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Geographic and ontogenetic variation in the diet of two commonly exploited batoids (Chilean eagle ray and Pacific guitarfish) off Peru: evidence of trophic plasticity

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Abstract

This study provides information about the diet across geographic areas and throughout ontogeny and sex of two coastal and commercial batoid species in Peru (Chilean eagle ray Myliobatis chilensis and Pacific guitarfish Pseudobatos planiceps). Data was collected in the central coast (13°30′S to 14°30′S; Pisco district, Lima) and in the northern coast (13°12′S to 13°49′S; San Jose district, Lambayeque) off Peru during the second semester of the years 2015 and 2016 (i.e., winter and spring) in an El Niño event. A total of 357 stomach contents were analyzed in northern and central Peru with different oceanographic and ecological conditions. In the central coast, M. chilensis showed a high trophic position (tertiary consumer) due to its high consumption of Peruvian anchoveta (Engraulis ringens), while P. planiceps had a lower trophic position (secondary consumer) and a less specialized diet of benthic invertebrates (i.e., crustaceans and mollusks) and pelagic fish (e.g., E. ringens). In the northern coast, both species preyed mainly upon benthic invertebrates and to a lesser degree on fish; therefore, their trophic position was lower. Dietary variation was influenced by species, geographic location, and ontogeny. The diet variability between geographic locations shows insights of these batoids’ trophic plasticity and opportunistic feeding behavior in response to differences in the local prey availability, an effect that may be amplified during the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The spatial variation in this species diet may indicate that they play different ecological roles in distinct environments. This study contributes to the scarce literature about batoids’ ecology in the southeast Pacific Ocean and presents novel information on habitat-specific diet composition.

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The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Pisco Coastal Laboratory of IMARPE and Universidad Cientifica del Sur for facilitating the laboratories to examine the collected samples. We extend our gratitude to the Pisco and San Jose fishermen for allowing access to their catches. We thank Fabian Brondi for the support in creating the maps, and Victor Moscoso for his contribution on identifying crustacean species.

Funding

The research leading to these results received funding from Fondo para la Innovación, la Ciencia y la Tecnologia under Grant Agreement No PIBA-369-2014.

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Correspondence to Adriana Gonzalez-Pestana.

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Gonzalez-Pestana, A., Silva-Garay, L., Quiñones, J. et al. Geographic and ontogenetic variation in the diet of two commonly exploited batoids (Chilean eagle ray and Pacific guitarfish) off Peru: evidence of trophic plasticity. Environ Biol Fish 104, 1525–1540 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-021-01157-w

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