en Ecology Ecology پژوهشي Orginal research papers <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif"><span style="color:black">The feeding habits of the flying gurnard, <i>Dactylopterus volitans</i>, caught by industrial trawlers operating on the continental shelf of C&ocirc;te d&#39;Ivoire were examined. A total of 1337 specimens, including 351 males and 986 females were collected at the fishing harbour of Abidjan from January 2019 to December 2020. The diet of fish with a size ranging from 60 to 390 mm standard length</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif"><span style="color:black"> was described using the prey-specific index of relative importance (%PSIRI),</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif"><span style="color:black"> <span style="background:white">combining occurrence, numerical and weight percentages. The </span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif"><span style="color:black">stomach contents revealed that 901 (67.38%) stomachs were empty, whilst 436 (32.62%) were full. The diet was composed of twenty-six prey items including shrimps, teleost fishes, crabs, bivalves, gastropods and cephalopods. <span style="background:white">Based on the PSIRI (%), the most important prey items were shrimps (41.11 %PSIRI), especially <i>Penaeus notialis</i></span> <span style="background:white">(20.10 %PSIRI) and teleost fishes (31.87 %PSIRI). Crabs (19.38 %PSIRI) are considered as secondary preys, whereas the other preys such as cephalopods (4.95 %PSIRI), gastropods (1.38 %PSIRI) and bivalves (1.31 %PSIRI) were incidental preys</span>. </span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif"><span style="color:black">The presence of a variety of mobile preys in the stomachs indicates that this species is a carnivorous feeder</span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:&quot;Calibri&quot;,sans-serif"><span style="color:black">.</span></span></span> Feeding habits, Dactylopteridae, Generalist feeder, Gut fullness, Gulf of Guinea 401 413 http://jifro.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-5220-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 N.N.R. N’Zi nzininaregina@gmail.com 100319475328460058744 100319475328460058744 Yes Department of Aquatic Living Resources, Oceanological Research Centre, BP V 18 Abidjan, Abidjan,Côte d’Ivoire K.J. Konan konankouadjustin@yahoo.fr 100319475328460058745 100319475328460058745 No Department of Aquatic Living Resources, Oceanological Research Centre, BP V 18 Abidjan, Abidjan,Côte d’Ivoire K.M. Koffi martialkoffi99@yahoo.fr 100319475328460058746 100319475328460058746 No Laboratory of Natural Environment and Biodiversity Conservation, University Felix Houphouët-Boigny, 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire K.B. N’goran bienvenungoran@gmail.com 100319475328460058747 100319475328460058747 No Laboratory of Natural Environment and Biodiversity Conservation, University Felix Houphouët-Boigny, 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire T.G.T. Joanny joannytape@yahoo.fr 100319475328460058748 100319475328460058748 No Department of Aquatic Living Resources, Oceanological Research Centre, BP V 18 Abidjan, Abidjan,Côte d’Ivoire N.I. Ouattara issanahoua@yahoo.fr 100319475328460058749 100319475328460058749 No Laboratory of Natural Environment and Biodiversity Conservation, University Felix Houphouët-Boigny, 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire B.C. Atsé atse_boua_valentin@hotmail.com 100319475328460058750 100319475328460058750 No Department of Aquatic Living Resources, Oceanological Research Centre, BP V 18 Abidjan, Abidjan,Côte d’Ivoire