Prey preferences of adult sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax in the northeastern Atlantic: implications for bycatch of common dolphin Delphinus delphis

Type Article
Date 2013-03
Language English
Author(s) Spitz Jerome1, 2, Chouvelon Tiphaine1, Cardinaud M.3, 4, Kostecki 3, Lorance PascalORCID5
Affiliation(s) 1 : Univ La Rochelle, CNRS, Littoral Environm & Soc UMR 7266, F-17032 La Rochelle, France.
2 : Univ British Columbia, Fisheries Ctr, Marine Mammal Res Unit, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
3 : Univ La Rochelle, CNRS, UMS 3462, Observ PELAGIS Syst Observat Conservat Mammiferes, F-17071 La Rochelle, France.
4 : Univ Bretagne Occidentale, Inst Univ Europeen Mer, CNRS, Lab Sci Environm Marin,UMR 6539, F-29280 Plouzane, France.
5 : IFREMER, F-44311 Nantes, France.
Source Ices Journal Of Marine Science (1054-3139) (Oxford Univ Press), 2013-03 , Vol. 70 , N. 2 , P. 452-461
DOI 10.1093/icesjms/fss200
WOS© Times Cited 38
Keyword(s) Chesson's index, marine top predator, prey selection, SIAR, stable isotope, stomach content
Abstract In the northeastern Atlantic, adult sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is one of largest fish living on the shelf, and this species has important commercial value. However, pelagic trawl fisheries that target sea bass have negative operational interactions with common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). Our goal was to determine the diet of adult sea bass in the Bay of Biscay from stomachcontent and stable-isotope analyses, and explore the dietary overlap between sea bass and common dolphins. We found that sea bass primarily target small pelagic fish, most notably mackerel (Scomber scombrus), scads (Trachurus spp.), anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), and sardine (Sardina pilchardus). These four species also dominated the diets of common dolphins. This overlap in feeding preferences could increase the risk of dolphins being caught by trawl fisheries while feeding among sea bass, and may be an underlying mechanism to explain the high rate of common dolphin bycatch observed in the pelagic trawl fishery for sea bass in the Bay of Biscay. Understanding the foraging ecology and trophic interactions of predator species is an essential step for identifying and resolving management issues in the northeastern Atlantic and other marine ecosystems.
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Spitz Jerome, Chouvelon Tiphaine, Cardinaud M., Kostecki, Lorance Pascal (2013). Prey preferences of adult sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax in the northeastern Atlantic: implications for bycatch of common dolphin Delphinus delphis. Ices Journal Of Marine Science, 70(2), 452-461. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fss200 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00125/23625/