TY - JOUR
T1 - Diet of three shark species in the Ecuadorian Pacific, Carcharhinus falciformis, Carcharhinus limbatus and Nasolamia velox
AU - Estupiñán-Montaño, Colombo
AU - Pacheco-Triviño, Fabian
AU - Cedeño-Figueroa, Luis G.
AU - Galván-Magaña, Felipe
AU - Estupiñán-Ortiz, Jose F.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2017.
PY - 2018/6/1
Y1 - 2018/6/1
N2 - We analysed the stomach contents of 69 silky sharks Carcharhinus falciformis, 44 blacktip sharks Carcharhinus limbatus and 24 whitenose sharks Nasolamia velox caught in the Ecuadorian Pacific from August 2003 to December 2004. Prey included bony fishes, elasmobranchs, molluscs, crustaceans and turtles, with bony fishes being the most important to the diets of all three sharks, suggesting they are piscivorous predators. Based on the index of relative importance, the C. falciformis diet includes Thunnus albacares, Thunnus sp. and Auxis thazard, as well as some squid, fish and turtles. Similarly, the C. limbatus diet was dominated by T. albacares, Exocoetus monocirrhus, A.Thazard, Katsuwonus pelamis, members of the Ophichthidae family and other elasmobranchs. Meanwhile, N. velox consumed mainly Dosidicus gigas, Larimus argenteus, Cynoscion sp. and Lophiodes spilurus. There is little competition for food between these tertiary carnivores: C. limbatus prefers prey from coastal-oceanic habitats; C. falciformis consumes mostly oceanic prey and N. velox focuses on prey from coastal habitats. The lack of information on the biology of sharks in Ecuador hinders the development of appropriate management and conservation plans to protect shark resources. This study increases our knowledge and understanding of sharks in Ecuador, thus contributing to their conservation.
AB - We analysed the stomach contents of 69 silky sharks Carcharhinus falciformis, 44 blacktip sharks Carcharhinus limbatus and 24 whitenose sharks Nasolamia velox caught in the Ecuadorian Pacific from August 2003 to December 2004. Prey included bony fishes, elasmobranchs, molluscs, crustaceans and turtles, with bony fishes being the most important to the diets of all three sharks, suggesting they are piscivorous predators. Based on the index of relative importance, the C. falciformis diet includes Thunnus albacares, Thunnus sp. and Auxis thazard, as well as some squid, fish and turtles. Similarly, the C. limbatus diet was dominated by T. albacares, Exocoetus monocirrhus, A.Thazard, Katsuwonus pelamis, members of the Ophichthidae family and other elasmobranchs. Meanwhile, N. velox consumed mainly Dosidicus gigas, Larimus argenteus, Cynoscion sp. and Lophiodes spilurus. There is little competition for food between these tertiary carnivores: C. limbatus prefers prey from coastal-oceanic habitats; C. falciformis consumes mostly oceanic prey and N. velox focuses on prey from coastal habitats. The lack of information on the biology of sharks in Ecuador hinders the development of appropriate management and conservation plans to protect shark resources. This study increases our knowledge and understanding of sharks in Ecuador, thus contributing to their conservation.
KW - Ecuadorian Pacific
KW - Silky shark
KW - blacktip shark
KW - feeding
KW - trophic level
KW - whitenose shark
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85013467036&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S002531541600179X
DO - 10.1017/S002531541600179X
M3 - Artículo
SN - 0025-3154
VL - 98
SP - 927
EP - 935
JO - Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
JF - Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
IS - 4
ER -