Relações tróficas entre grandes peixes pelágicos capturados no arquipélago de São Pedro e São Paulo

Abstract

The stomach contents of 1480 specimens of 5 large pelagic fish (Acanthocybium solandri, Coryphaena hippurus, Elagatis bipinnulata, Thunnus albacares e Thunnus atlanticus) captured surrounding the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago were counted and weighed to describe the feeding habits and dietary overlap. They identified 71 items of prey, grouped into five taxonomic groups (Cnidaria, Crustacea, Mollusca, Teleostei and Tunicata). The teleost were the most abundant prey in the stomachs. The teleost were the main food item in the diet of A. solandri and T. atlanticus; the species of Exocoetidae Family were the most important prey in the diet of C. hippurus; Crustacean Stomatopoda was the most important item in the feed E. bipinnulata and flying fish, Cheilopogon cyanopterus, was the prey with greater emphasis on T. albacares diet. The five species have high degree of specialization and trophic level, being considered experts species and top predators. According to the contributions of prey species in the diets of most trophic overlaps were low and only two were considered high and significant, the main rate of consumption of prey, specimens of Exocoetidade, the important factor for dissimilarity diets. Finally, all five species were considered top predators, with trophic level above 4. Thus, this set of species, can be considered functionally frequent and important in the structure and dynamics of the food chain of the Archipelago.