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Abstract

Changes to the global climate are driving alterations to boundary current-influenced marine ecosystems. The diet of a pelagic teleost, Arripis trutta, was examined in the East Australian Current (EAC)-dominated coastal waters of southeastern (SE) Australia. The diet of A. trutta was dominated by pelagic baitfish, primarily Australian sardine (Sardinops sagax) and scads (Trachurus spp.). Diet varied substantially with both latitude and season linked to variability in the distribution and abundance of key prey species. An ontogenetic diet shift occurred, with crustaceans and polychaetes making up a large proportion of the diet of small fish compared with the dominance of baitfish at larger sizes. The diet of A. trutta has undergone a dramatic shift from one dominated by krill (Nyctiphanes australis) historically to baitfish today. This change is consistent with a well-documented regime shift caused by the increasing intensity of the EAC on coastal SE Australian waters. Understanding the temporal dynamics of this ecosystem is crucial for management of coastal fisheries and also for understanding the impacts of climate change on boundary current-dominated marine ecosystems worldwide.

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Hughes, JM and Stewart, J and Lyle, JM and McAllister, J and Suthers, IM
Journal or Publication Title:	Latitudinal, ontogenetic, and historical shifts in the diet of a carnivorous teleost, Arripis trutta, in a coastal pelagic ecosystem altered by climate change
ISSN:	0706-652X
DOI / ID Number:	https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2013-0083
Additional Information:	Copyright 2013 NRC Research Press
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