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Research Article: Feeding habits of the flying gurnard, Dactylopterus volitans (Linnaeus, 1758), on the continental shelf of Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, Côte d'Ivoire
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N.N.R. N’Zi *1   , K.J. Konan2 , K.M. Koffi3 , K.B. N’goran3 , T.G.T. Joanny2 , N.I. Ouattara3 , B.C. Atsé2 |
1- Department of Aquatic Living Resources, Oceanological Research Centre, BP V 18 Abidjan, Abidjan,Côte d’Ivoire & Oceanological Research Centre , nzininaregina@gmail.com
2- Department of Aquatic Living Resources, Oceanological Research Centre, BP V 18 Abidjan, Abidjan,Côte d’Ivoire
3- Laboratory of Natural Environment and Biodiversity Conservation, University Felix Houphouët-Boigny, 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire |
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Abstract: (178 Views) |
| The feeding habits of the flying gurnard, Dactylopterus volitans, caught by industrial trawlers operating on the continental shelf of Côte d'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 was described using the prey-specific index of relative importance (%PSIRI), combining occurrence, numerical and weight percentages. The 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. Based on the PSIRI (%), the most important prey items were shrimps (41.11 %PSIRI), especially Penaeus notialis (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. The presence of a variety of mobile preys in the stomachs indicates that this species is a carnivorous feeder. |
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| Keywords: Feeding habits, Dactylopteridae, Generalist feeder, Gut fullness, Gulf of Guinea |
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Full-Text [PDF 509 kb]
(132 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Orginal research papers |
Subject:
Ecology
ePublished: 2026/06/2
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