Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-5lx2p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-28T21:12:07.644Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The role of fish in the diet of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in the Strait of Gibraltar

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 March 2017

Noureddine Abid ,
Amin Laglaoui ,
Abdelhay Arakrak  and
Mohammed Bakkali
Noureddine Abid*
Affiliation:
National Institute for Fisheries Research (INRH), Regional Centre of Tangier, P.O. Box 5268, Tangier, Morocco
Amin Laglaoui
Affiliation:
Team of Research in Biotechnology and Bimolecular Genius (ERBGB), Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, P.O. Box 416-Tangier, Morocco
Abdelhay Arakrak
Affiliation:
Team of Research in Biotechnology and Bimolecular Genius (ERBGB), Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, P.O. Box 416-Tangier, Morocco
Mohammed Bakkali
Affiliation:
Team of Research in Biotechnology and Bimolecular Genius (ERBGB), Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, P.O. Box 416-Tangier, Morocco
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: N. Abid, National Institute for Fisheries Research (INRH), Regional Centre of Tangier, P.O. Box 5268, Tangier, Morocco Email: noureddine.abid65@gmail.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

To study the diet of the swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in the Strait of Gibraltar, a total of 176 stomachs were examined from the Moroccan artisanal fishery targeting this species, from April to September 2015. The frequency of occurrence (FO), percentage in number and in weight of prey as well as the per cent index of relative importance of prey (%IRI) were calculated to assess the diet preferences of swordfish in relation to its body size, sex and month. Our findings confirm the opportunistic feeding behaviour of swordfish. The prey items consist primarily of fish (54.6% in number and 82.7% in weight), followed by cephalopod (43.36% in number and 17.25% in weight). The Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) and the southern shortfin squid (Illex coindetii) are the most important prey, with a % IRI of 47.54 and 35.04%, respectively. The results revealed that there are no significant differences in the diet preferences among sexes and size classes. However, diet composition varied significantly among months. A significant correlation was found between the body length of predator and prey size. The remarkable decrease in the fullness index (fi) from June to August suggests that swordfish were in a spawning condition, with reduced feeding.

Keywords

SwordfishdietsizesexseasonStrait of Gibraltarfullness index
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 98 , Issue 4 , June 2018 , pp. 895 - 907
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Abid, N., Bakkali, M., Tserpes, G. and Idrissi, M. (2013) Swordfish growth pattern in the strait of Gibraltar; implications for Atlantic and Mediterranean stock mixing. Mediterranean Marine Science Journal 15, 135–144. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.12681/mms.417.Google Scholar
Bello, G. (1991) Role of cephalopods in the diet of the swordfish, Xiphias gladius, from the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Bulletin of Marine Science 49, 312–324.Google Scholar
Berg, J. (1979) Discussion of methods of investigating the food of fishes, with reference to a preliminary study of the food of Gobiusculus flavescens. Marine Biology 50, 263–273.Google Scholar
Cambiè, G., Muino, R., Mingozzi, T. and Freire, J. (2013) From surface to mid-water: Is the swordfish longline fishery “hitting rock bottom”? A case study in southern Italy. Fisheries Research 140, 114–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Canese, S., Garibaldi, F., Orsi Relini, L. and Greco, S. (2008) Swordfish tagging with pop-up satellite tags in the Mediterranean Sea. ICCAT Collective Volume of Scientific Papers 62, 1052–1057.Google Scholar
Carey, F.G. (1990) Further acoustic telemetry observation of swordfish. In Stroud, R.H. (ed) Planning the future of billfishes, research and management in the 90s and beyond. Proceedings of the Second International Billfish Symposium. Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, August 1–5, 1988. Part 2: Contributed Papers. Savannah, GA: National Coalition for Marine Conservation, pp. 103–122.Google Scholar
Carey, F.G. and Robinson, B.H. (1981) Daily patterns in the activities of swordfish, Xiphias gladius, observed by acoustic telemetry. Fisheries Bulletin 79, 277–292.Google Scholar
Castillo, K., Ibáñez, C.M., González, C. and Chong, J. (2007) Dieta del pez espada Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758 en distintas zonas de pesca frente a Chile central durante el otoño de 2004. Revista de Biología Marina y Oceanografía 42, 149–156.Google Scholar
Chancollon, O., Pusineri, C. and Ridoux, V. (2006) Food and feeding ecology of Northeast Atlantic swordfish (Xiphias gladius) off the Bay of Biscay. ICES Journal of Marine Science 63, 1075–1085.Google Scholar
Clarke, M.R. (1966) A review of the systematics and ecology of oceanic squids. Advances in Marine Biology 4, 91–300.Google Scholar
Clarke, M.R. (1986) A handbook for the identification of cephalopod beaks. Oxford: Oxford Science Publications.Google Scholar
Clarke, M.R. (1996) The role of cephalopods in the world's oceans: general conclusion and the future. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society London B351, 1105–1112.Google Scholar
Clarke, M.R., Clarke, D.C., Martins, H.R. and Silva, H.M. (1995) The diet of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in Azorean waters. Arquipelago Life and Marine Science 13A, 53–69.Google Scholar
Ferraton, F. (2007) Écologie trophique des juvéniles de merlu (Merluccius merluccius) dans le golfe du Lion: implications biologiques de la variabilité spatio-temporelle des ressources alimentaires exploitées dans les zones de nourricerie. Thèse de Doctorat, Univ. Montpellier II, France. 189 pp.Google Scholar
Fischer, W., Bianchi, G. and Scott, W.B. (1981) Shrimps and prawns. 6: pag. var. In FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Eastern Central Atlantic (Fishing Area 34, 47; in part). Canada Funds-in-Trust. Ottawa: Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, by arrangement with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 1–7: pag. var.Google Scholar
García-Barcelona, S., Ortiz de Urbina, J.M., de la Serna, J.M., Alot, E. and Macías, D. (2010) Seabird bycatch in Spanish Mediterranean large pelagic longline fisheries, 2000–2008. Aquatic Living Resources 23, 363–371.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guerra, A., Simún, F. and Gonzalez, A.E. (1993) Cephalopods in the diet of the swordfish, Xiphias gladius, from the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. In Okutani, T., O'Dor, R.K. and Kubodera, T. (eds) Recent advances in fisheries biology. Tokyo: Tokai University Press, pp. 159–164.Google Scholar
Hernández-García, V. (1995) The diet of the swordfish Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758, in the central east Atlantic, with emphasis on the role of cephalopods. Fishery Bulletin 93, 403–411.Google Scholar
Holthuis, L.B. (1980) FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 1. Shrimps and prawns of the world. An annotated catalogue of species of interest to fisheries. FAO Fisheries Synopsis, Volume 125, no. (1). Rome: FAO, 271 pp.Google Scholar
Hureau, J. (1970) Biologie comparée de quelques poissons antarctiques (Nototheniidae). Bulletin de l'Institut océanographique de Monaco 68, 139–164.Google Scholar
Hyslop, J. (1980) Stomach contents analysis: review of methods and their application. Journal of Fish Biology 17, 411–429.Google Scholar
Ibáñez, C.M., González, C. and Cubillos, L. (2004) Dieta del pez espada Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758, en aguas oceánicas de Chile central en invierno de 2003. Investigaciones Marinas 32, 113–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kotoulas, G., Mejuto, J., Tserpes, G., Garcia-Cortes, B., Peristeraki, P., De la Serna, J.M. and Magoulas, A. (2003) DNA microsatellite markers in service of swordfish stock structure analysis in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. Collective Volume of Scientific Papers 55, 1632–1639.Google Scholar
Lagardère, J.P. (1971) Les crevettes des côtes du Maroc. Travaux de l'Institut Scientifique Chérifien et de la Faculté des Sciences, Séries Zoologiques 36, 1–140.Google Scholar
Lehodey, P., Bertignac, M., Hampton, J., Lewis, A. and Picaut, J. (1997) El Niño-Southern Oscillation and tuna in the western Pacific. Nature 389, 715–717.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lloris, D. and Rucabado, J. (1998) Guide FAO d'identification des espèces pour les besoins de la pêche. Guide d'identification des ressources marines vivantes du Maroc. Rome: FAO, 263 pp.Google Scholar
Matsumoto, T., Saito, H. and Miyabe, N. (2003) Report of observer program for Japanese tuna longline fishery in the Atlantic Ocean from September 2001 to March 2003. Collective Volume of Scientific Papers, International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas 55, 1679–1718.Google Scholar
Moreira, F. (1990) Food of the swordfish, Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758, off the Portuguese coast. Journal of Fish Biology 36, 623–624.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Brien, C.M., Fox, C.J., Planque, B. and Casey, J. (2000) Climate variability and North Sea cod. Nature 404, 142.Google Scholar
Palko, B.J., Beardsley, G.L. and Richards, W.J. (1981) Synopsis of the biology of the swordfish, Xiphias gladius Linnaeus. NOAA Technical Report NMFS Circular 441/FAO Fisheries Synopsis, No. 127, 21 pp.Google Scholar
Peristeraki, P., Tserpes, G. and Lefkaditou, E. (2005) What cephalopod remains from Xiphias gladius stomachs can imply about predator-prey interactions in the Mediterranean Sea. Journal of Fish Biology 67, 549–554.Google Scholar
Pinkas, L., Oliphan, T.M. and Iverson, I.L.K. (1971) Food habitats of albacore, bluefin tuna, and bonito in California waters. Fisheries Bulletin 152, 1–139.Google Scholar
Quinn, G.P. and Keough, M.J. (2002) Experimental design and data analysis for biologists. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. 537 pp.Google Scholar
Malanotte-Rizzoli, P. and Robinson, A.R. (eds) (1994) Ocean processes in climate dynamics: global and Mediterranean examples. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Romeo, T., Battaglia, P., Peda, C., Perzia, P., Consoli, P., Esposito, V. and Andaloro, F. (2011) Pelagic cephalopods of the central Mediterranean Sea determined by the analysis of the stomach content of large fish predators. Helgoland Marine Research 66, 295–306. doi: 10.1007/s10152-011-0270-3.Google Scholar
Romeo, T., Consoli, P., Castriota, L. and Andaloro, F. (2009) An evaluation of resource portioning between two billfish, Tetrapturus belone and Xiphias gladius, in the central Mediterranean Sea. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 89, 849–857.Google Scholar
Roper, C.F.E. and Young, R.E. (1975) Vertical distribution of pelagic cephalopods. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 209, 1–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salman, A. (2004) The role of cephalopods in the diet of swordfish (Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758) in the Aegean Sea (Eastern Mediterranean). Bulletin of Marine Science 74, 21–29.Google Scholar
Sánchez-Garrido, J.C., Sannino, G., Liberti, L., García Lafuente, J. and Pratt, L. (2011) Numerical modeling of three-dimensional stratified tidal flow over Camarinal Sill, Strait of Gibraltar. Journal of Geophysical Research 116, 1–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sedletskaya, V.A. (1971) The dynamic of spawning in Trachurus trachurus L. by shores of North-West Africa. Trudy Atlant. NIRO 41, 122–130.Google Scholar
Smith, B.L., Lu, C-P., García-Cortés, B., Viñas, J., Yeh, S-Y. and Alvarado Bremer, J.R. (2015) Multilocus Bayesian estimates of intra-oceanic genetic differentiation, connectivity, and admixture in Atlantic swordfish (Xiphias gladius L.). PLoS ONE 10, e0127979. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127979.Google Scholar
Stillwell, C.E. and Kohler, N.E. (1985) Food and feeding ecology of the swordfish Xiphias gladius in the western North Atlantic Ocean with estimates of daily ration. Marine Ecology Progress Series 22, 239–247.Google Scholar
Takahashi, M., Okamura, H., Yokawa, K. and Okazaki, M. (2003) Swimming behaviour and migration of a swordfish recorded by an archival tag. Marine and Freshwater Research 54, 527–534.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tibbo, S.N., Day, L.R. and Doucet, W.F. (1961) The swordfish (Xiphias gladius L.), its life-history and economic importance in the northwest Atlantic. Bulletin of the Fisheries Research Board Canada 130, 47 pp.Google Scholar
Toll, R.B. and Hess, S.C. (1981) Cephalopods in the diet of the swordfish, Xiphias gladius, from the Florida Straits. Fisheries Bulletin 79, 765–774.Google Scholar
Tserpes, G., Peristeraki, P. and Somarakis, S. (2001) On the reproduction of swordfish (Xiphias gladius L.) in the eastern Mediterranean. Collected Volumes of Scientific Papers ICCAT 52, 740–744.Google Scholar
Velasco, F. and Quintans, M. (2000) Feeding habits in pelagic longline fisheries: a new methodological approach applied to swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in Central Eastern Atlantic. Collected Volumes of Scientific Papers ICCAT 51, 1705–1716.Google Scholar
Viñas, J., Pérez-Serra, A., Vidal, O., Jaime, R., Bremer, A., Pla, C. (2010) Genetic differentiation between eastern and western Mediterranean swordfish revealed by phylogeographic analysis of the mitochondrial DNA control region. ICES Journal of Marine Science 67, 1222–1229. doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsq031.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ware, D.M. (1995) A century and a half of change in the climate of the North East Pacific. Fisheries Oceanography 4, 267–277.Google Scholar
Young, J.W., Lansdell, M.J., Riddoch, S. and Revill, A. (2006) Feeding ecology of broadbill swordfish, Xiphias gladius (Linnaeus, 1758), off eastern Australia in relation to physical and environmental variables. Bulletin of Marine Science 79, 793–811.Google Scholar
Zar, J.H. (1984) Biostatistical analysis. New York, NY: Prentice-Hall, 718 pp.Google Scholar