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Diet of the Cortez damselfish Stegastes rectifraenum (Teleostei: Pomacentridae) from the rocky reef at Los Frailes, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 December 2011

Xchel G. Moreno-Sánchez ,
L. Andrés Abitia-Cárdenas ,
Ofelia Escobar-Sánchez  and
Deivis S. Palacios-Salgado
Xchel G. Moreno-Sánchez*
Affiliation:
Department of Fisheries and Marine Biology, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n, Playa Palo Santa Rita, PO Box, 592, La Paz B.C.S., México
L. Andrés Abitia-Cárdenas
Affiliation:
Department of Fisheries and Marine Biology, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n, Playa Palo Santa Rita, PO Box, 592, La Paz B.C.S., México
Ofelia Escobar-Sánchez
Affiliation:
Department of Fisheries and Marine Biology, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n, Playa Palo Santa Rita, PO Box, 592, La Paz B.C.S., México
Deivis S. Palacios-Salgado
Affiliation:
Department of Fisheries and Marine Biology, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n, Playa Palo Santa Rita, PO Box, 592, La Paz B.C.S., México
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: X.G. Moreno-Sánchez, Department of Fisheries and Marine Biology, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n, Playa Palo Santa Rita, PO Box, 592, La Paz B.C.S., México email: xchel.moreno@gmail.com
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Abstract

The stomach contents of 50 Cortez damselfish Stegastes rectifraenum captured at Los Frailes, Baja California Sur, Mexico were analysed to describe their diet. According to our results, S. rectifraenum is an omnivorous species with a preference for certain prey; invertebrates (benthic copepods) and algae (Bryopsis spp. and Ectocarpus spp.). Other animal components (Cerithium spp. and Olivella spp.) can also be found in their diet. No differences were observed between genders (analysis of similarity (ANOSIM), R = 0.002, P = 0.001) or among seasons (ANOSIM, R = 0.046, P = 0.001), therefore their food can be available all year at the rocky reef at Los Frailes.

Keywords

damselfishfeeding habitsGulf of Californiarocky reefStegastes
Type
Research Article
Information
Marine Biodiversity Records , Volume 4 , December 2011 , e98
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2011

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