Mysids and euphausiids in the diet of Scomber japonicus Houttuyn, 1782 off the Canary Islands

Abstract

The trophic importance of mysids and euphausiids in the diet of club mackerel Scomber japonicus Houttuyn, 1782 caught between March 1988 and May 1989 off the Canary Islands was deduced from their stomach contents. Mysids constituted an unusually high proportion of the diet (in wet weight) of S. japonicus in the Canary Islands when compared with other areas of the world, and they had a much higher trophic importance than euphausiids. This is not in consonance with their relative abundance in the zooplankton around this archipelago reported by other authors. The cycle of the species of mysids in the stomach contents showed an alternation in their relative abundance. However, Anchialina agilis G.O. Sars, 1877 was the predominant species, followed by Gastrosaccus normani G.O. Sars, 1877. Breeding females of A. agilis and G. normani with larvae in the marsupium were present in the diet nearly year-round. Euphausia spp. was the most abundant euphausiid species of those identified in the stomach contents.