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Feeding habits and trophic level of the smooth hammerhead shark, Sphyrna zygaena (Carcharhiniformes: Sphyrnidae), off Ecuador

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 July 2018

Colombo Estupiñán-Montaño ,
Luis Cedeño-Figueroa ,
José F. Estupiñán-Ortiz ,
Felipe Galván-Magaña ,
Alejandro Sandoval-Londoño ,
David Castañeda-Suarez  and
Carlos J. Polo-Silva
Colombo Estupiñán-Montaño
Affiliation:
Fundación Alium Pacific, Carrera 26 No. 5C–13, Cali, Colombia Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje, Centro Agroindustrial y Pesquero de la Costa Pacífica, La Chiricana km 21, Tumaco, Colombia
Luis Cedeño-Figueroa
Affiliation:
Facultad Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Laica “Eloy Alfaro” de Manabí, Manta, Ecuador
José F. Estupiñán-Ortiz
Affiliation:
Fundación Alium Pacific, Carrera 26 No. 5C–13, Cali, Colombia
Felipe Galván-Magaña*
Affiliation:
Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. IPN s/n, La Paz, Baja California Sur, C.P. 23096, Mexico
Alejandro Sandoval-Londoño
Affiliation:
Fundación Alium Pacific, Carrera 26 No. 5C–13, Cali, Colombia Corporación Académica Ambiental, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellín, Colombia
David Castañeda-Suarez
Affiliation:
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Programa de Biología Marina, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Santa Marta, Colombia
Carlos J. Polo-Silva
Affiliation:
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Programa de Biología Marina, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Santa Marta, Colombia
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: F. Galván-Magaña, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. IPN s/n, La Paz, Baja California Sur, C.P. 23096, Mexico email: galvan.felipe@gmail.com
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Abstract

As apex predators, sharks are known to play an important role in marine food webs. Detailed information on their diet and trophic level is however needed to make clear inferences about their role in the ecosystem. A total of 335 stomachs of smooth hammerhead sharks, Sphyrna zygaena, were obtained from commercial fishing vessels operating in the Ecuadorian Pacific between January and December 2004. A total of 53 prey items were found in the stomachs. According to the Index of Relative Importance (%IRI), cephalopods were the main prey (Dosidicus gigas, Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis, Ancistrocheirus lesueurii and Lolliguncula [Loliolopsis] diomedeae). Sphyrna zygaena was thus confirmed to be a teutophagous species. The estimated trophic level of S. zygaena was between 4.6 and 5.1 (mean ± SD: 4.7 ± 0.16; males: 4.7; females: 4.8). Levin's index (BA) was low (overall: 0.07; males: 0.08; females: 0.09), indicating a narrow trophic niche. We found that sharks <150 cm in total length consumed prey of coastal origin, whereas sharks ≥150 cm foraged in oceanic waters and near the continental shelf. The analyses indicate that S. zygaena is a specialized predator consuming mainly squids.

Keywords

DietEcuadorontogenytop predatorfood webseasonal variations
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 99 , Issue 3 , May 2019 , pp. 673 - 680
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2018 

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