The feeding habits of the king soldier bream, Argyrops spinifer, in the northern part of the Persian Gulf (coastal waters of Bushehr, Iran) were examined. The stomach contents of 622 specimens, 13.5-64.2 cm in total length, collected with a trawl boat from June 2010 to May 2011 were analysed to assess the influence of size, season and sex on diet composition. Amongst the examined stomachs, 57 were empty (vacuity index = 9.2%), which was varied significantly (p<0.05) throughout the year. According to our results, this species is a generalist carnivorous feeder, with the diet consisting of 52 different prey items, belonging to 9 main categories. Bivalvia, Gastropoda, Malacostraca, Crustacea and Teleostei were the most important prey items. Fish size and gender showed no significant effects on diet composition. Moreover, no seasonal variation in the main food catagories was detected.
کلید واژگان :
Argyrops spinifer, diet composition, Persian Gulf, Perciformes
