Feeding habits of the cutlass fish Trichiurus japonicus around Hiuchi-Nada, central Seto Inland Sea, Japan

摘要

Diet components of the cutlass fish Trichiurus japonicus around Hiuchi-Nada in the central Seto Inland Sea, Japan were investigated by monthly samples during 2011-2013. The Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonicus, the western sandlance Ammodytes japonicus and the pasiphaeid shrimp Leptochela gracilis showed conspicuously high values in the index of relative importance percentage (% IRI). Engraulis japonicus and L. gracilis appeared in the diets of T. japonicus formost of the year. The. IRI of fish increased as T. japonicus became bigger, while that of crustacean decreased. Frequent feeding on A. japonicus occurred during spring, which seems to be a specific characteristic of T. japonicus around Hiuchi-Nada.