New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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FOOD OF TARAKIHI IN WESTERN BAY OF PLENTY AND TASMAN BAY, NEW ZEALAND

B. L. Godfriaux*

Marine Laboratory, Zoology Department, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract Feeding was examined in 1574 tarakihi, Cheilodactylus macropterus (Bloch and Schneider) (Teleostei: Cheilodactylidae). Occurrence, points (bulk), and numbers methods of gut content analysis were used throughout the study. By all three methods of analysis, polychaetes, crustaceans, echinoderms, and molluscs (in that order) generally formed the main food groups. Crustaceans dominated the food of tarakihi <15cm in fork length, and polychaetes were the dominant food group in specimens > 15 cm. Length of specimen, sampling depth and area, geographical region, and time of day affected the occurrence, volume, and numbers of food items in the gut, but sex and season did not. Male tarakiili frequented deeper water than females; this result was significant at the <0.001 level.

N.Z. Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 8 (1): 111 - 53
(Received for publication 2 May 1973)

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (2996K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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