Not be cited without prior reference to the authors International Council for the ICES CM 2002/N:13 Exploration of the Sea Theme Session on Environmental Influences on Trophic Interactions The trophic relationships of several commercial finfish species from the southwest Atlantic. G.J. Pierce1, M.B. Santos1, A. Bishop1, S. Desormonts1 & J.M. Portela2 1. Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK. [tel: +44 1224 272459, fax: +44 1224 272396, e-mail:
[email protected] 2. J.M. Portela: Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), P.O. Box 1552, 36200, Vigo, SPAIN, [Tel: +34 986 492111, Fax: +34 986 492351, e-mail:
[email protected] This study aims to quantify the trophic relationships of seven commercially valuable predatory fish species (Argentine hake Merluccius hubbsi, southern hake Merluccius australis, Patagonian toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides, southern blue whiting Micromesistius australis australis, red cod Salilota australis, kingclip Genypterus blacodes and hoki Macruronus magellanicus) over a two-year period. A total of 1590 stomachs from these species was collected from the high seas of the southwest Atlantic and in the waters around the Falkland Islands. The percentage similarity index shows that all species except southern hake occupy very similar trophic positions, with a high percentage dietary overlap. Despite this, niche breadths were relatively narrow, with the majority of feeding occurring on locally abundant prey items (notothiniid fish and the squids Illex argentinus and Loligo gahi). In the two species for which sample size was largest, Argentine hake and kingclip, geographical differences in diet were found, which may be related to regional variation in prey abundance.