Diet and trophic interactions of Mediterranean planktivorous fishes

Diet and trophic interactions of seven species planktivorous fishes: European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus, sardine Sardina pilchardus, round sardinella Sardinella aurita, sprat Sprattus sprattus, red bandfish Cepola macrophthalma, damselfish Chromis chromis bogue Boops boops were studied in the Bay Marseille (North-Western Mediterranean Sea) from March to September 2017. Taxonomic composition size distribution prey using stomach content analysis, compared availability determined by continuous zooplankton sampling at a fixed point. Frequently consumed items included copepods, decapod larvae fish eggs. Comparatively, E. encrasicolus more calanoid copepods (i.e. Centropages spp.), S. aurita sprattus harpacticoid Microsetella/Macrosetella C. macrophthalma larvae, pteropods B. benthic polychaetes. pilchardus widest diversity prey. Prey average significantly differed among species. The prey–predator ratio (PPSR) was highest for lowest aurita. Carbon nitrogen stable isotope overlapped, probably due ingestion particulate organic matter same sources base planktonic food web Marseille. Furthermore, niche overlap supported hypothesis potential competition between Engraulidae Clupeidae.