TY - JOUR
T1 - Description of the digestive tract and feeding habits of the king angelfish and the Cortes angelfish
AU - Pérez-España, H.
AU - Abitia-Cárdenas, L. A.
PY - 1996/5
Y1 - 1996/5
N2 - Morphologically, the digestive tracts of the king angelfish Holacanthus passer and the Cortes angelfish Pomacanthus zonipectus are similar, yet the king angelfish intestine is almost 30% longer than that of the Cortes angelfish. Both pomacanthids have a small mouth with villiform teeth, a short oesophagus, a well-defined stomach, and a terminal sac at the end of the digestive tract. The terminal sac, the acid pH in the stomach, and the long intestine may facilitate efficient use of seaweed nutrients. Stomach contents were analysed to determine diets and interspecific overlap. Seventy-one species were found in the stomachs of the king angelfish and 53 in the stomachs of the Cortes angelfish. Because of the wide range of species in their diets, both angelfish must be regarded as omnivorous. The most frequent foods were seaweed and sponges, but for the king angelfish, crustaceans were also important. A cluster analysis was done to determine whether the diets of these fish were similar by sex, size, or season. No similarities were found. Dietary overlap is high in relation to other pomacanthids.
AB - Morphologically, the digestive tracts of the king angelfish Holacanthus passer and the Cortes angelfish Pomacanthus zonipectus are similar, yet the king angelfish intestine is almost 30% longer than that of the Cortes angelfish. Both pomacanthids have a small mouth with villiform teeth, a short oesophagus, a well-defined stomach, and a terminal sac at the end of the digestive tract. The terminal sac, the acid pH in the stomach, and the long intestine may facilitate efficient use of seaweed nutrients. Stomach contents were analysed to determine diets and interspecific overlap. Seventy-one species were found in the stomachs of the king angelfish and 53 in the stomachs of the Cortes angelfish. Because of the wide range of species in their diets, both angelfish must be regarded as omnivorous. The most frequent foods were seaweed and sponges, but for the king angelfish, crustaceans were also important. A cluster analysis was done to determine whether the diets of these fish were similar by sex, size, or season. No similarities were found. Dietary overlap is high in relation to other pomacanthids.
KW - Angelfish
KW - Cluster analysis
KW - Diet overlap
KW - Digestive tract
KW - Feeding habits
KW - Pomacanthidae
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0029731525&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1996.tb01477.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1996.tb01477.x
M3 - Artículo
SN - 0022-1112
VL - 48
SP - 807
EP - 817
JO - Journal of Fish Biology
JF - Journal of Fish Biology
IS - 5
ER -