Feeding habits

Sillago sihama has been found as carnivore fish on the basis of contents analysis from stomachs. Sillago sihama is a crustacean, teleosts, mollusks, echinoderms and polychaetes feeder. Stomach contents were consisted of echinoderms Amphipholis squamata, Ophioplocus imbricatus, mollusks, bivalves Cardium sp., Tellina sp., Anadora sp., gastropod shells, crustaceans Pagurus digenus (hermit crab) Acetes sp., Carideans, polychaetes Lumbrineris sp., polynoid worm (scale worms) Eunicid worms, Gozia zeder, rotifer Hydratina sp., Echiuroid worm, monaxone spicules, gills, appendages, chela, parts of carapace, eyes and flash of crabs and prawns, telson of prawns, scales and eggs of fish, parts of bivalves and gastropod shells, parts of sea urchin shells, partially digested earth worms and polychaete worms, nematodes, broken arms of star fishes, fecal material, mucous and sand. Overall 4.21% stomachs were found to be gorged, 8.23%  full, 14.55% ¾ full, 17.24% ½ full, 24.52 % ¼ full, 26.43 % barely full and 4.78 % were empty it was noticed that feeding activity slows down during the spawning months. Overall this fish changes its food habit with the change in season.

Investigations into the feeding habits of the Neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis annectens in the Bavispe-Yaqui river basin were conducted based on 73 scats collected from 1995, 1999, 2001 and 2002. Neotropical otters feed mainly on various species of fishes (58%), insects (30%), mammals (3.7%), amphibians (0.7%), reptiles (0.7%), birds (5.8%) and mollusks (1.5%). Fish prey was mainly composed by Oreochromis sp. and unidentified insects from Order Choleoptera, follow by crickets Melanoplus differentialis which were the most consumed insects. This paper shows differences in feeding habits compared to other feeding preferences of the species in different areas of the country. To date, this is one of a few studies to report a large percentage of insect consumption by otters and the first study to report the presence of carrion from this same species in their diets.

Since its initial discovery in 2010 in the Gaoligong Mountains on the Sino-Myanmar border, there remains no direct information on the feeding habits of the black snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus strykeri). This species is on the verge of extinction, with an estimated remaining population of < 400 individuals. Due to difficulties in following these monkeys across steep mountainous terrain, during 203 observation days (September 2015-January 2017) we recorded 80 h of behavioral records of a wild population (Luoma group). Our preliminary results identified 14 plant species and four lichen species consumed by the monkeys. In addition, we provided the only two captive individuals of this species with a cafeteria diet composed of > 600 wild-collected plant species that were gathered from known R. strykeri habitats to determine which plant species and food items were considered palatable. Our results indicate that the captive monkeys freely consumed young and mature leaves, fruits/seeds, buds, flowers, twigs, and bark from 170 different species of trees, bushes, and herbs representing 76 genera and 41 plant families, as well as 15 species of lichen. All foods consumed by the wild monkeys were also consumed by the captive individuals. Food plants consumed by R. strykeri were found principally in intact subtropical evergreen broadleaf forests and hemlock-broadleaf mixed forests at an altitude of 2200-3000 m. Strict enforcement of habitat protection and access to resources across this elevation zone appear to be essential for the conservation and survivorship of this critically endangered primate.

Habitat loss and transformation are major threats to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, but their effects on species interaction are often poorly understood. We evaluated effects of habitat transformation and seasonality on anuran-prey food webs in Colombian dry-forests. We asked whether anthropic transformation (anthropic vs natural) and/or seasonality (dry, minor and major rain seasons) affect predator load on arthropods, the occurrence of energetic bottlenecks, and the diet overlap of anurans. We selected six dry forest sites in the Caribbean of Colombia, sampled anurans, and identified their stomach contents to construct anuran-prey food webs. We show that the global structure of food webs was affected by disturbance and seasonality, but not by their interaction. Prey vulnerability was higher in anthropic habitats. Habitat transformation enhanced diet overlap among predators , but there was not a differential effect of habitat type according to seasonality for network metrics. Our study shows a strong effect of natural vegetation modification in tropical dry forest on anuran-prey food webs, while seasonality did not seem to further mediate these effects.

The feeding habits of brown ray Raja miraletus from the eastern central Adriatic Sea were investigated. The stomach
contents of 418 specimens, total length (TL) of 13.5
40.0 cm, collected from commercial bottom trawls from January to
December 2010 were analysed. The prey items identified in the stomachs belong to six major groups: Decapoda (Natantia
and Reptantia), Mysidacea, Teleostei, Cephalopoda, Amphipoda and Polychaeta. Decapods were the most important prey
(%IRI88.2), whereas other prey groups were only occasionally ingested. Fish size was the most important factor affecting
diet. According to the observed ontogenetic shift, small-sized individuals (B20 cm TL) fed primarily on small crustaceans
(mysids and amphipods), whereas large-sized specimens consumed bigger prey, such as decapods, cephalopods and
teleosts. Diet composition showed low seasonal variation: decapods were the most important ingested prey in all seasons.
There was high dietary similarity between sampling locations. The percentage of empty stomachs did not differ significantly
among size-classes and seasons. In terms of species composition, the diet of the brown ray was characterized by a variety of
rare or less important prey. As a result, the brown ray could be considered to be a generalist predator.

Dietary studies of insectivorous bats are critical for a comprehensive analysis of their ecological role in pest control. Several factors including seasonality, reproductive status and sex may influence dietary specialization. However, data on insectivorous bat diet are scarce, especially in Mormoopidae family. Here, we analyzed the dietary variation of Mormoops megalophylla(Peters, 1864) between sexes, reproductive states and climatic seasons in Macaregua cave, located in Northeastern Andes of Colombia. We collected fecal samples and vaginal smears from 377 individuals. We assess differences between sexes in the frequency of insect consumption and we estimate dietary breadth in reproductive and non-reproductive bats. Moormops megalophylla has  a  highly  specialized  diet,  selecting  primarily  for  Lepidoptera  insects.  There  were  no differences  between  sexes,  but  wider  dietary  breadth  was  found  in  reproductive  bats  in  comparison  to non-reproductive bats. Probably, the specialization on Lepidoptera insects is explained by the high amounts of caloric energy that these insects can offer. It was remarkable the upward trend in Lepidoptera consumption from reproductive bats during the wet season, when moths are available. By contrast, non-reproductive bats increased Lepidoptera consumption in the dry season, possibly to prepare for the next reproductive events. The analysis of diet over time suggests variations between climatic seasons and reproductive states; that is, when bats are reproductively active, they increase the amount of Lepidoptera consumption in the wet season to supply their energy requirements during reproduction. These results provide key information about the ecology of M. megalophylla in the northern part of its South American distribution.

Introduced rodents are responsible for ecosystem changes in islands around the world. In the
Galapagos archipelago, their effects on the native flora and fauna are adverse, including the
extinction of endemic rodents in some islands and the reduction in the reproductive success
of the Galapagos petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia) in its nesting zones. Understanding the
feeding behavior of introduced rodents and their trophic interactions with native and non-native
species on islands, can assist in the design ofmanagement strategies and conservation
plans of invasive and endemic species respectively. Four petrel nesting colonies were monitored
during June 2013 on San Cristóbal Island (El Plátano, El Junco, San Joaquín, and La
Comuna). The feeding habits of black rats were evaluated by analyzing stomach contents
and stable isotopes in hair. Three species of introduced rodents were captured. R. rattus was
the most abundant at all sites (n=43, capture success (CS) = 55.8%), followed by the house
mouse, Mus musculus (n = 17, CS = 37.8%), and the Norwegian rat, R. norvegicus (n = 4, CS
= 4.5%), captured only at La Comuna. The omnivorous black rat ate mostly plants (98%) and
arthropods (2%). Intact seeds of Miconia robinsoniana were the main food at all sites (relative
abundance=72.1%, present in 95%of the analyzed stomachs), showing the black rats’ possible
role in the archipelago as endemic seed dispersers. There was no evidence of petrel’s intake;
however, its possible consumption is not discarded at all. The δ15N and δ13C analysis
corroborated the primarily herbivorous diet of black rats. The isotopic signatures of the three
rodent species reflect the inter- and intra-specific differential use of food resources. Black rat
showed a wider diet in La Comuna, which was related to a lower availability of its primary prey
and its ability to adapt to the available resources in its habitat.