The diet of whiting <i>Merlangius merlangus</i> in the western Baltic Sea

Ross, Stine Dalmann; Gislason, Henrik; Andersen, Niels Gerner; Lewy, Peter; Nielsen, J. Rasmus

doi:10.1111/jfb.12959

Cited by 9 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 46 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This study strongly indicates that male and female M. merlangus in the WBS have more similar feeding and growth strategies, which differs from M. merlangus in the NS where the differences in food consumption and growth dynamics between the sexes are much more pronounced. No significant differences in consumption rates between the sexes in the WBS are seen and neither are there any differences in mean stomach contents nor prey composition (Ross et al ., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…(for a more detailed overview of the stomach collection on a 5 cm length aggregation see Table in Ross et al . ())…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Merlangius merlangus (L. 1758) is an important piscivorous fish throughout the north‐east Atlantic Ocean, where it preys upon commercially valuable fish taxa such as ammodytids, clupeids and gadoids (Hislop et al ., ; Lauerburg et al ., ; Ross et al ., ). Total consumption rates estimated for M. merlangus in the North Sea (NS) in the 1980s suggest that the species exert a considerable predation pressure on Norway pout Trisopterus esmarkii (Nilsson 1855), lesser sandeel Ammodytes marinus Raitt 1934, sprat Sprattus sprattus (L. 1758) and herring Clupea harengus L. 1758 (Hislop et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Total consumption rates estimated for M. merlangus in the North Sea (NS) in the 1980s suggest that the species exert a considerable predation pressure on Norway pout Trisopterus esmarkii (Nilsson 1855), lesser sandeel Ammodytes marinus Raitt 1934, sprat Sprattus sprattus (L. 1758) and herring Clupea harengus L. 1758 (Hislop et al ., ). The diets of M. merlangus in the southern NS and the western Baltic Sea (WBS) are relatively similar with C. harengus and S. sprattus being important prey (Ross et al ., ). However, in the WBS, M. merlangus shifts to a fish diet at a smaller size than in the southern NS and adjacent areas.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…However, in the WBS, M. merlangus shifts to a fish diet at a smaller size than in the southern NS and adjacent areas. After the shift, clupeids account for more than 70% of the diet (Ross et al ., ). Thus, depending upon the size of the M. merlangus population the consumption of clupeids by M. merlangus may be substantial and have important ecosystem effects in the WBS.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Growth and food consumption of whiting Merlangius merlangus

Ross

Nielsen

Gislason

et al. 2018

Journal of Fish Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the western Baltic Sea (WBS), whiting Merlangius merlangus is the main piscivorous fish together with cod Gadus morhua. In the present study, we investigate the growth and food consumption rates of WBS M. merlangus and compare the growth rates of males and females with those of M. merlangus in the North Sea (NS). Food consumption rates are estimated directly from sampled stomach contents in the WBS using a gastric evacuation rate model and indirectly by using a static energy-budget model together with the growth rates. The results indicate that male and female M. merlangus in the WBS have similar feeding and growth strategies, while in the NS M. merlangus show more pronounced differences in food consumption and growth dynamics between the sexes. Female WBS M. merlangus grow significantly slower than their conspecifics in the NS, but there is no significant difference for males. Sexual size dimorphism is seen in both areas, but for M. merlangus in the WBS the difference is less pronounced. Food consumption rates in the WBS differ between seasons, with the lowest food intake in the first 2 quarters of the year and the highest in the 3rd quarter. No differences in consumption rates were seen between males and females, which could be related to the more similar growth pattern seen for M. merlangus in the WBS.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…(for a more detailed overview of the stomach collection on a 5 cm length aggregation see Table in Ross et al . ())…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Growth and food consumption of whiting Merlangius merlangus

Ross

Nielsen

Gislason

et al. 2018

Journal of Fish Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Gadiform species display dietary shifts in the Celtic Sea

Amelot,

Robert,

Mouchet

et al. 2023

Marine Environmental Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Food composition of whiting Merlangius merlangus, captured around the sea-cage fish farms in Ordu, south-eastern Black Sea

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The food composition of whiting, Merlangius merlangus, caught around the sea-cage fish farms off the coast of Perşembe, was analysed and compared with the diet of whiting from a control site off the coast of Fatsa (Ordu Province, south-eastern Black Sea). A total of 815 stomach samples were collected during the study, and of these, 195 (23.9%) were empty. According to the percentage of relative importance index (IRI%), pellet food (47.8%) and Annelida (25%) were the main prey groups of whiting in the sea-cage fish farms area, while unidentified teleost (85.3%) and Engraulis encrasicolus (8.2%) were dominant in the control site. The other prey groups in both areas were Crustaceans (Mysidae, Amphipoda, Upogebia sp.), Sprattus sprattus and Gobius spp. Seasonally, pellet food was the most consumed food in all seasons, but Mysidae was the first preference of whiting around the sea-cage fish farms in spring. In the control site, unidentified teleost was the first preference in all seasons, except winter, where E. encrasicolus was the first choice, followed by crustaceans and S. sprattus in winter. Bray–Curtis analysis shows that seasonally, there is no significant difference in the sea-cage fish farms, while there is significant difference in the control site, and two-dimensional nMDS of IRI% revealed a clear separation between both sites. SIMPER analysis revealed that the most contributing factors to the differences between seasons were pellet food in the sea-cage fish farms, and E. encrasicolus in the control site.

show abstract

The diet of whiting Merlangius merlangus in the western Baltic Sea

Cited by 9 publications

References 46 publications

Growth and food consumption of whiting Merlangius merlangus

Growth and food consumption of whiting Merlangius merlangus

Gadiform species display dietary shifts in the Celtic Sea

Food composition of whiting Merlangius merlangus, captured around the sea-cage fish farms in Ordu, south-eastern Black Sea

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About