Feeding habits of the Atlantic Cutlass fish Trichiurus lepturus in the Urabá Gulf, Colombian Caribbean

We studied the feeding habits of the commercial fish Trichiurus lepturus, a mesopredator with an important role in the energy flow in the coastal trophic webs, in order to contribute to the knowledge of its ecology, tool for its conservation, and an input for the management of fisheries in the Gulf of Urabá, northwestern Colombia. Using gillnets, 320 fish were captured, from which 208 stomachs containing food were extracted, and their contents separated and identified. The food spectrum of the species is integrated by 26 elements, belonging to three great taxonomic groups: fish, crustaceans and mollusks. Engraulid fishes are the main food component at all sampling sites, mosly Centengraulis edentulus and several Anchoa species. There was a trophic overlap among sites, and the importance of mangrove areas for feeding was evident. However, no seasonal or sex variation in diet composition was found, since Engraulids are one of the most abundant fish resources throughout the year in the Colombian Caribbean.