The Feeding Preferences of the Sculpins, Scorpaenichthys marmoratus and Leptocottus armatus, between Sand Crangon and Small-eyed Shrimp, Crangon nigricauda and Heptacarpus cf carinatus
Mcadams TR, Kroll G, Loehr K. 1992. The Feeding Preferences of the Sculpins, Scorpaenichthys marmoratus and Leptocottus armatus, between Sand Crangon and Small-eyed Shrimp, Crangon nigricauda and Heptacarpus cf carinatus. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences. 91(1):44-48
This study looked at the feeding preferences of cabezon and Pacific staghorn sculpins, the latter which were collected from Tomales Bay, CA. The authors observed the in-vitro feeding habits of these fishes.Scorpaenichthys marmoratus (cabezon) and Leptocottus armatus (Pacific stag-horn sculpin) reside in shallow, inland bays along the California coast (Eschmeyer et al. 1983). These sculpins grow to 40 cm in le ngth and are voracious feeders (Hart 1973). Most studies of the diet of sculpins have been conducted by examining the contents of their stomachs (Hart 1973). It is known that invertebrates (mainly crustaceans) comprise a major portion of the diet of these two species (Bane and Bane 1971). However, there are still many unanswered questions concerning the fishes' feeding behavior. The effects of camouflage, nutrition, toxicity, and prey density have remained largely unexplored. Both Heptacarpus cf. carinatus (Small-eyed shrimp) and Crangon nigricauda (Sand crangon) are abundant in the eelgrass beds and sandy bottoms of Bodega Bay Harbor (personal observation), where staghorn sculpins and cabezons also reside. The Small-eyed shrimp have a bright green color, whereas the sand crangon shrimp are transparent. These are small crustaceans (less than 80 mm in length) that could serve as potential prey items. In this study, we observed in-vitro feeding habits of these fishes. We gave both cabezons and Pacific staghorn sculpins a choice between the two shrimp species and observed the proportion in which each shrimp species was taken.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Mcadams, Timothy; Kroll, Gigi; Loehr, Keith
- Units
- GOGA , PORE
- Keywords
- Aquatic Science, feeding preferences, Fish, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Invertebrates, Point Reyes National Seashore, Sand Crangon, Sculpin, Small-eyed shrimp, Tomales Bay