TROPHIC HABITS OF A LITTLE KNOWN SPECIES, BRAMA AUSTRALIS VALENCIENNES, 1836 (PISCES: BRAMIDAE) OFF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN COASTLINE OF CHILE

Abstract

The Southern pomfret Brama australis Valenciennes 1836, is a mesopelagic fish distributcd in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean apparently within the circulation boundaries of subtropicals water niasses. Despite the increasing interest on this species as a fishery resource, there is very little information on basic aspects of its biology and ecology. In this work we study the feeding ecology of the pomfret, based on the stomach contents of 191 specimens collected from the fishing arcas near Constitución (35u20'S) and Puerto Saavedra (38‘’48'S), Chile, during winter and spring 1993 and spring 1994. The trophic spectrum of B. australis was analyzed qualitatively and quantitati vely by size class, sex and seasons. No differences in stomach contents for the variables studied were found. The pomfrets showed a narrow trophic spectrum in the study arca, since they feed almost exclusively on euphausiids (%11R=99.23), and occasionally on squids and small fishes. There is a high dietary similarity with reports on other congeneric species from elsewhere. Perhaps, this high representation of euphausiids in the diet of the Southern pomfret results from the great abundance of euphausiids in the study arca, rather than from a selective or preferent consumption of this prey ítem.