Food and Gastrointestinal Parasites of Dolphin, 'Coryphaena hippurus', Collected Along the Southeastern and Gulf Coasts of the United States

摘要

A total of 2,632 dolphin, Coryphaena hippurus, 250 to 1,530 millimeters fork length (FL), were captured by hook and line off the southeastern United States and from the Gulf of Mexico in 1980 and 1981. Eighty-four percent (2,219) of the stomachs contained ingested materials consisting of 13,383 individual items, displacing 57,648 milliliters, and representing 248 different categories. Fishes occurred in 77.6% of the stomachs, invertebrates in 27.5%, and miscellaneous items (Sargassum, tar balls, plastics, etc.) in 50.6%. Much of the material indicated that dolphin frequently feed at the surface & ingest fishes, crustaceans, insects, plants & inorganic items that are associated with floating Sargassum.