Technical Report FOOD HABITS OF YOUNG-OF-THE-YEAR ESTUARINE FISHES IN THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC BIGHT: A SYNTHESIS Frank T. Mancini III and Kenneth W. Able August 2005 Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 71 Dudley Road New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8521 This is IMCS Contribution #2005-15 FOOD HABITS OF YOUNG-OF-THE-YEAR ESTUARINE FISHES IN THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC BIGHT: A SYNTHESIS Frank T. Mancini III and Kenneth W. Able August 2005 Marine Field Station Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Tuckerton, NJ 08087-2004 This is IMCS Contribution #2005-15 TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract .................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 2 Methods .................................................................................................................. 2 Source of Literature ................................................................................... 2 Results .................................................................................................................... 3 Characterization of available data .............................................................. 3 Major categories of prey consumed ........................................................... 4 Species-specific variation in food habits ................................................... 4 Family Carcharhinidae ................................................................... 4 Mustelus canis .................................................................... 4 Family Anguillidae ........................................................................ 5 Anguilla rostrata ................................................................ 5 Family Congridae ........................................................................... 5 Conger oceanicus ............................................................... 5 Family Clupeidae ........................................................................... 6 Alosa aestivalis .................................................................. 6 Alosa mediocris .................................................................. 6 Alosa pseudoharengus ...................................................... 6 Alosa sapidissima ............................................................. 6 Brevoortia tyrannus .......................................................... 7 Clupea harengus ............................................................... 7 Family Engraulidae ........................................................................ 8 Anchoa hepsetus ................................................................. 8 Anchoa mitchilli ................................................................ 8 Family Osmeridae .......................................................................... 9 Osmerus mordax ................................................................ 9 Family Synodntidae ....................................................................... 9 Synodus foetens ................................................................. 9 Family Gadidae .............................................................................. 9 Microgadus tomcod ........................................................... 9 Pollachius virens ................................................................ 9 Family Phycidae ........................................................................... 10 Urophycis chuss ............................................................... 10 Urophycis regia ............................................................... 10 Urophycis tenuis .............................................................. 11 Family Ophidiidae ........................................................................ 11 Ophidion marginatum ...................................................... 11 Family Batrachoididae ................................................................. 11 Opsanus tau ..................................................................... 11 Family Belondae .......................................................................... 12 Strongylura marina .......................................................... 12 Family Cyprinodontidae ............................................................... 12 Cyprinodon variegatus .................................................... 12 i Family Fundulidae ....................................................................... 12 Fundulus heteroclitus ...................................................... 12 Fundulus luciae ............................................................... 13 Fundulus majalis ............................................................. 13 Lucania parva .................................................................. 13 Family Poeciliidae ........................................................................ 14 Gambusia holbrooki ......................................................... 14 Family Atherinidae ...................................................................... 14 Membras martinica .......................................................... 14 Menidia beryllina ............................................................. 14 Menidia menidia .............................................................. 15 Family Gasterosteidae .................................................................. 16 Apeltes quadracus ............................................................ 16 Gasterosteus aculeatus ..................................................... 16 Family Syngnathidae .................................................................... 16 Hippocampus erectus ....................................................... 16 Syngnathus fuscus ............................................................ 16 Family Triglidae ........................................................................... 17 Prinonotus carolinus ........................................................ 17 Prinonotus evolans ........................................................... 17 Family Cottidae ............................................................................ 18 Myoxocephalus aenaeus .................................................. 18 Family Percichthyidae .................................................................. 18 Morone americana .......................................................... 18 Morone saxatilis .............................................................. 19 Family Serranidae ........................................................................ 20 Centropristis striata ......................................................... 20 Family Pomatomidae ................................................................... 20 Pomatomus saltatrix ....................................................... 20 Family Carangidae ....................................................................... 21 Caranx hippos ................................................................. 21 Family Lutjanidae ........................................................................ 22 Lutjanus griseus ............................................................... 22 Family Sparidae ........................................................................... 22 Stenotomus chrysops ........................................................ 22 Family Sciaenidae ........................................................................ 22 Bairdiella chrysoura ........................................................ 22 Cynoscion regalis ............................................................. 23 Leiostomus xanthurus ..................................................... 24 Menticirrhus saxatilis ....................................................... 25 Micropogonias undulatus ................................................ 25 Pogonias cromis .............................................................. 26 Family Chaetodontidae ................................................................ 26 Chaetodon ocellatus ........................................................ 26 ii Family Mugilidae ......................................................................... 26 Mugil cephalus ................................................................. 26 Mugil curema ................................................................... 27 Family Sphyraenidae .................................................................... 27 Sphyraena borealis .......................................................... 27 Family Labridae ........................................................................... 27 Tautoga onitis .................................................................. 27 Tautogolabrus adspersus .................................................. 27 Family Pholidae ........................................................................... 28 Pholis gunnellus ............................................................... 28 Family Uranoscopidae ................................................................. 28 Astroscopus guttatus ........................................................ 28 Family Blenniidae ........................................................................ 28 Hypsoblennius hentz ........................................................ 28 Family Ammodytidae ..................................................................