Régimen alimentario de la sardina crinuda <i>Opisthonema libertate</i> (Pisces: Clupeidae) en el Golfo de California

Abstract

The diet variatíon of thread herring Opisthonema libertate, in relation to age and latitudinal distribution in the Gulf of California, was analized during the 1987 fishing season. Diatoms were the most important components of dietary groups, followed by pelagic crustaceans, fish eggs and dinoflagellates. There were no significant variations with respect to age groups, but significan! latitudinal differences for diet composition were found. These dífferences were attributed to the time-space distribution of the herring feeding resources. O. libertate is an opportunistic forager, rather than a specialized filter feeder.