Hábitos alimentarios de <i>Caulolatilus affinis</i> (Perciformes: Branchiostegidae) en la Bahía de La Paz, Baja California Sur, México

Abstract

The analysis (using numeric, volumetric, frequency of occurrence and relative importance indexes) of the contents of 311 digestive tracts of C. affinis collected monthly (1988) in the southem Gulf of California (240 00'- 2S000'N, 109040'-1l003S'W), shows that this species feeds mainly on crustaceans, particularly amphipods. The monthly composition of the diet shows variation in food classified as secondary and incidental. The kind of captured prey indicates that this species is an oportunistic predator of benthic or demersal organisms. There are no differences in feeding behavior between sexes, nor in relation to ¡ength. There is a c\ose relationship of feeding with reproduction and otolith's ring deposition, and also with the seasonal variations of sea temperatures.