Open AccessShedding light on the diet of the Lessepsian yellowspotted puffer Torquigener flavimaculosus Hardy and Randall, 1983 in the Eastern Mediterranean
Author(s) -
Niki Chartosia,
Nikolas Michailidis,
Andria Constantinou,
Paraskevi K. Karachle
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
acta adriatica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.372
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 1846-0453
pISSN - 0001-5113
DOI - 10.32582/aa.62.2.7
Subject(s) - omnivore , invertebrate , biology , predation , crustacean , food preference , zoology , mediterranean climate , ecology , allometry , food science
The stomach contents of 104 individuals of Torquigener flavimaculosus from Cyprus were examined. The analysis revealed that it is an omnivorous species with a preference to animal prey, especially invertebrates with limited mobility (crustaceans, molluscs, echinoderms). The study of the length-weight relationship indicated a negative allometric growth for both sexes. It seems that its preference to consume invertebrates, its high toxicity due to high concentrations of tetrodotoxin in its tissues and some other biological characteristic reinforce its characterisation as invasive and monitoring actions should be designed for such species.