Feeding of pelagic fish in waters of Mauritania: 3.—Atlantic Chub mackerel Scomber colias, Atlantic horse mackerel Trachurus trachurus, Cunene horse mackerel Trachurus trecae

Abstract

Feeding peculiarities of mass pelagic everyphagous fish Atlantic Chub mackerel Scomber colias, Atlantic horse mackerel Trachurus trachurus, Cunene horse mackerel Trachurus trecae from the Canary upwelling and the frontal zones of Mauritania were investigated. Atlantic Chub mackerel feeds mainly on fish inhabiting the zone of epipelagial, crustaceans and other organisms distributing in the sound scattering layers and also detritus and detritus–algal mixture. Cunene horse mackerel and Atlantic horse mackerel feed on mesopelagic fish and the organisms from the sound scattering layers. Feeding competition between these species does not occur due to non-concurrence of the places for concentration and nourishment. Correlation of food components, their occurrence and nourishment change for all species in conformity with fish sizes, physiological conditions and the season.