Diet composition and feeding behaviour of juvenile Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) in the Svalbard area
Vollen, T.; Albert, O.H.; Nilssen, E.M. (2004). Diet composition and feeding behaviour of juvenile Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) in the Svalbard area. J. Sea Res. 51(3-4): 251-259. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2003.08.006 In: Journal of Sea Research. Elsevier/Netherlands Institute for Sea Research: Amsterdam; Den Burg. ISSN 1385-1101; e-ISSN 1873-1414, more Also appears in:Geffen, A.J.; Nash, R.D.M.; van der Veer, H.W. (Ed.) (2004). Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on Flatfish Ecology, Part II. Port Erin, Isle of Man, 3-7 November 2002. Journal of Sea Research, 51(3-4). Elsevier: Amsterdam. 167-338 pp., more |  |
| Keywords | Behaviour > Feeding behaviour
Developmental stages > Juveniles
Diets
Greenland halibut
Hydrographic features > Marine areas > Oceans > Marine areas > Atlantic ocean > Northeast atlantic
Nursery grounds
Reinhardtius hippoglossoides (Walbaum, 1792) [WoRMS]
ANE, Norway, Svalbard [Marine Regions]; PNE, Norway, Spitsbergen [Marine Regions]
Marine/Coastal | | Author keywords | Greenland halibut; Reinhardtius hippoglossoides; diets; feeding; nurserygrounds; juveniles; northeast Atlantic; Svalbard; Spitsbergen |
| Authors | | Top | - Vollen, T.
- Albert, O.H.
- Nilssen, E.M.
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| Abstract | The diet of trawl-captured juvenile Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides Walbaum) from three locations on the western and northern coasts of Svalbard, Norway, in December 1995 and January 1996 is described. Stomach fullness was recorded for 1216 fish of 7 to 65 cm length, and stomach contents were analysed for 353 non-empty stomachs. The diet differed only slightly between the sampling areas and no differences were found between males and females. The overall percentage of empty stomachs (PES) was comparable to other nursery areas and lower than recordings from feeding and spawning areas. PES decreased and prey size increased as predator length increased. Fish and crustaceans dominated the diet, the most important prey species being Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), polar cod (Boreogadus saida) and northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis). The relative importance of fish and crustaceans, respectively, was independent of predator length. However, a size-dependent variation in preferred prey was found, as smaller fish preyed upon small crustaceans and polar cod while larger individuals displayed a preference for northern shrimp, juvenile Atlantic cod, and other larger fish. Finally, there was a close resemblance between the length distribution of prey species from the trawl and from the stomachs. |
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