TY - JOUR

T1 - Long-term variations in the diet composition of Atlantic wolffish, Anarhichas lupus marisalbi (Zoarcoidei: Anarhichadidae), in Kandalaksha Bay, White Sea

AU - Ершов, П.Н.

AU - Хайтов, Вадим Михайлович

N1 - Yershov, P. N., & Khaitov, V. M. (2024). Long-term variations in the diet composition of Atlantic wolffish, Anarhichas lupus marisalbi (Zoarcoidei: Anarhichadidae), in Kandalaksha Bay, White Sea. Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RAS, 328(4), 555-570.

PY - 2024/11/18

Y1 - 2024/11/18

N2 - Understanding the diet variability of the White Sea wolffish, Anarhichas lupus marisalbi Barsukov, 1956, is essential for explaining its population dynamics and variations in its life cycle. This study examined the food spectrum of wolffish from the coastal waters of Chupa Inlet (Kandalaksha Bay, White Sea) and analyzed interannualand seasonal changes in the species composition of its diet. During the summer period, wolffish feeds on a varietyof macrobenthic organisms in its feeding grounds, particularly molluscs, echinoderms, crustaceans, and ascidians.The diet was predominantly composed of bivalves and gastropods, with Buccinum undatum Linnaeus, 1758 andSerripes groenlandicus (Mohr, 1786) being the most important prey species. Statistical analysis of multi-yeardiet data from 2001 to 2023 revealed interannual variations in the frequency of occurrence of key food organismsin wolffish stomachs. The results showed that in the early 2000s, the role of epibenthic crustaceans Hyas araneus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Pagurus pubescens Krøyer, 1838 in the wolffish diet was significantly greater compared to other years of the study. The dietary importance of the bivalve S. groenlandicus increased graduallyand statistically significantly during the observation period, while Buccinum undatum dominated the wolffishdiet throughout the entire study period. Overall, three species (B. undatum, S. groenlandicus, and Mytilus edulisLinnaeus, 1758) accounted for a significant portion of the wolffish diet during 2001–2023. In some years, othermollusc species, as well as crustaceans and the ascidian Styela rustica Linnaeus, 1767, were also included in thegroup of important prey items. The feeding intensity of wolffish in Chupa Inlet showed interannual variability.Throughout the observation period, certain years were identified as having the greatest frequency of fish withempty stomachs. Female wolffish showed a seasonal pattern in the frequency of occurrence of individuals withempty stomachs: the highest occurrence of such fish was observed during the spawning period of wolffish, in lateJuly to early August. No significant seasonal changes in the frequency of occurrence of individuals with emptystomachs were found in males.

AB - Understanding the diet variability of the White Sea wolffish, Anarhichas lupus marisalbi Barsukov, 1956, is essential for explaining its population dynamics and variations in its life cycle. This study examined the food spectrum of wolffish from the coastal waters of Chupa Inlet (Kandalaksha Bay, White Sea) and analyzed interannualand seasonal changes in the species composition of its diet. During the summer period, wolffish feeds on a varietyof macrobenthic organisms in its feeding grounds, particularly molluscs, echinoderms, crustaceans, and ascidians.The diet was predominantly composed of bivalves and gastropods, with Buccinum undatum Linnaeus, 1758 andSerripes groenlandicus (Mohr, 1786) being the most important prey species. Statistical analysis of multi-yeardiet data from 2001 to 2023 revealed interannual variations in the frequency of occurrence of key food organismsin wolffish stomachs. The results showed that in the early 2000s, the role of epibenthic crustaceans Hyas araneus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Pagurus pubescens Krøyer, 1838 in the wolffish diet was significantly greater compared to other years of the study. The dietary importance of the bivalve S. groenlandicus increased graduallyand statistically significantly during the observation period, while Buccinum undatum dominated the wolffishdiet throughout the entire study period. Overall, three species (B. undatum, S. groenlandicus, and Mytilus edulisLinnaeus, 1758) accounted for a significant portion of the wolffish diet during 2001–2023. In some years, othermollusc species, as well as crustaceans and the ascidian Styela rustica Linnaeus, 1767, were also included in thegroup of important prey items. The feeding intensity of wolffish in Chupa Inlet showed interannual variability.Throughout the observation period, certain years were identified as having the greatest frequency of fish withempty stomachs. Female wolffish showed a seasonal pattern in the frequency of occurrence of individuals withempty stomachs: the highest occurrence of such fish was observed during the spawning period of wolffish, in lateJuly to early August. No significant seasonal changes in the frequency of occurrence of individuals with emptystomachs were found in males.

KW - White Sea

KW - diet

KW - ecology

KW - long-term changes

KW - wolffish

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/14a00094-5dcd-319d-a867-7660c01d0ff0/

U2 - 10.31610/trudyzin/2024.328.4.555

DO - 10.31610/trudyzin/2024.328.4.555

M3 - Article

VL - 328

SP - 555

EP - 570

JO - ТРУДЫ ЗООЛОГИЧЕСКОГО ИНСТИТУТА РАН

JF - ТРУДЫ ЗООЛОГИЧЕСКОГО ИНСТИТУТА РАН

SN - 0206-0477

IS - 4

ER -