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Feeding strategy and daily ration of juvenile pink shrimp ( Farfantepenaeus duorarum ) in a South Florida seagrass bed

  • R. Schwamborn
  • M. M. Criales

Abstract

The diet of juvenile pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus duorarum Burkenroad, previously Penaeus duorarum) from Long Key Bight, Florida Keys, was studied using stomach content examination, pigment measurements, and stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analysis. Samples were taken over approximately 24 h on four occasions from December 1997 to June 1998. Juvenile F. duorarum fed nocturnally, the main prey being the seagrass shrimp Thor floridanus (Decapoda: Caridea: Hippolytidae), which accounted for 34% of the stomach content volume. Other common components of the diet were bivalves (mainly Tellina sp.) with 15% volume, calcareous algae (8%), plant detritus (5%), copepods (3%), and seagrass fragments (2%). Pigment concentrations (chlorophyll a plus phaeopigments) in F. duorarum stomachs ranged from 7 to 73 mg l−1 or 40 to 310 ng stomach−1. The exponential gastric evacuation rate was determined experimentally at 1.3 ± 0.5 h−1. Daily rations (in percent body weight) calculated from time series of stomach fullness ranged between 11 and 16% d−1. Total consumption by the population (in wet weight) ranged between 0.05 and 0.3 g m−2 d−1. Stable isotope measurements confirmed that T. floridanus was the main food source for F. duorarum. δ13C-values of whole animals of both species were identical at −10.0 ± 1.6‰ PDB. δ15N-values of both species were also not significantly different (pooled mean: 5.9 ± 1.7‰). Stomach contents of wild-caught F. duorarum and stomach contents of F. duorarum fed T. floridanus also showed similar stable isotope values.

Cite this activity

Schwamborn R. and Criales M.M. (2000) Feeding strategy and daily ration of juvenile pink shrimp ( Farfantepenaeus duorarum ) in a South Florida seagrass bed. Marine Biology 137(1): 139-147. 10.1007/s002270000317

Details

Date 01.08.2000
Journal Marine Biology
Issue 1
Volume 137
Pages 139-147
Open Access Closed Access
Open Access Status Closed Access
Eprints_link https://cris.leibniz-zmt.de/id/eprint/5803
Peer-Reviewed

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