Food habits of two species of Pseudotolithus (Sciaenidae) off Benin (West Africa) nearshore waters and implications for management

摘要

Food habits of?Pseudotolithus?senegalensis?and?Pseudotolithus typus?in Benin nearshore waters were investigated for 18 months because of the importance of croakers in artisanal catches. Frequency of occurrence, numerical abundance and gravimetric composition were utilized in computing the percent index of relative importance of each food item. The major dietary components of the two species were shrimps. The food composition of?P. senegalensis?and?P. typus?did not show any variation with season. The diet composition of the two species of?Pseudotolithus?portray them as specialized feeders depending on similar food sources with low number of dietary prey items. Shrimps and to some extent juvenile fishes which constitute the important preys of?Pseudotolithus?spp., remain an essential link of the trophic system off Benin nearshore waters. Therefore, the dynamics of the abundance of these shrimps and juvenile fishes must be assessed for sustainable production of their predators.