Feeding Ecology of Black-bellied Anglerfish Lophius budegassa in the Central Aegean Sea, Turkey

Anglerfishes Lophius spp. are gaining high economic value day by day and becoming demand species worldwide. The black-bellied anglerfish, Lophius budegassa (Spinola, 1807) has prominently economic importance to the commercial fishing fleets and fish markets all over the European countries. However, in spite of their economic value, their biology, ecology and especially the feeding habits are poorly understood. In this study, to determine the feeding ecology of L. budegassa, a total of 558 specimens were collected by the commercial trawl fishing vessels in the Central Aegean Sea between September 2017 and August 2018. 284 stomachs of 558 individuals were found as empty and the full stomachs were examined as N%, W%, O% and IRI% values. As a result, it has been determined that this predatory fish feed on many preys in their natural habitat and overall diet of L. budegassa includes fishes, cephalopods, and crustaceans. Fishes were the most important group (IRI = 59.33%). European hake Merluccius merluccius and the deep-water rose shrimp Parapenaeus longirostris are the main prey species of L. budegassa in the area. The diet in the Central Aegean Sea varied among various size groups for juveniles (TL <= 150 mm) the dominant prey was poor cod Trisopterus minutus, for sub-adults (TL 150-300 mm) M. merluccius, for the sub-adults (TL 300-450 mm) and for adults (TL 450-650 mm) P. longirostris and larger individuals of demersal fishes such as M. merluccius and red mullet Mullus barbatus in the Central Aegean Sea.