A LONG-TERM ANALYSIS OF THE FEEDING OF MERLUCCIUS GAYI GAYI (GUICHENOT, 1848) OFF CENTRAL CHILE

Abstract

The food of Chilean hake (Merluccius gayi gayi) is analized between 1959 and 1987 taking into account the frequency of occurrence of the prey taxa. In thisstudy we considerad data from three previous papers published in scientific joumalsand seven unpublished (undergraduate) studies. In the period of study, the prey taxa oí M. gayi gayi has not changed significantly. The results of seven later works are closely related, as revealed by correspondence analysis. The prey with major frequency of occurrence are the crustacean Galatheidae, Pterygosquilla armata and Euphausidae, and the fish Engraulis ringens, M. gayi gayi, and Strangomera bentincki. The results of the first three works are isolated due likely to probiems in determination of important prey taxa, or effectively due to changes in the frequency of occurrence in the long-term, but longer than the period analized in the present study.