Ontogenetic and seasonal changes in the diet of the halfbeak Zenarchopterus dunckeri at Iriomote Island, southern Japan

Ontogenetic and seasonal changes in the diet of the halfbeak Zenarchopterus dunckeri were examined in the Urauchi River estuary, Iriomote Island, southern Japan, using gut content analysis. The diet of this species changed dramatically with growth. Smaller juveniles fed mostly on small zooplankton and small gastropods, with a shift to the consumption of terrestrial insects, such as ants and flies, by larger individuals. Seasonal dietary differences were also apparent in adults. Ants were the most dominant prey item in the spring to fall months, whereas flies were abundant in the diet in the winter and early summer months.