A Preliminary Study on Seasonal Changes in the Feeding Ecology and Growth Patterns of the Lessepsian Red Sea Goatfish Parupeneus forsskali Fourmanoir & Guézé, 1976 in the Gulf of Antalya, Eastern Mediterranean

Authors : Betül Baran, Abdullah Öz, İlayda Güven, Nehir Kaymak

Pages : 424-430

Doi:10.35229/jaes.1686013

View : 112 | Download : 77

Publication Date : 2025-07-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The Red Sea goatfish, Parupeneus forsskali Fourmanoir & Guézé, 1976, is endemic to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and is a Lessepsian species that entered the East Mediterranean through the Suez Canal in the early 2000s. This study aimed to determine the changes in the feeding ecology and growth characteristics of P. forskolin distributed in the Gulf of Antalya during two seasons. Statistical analyses revealed that individuals caught in the winter season were heavier and longer than those caught in the autumn season. In autumn, they exhibited high condition with negative allometric growth, whereas in winter, they showed low condition with positive allometric growth. The dietary habits of the species were analyzed through stomach content analysis (F%, N%, W%, and IRI), which revealed a strong preference for crustaceans, particularly Mysida and Euphausiacea. Additionally, seasonal variations were observed in diet proportions and diversity. The contribution of crustaceans to the diet decreased in winter compared to autumn, while diet diversity increased. The findings from this study have the potential to serve as a valuable resource for various fields, including stock management, ecosystem conservation, and interactions between native and non-native species.
Keywords : Parupeneus forsskali, Lessepsian türler, beslenme ekolojisi, mide içeriği analizi, kondüsyon faktörü

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