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The diet and consumption of dominant fish species in the upper Scheldt estuary, Belgium

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 April 2003

Joachim Maes
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, De Bériotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
Loreto de Brabandere
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
Frans Ollevier
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, De Bériotstraat 32, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
Jan Mees
Affiliation:
Flanders Marine Institute, Vismijn, Pakhuizen 45–52, B-8400 Oostende, Belgium

Abstract

Seasonal changes in the diet composition and trophic niche overlap were examined for the dominant members of the fish assemblage of the turbid low-salinity zone of the Scheldt estuary (Belgium). Samples of fish were taken in the cooling water of a power plant. Juveniles of eight species dominated the fish assemblage: two goby species, herring, sprat, bass, flounder, eel and pikeperch. Together, they had preyed upon 31 different prey taxa. Calanoid copepods and hyperbenthic mysids were the most important prey items with macrobenthic invertebrates being largely ignored. Pair-wise comparisons of trophic niche overlap showed that, in general, niche overlap between individuals of the same species was significantly higher than overlap between individuals from different species, suggesting that the available food resources were partitioned. The total annual prey consumption by the dominant fish species was estimated at 610 mg ash-free dry weight m−3.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
2003 Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

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