbital distances than larger specimens. The meristic characteristics of the common pandora from Italian waters and the Black Sea are mostly in agreement with data in our study. The prey species identified in the stomachs belong to five groups: Decapoda, Bivalvia, Polychaeta, Teleostei and Euphausiacea. Decapods were the most important ingested prey group while bivalves were second in importance. Various prey groups and species found in the stomach indicate that the common pandora could be an opportunistic predator.