FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 87, NO. 4. 1989 



Whitebone porgy (99—315 mm SL) demon- 

 strated slight changes in feeding habits with in- 

 creasing size (Table 2). Anthozoans and bar- 

 nacles (Cirripedia) appeared to be more frequent 

 in the smallest size class, but this may be a result 

 of the small sample of fish < 151 mm SL. Deca- 

 pods were frequently consumed by all size 

 classes; however, because most decapods eaten 

 were tiny species of hermit crabs, this taxon 

 contributed a much smaller proportion of the 

 prey volume for fish larger than 150 mm SL. 

 Gastropods and sipuncuUds were also consumed 

 by all size classes. Fishes increased in volumetric 



importance in the diet offish up to a length of 250 

 mm but were not frequently consumed by the 

 largest fish. Echinoderms were more important 

 in the diet of larger whitebone porgy. 



Suction and grab samples from the hard bot- 

 tom stations were dominated by tube-reef build- 

 ing polychaetes, such as Filograna implexa, 

 Phyllochaetopterus socialis, and Pista pal- 

 mata, as well as epifaunal amphipods (Erichtho- 

 nius brasilieusis, Luconacia incerta) that cling 

 to or build tubes on hard substrates or other 

 epibenthic organisms. These species were gen- 

 erally not consumed by whitebone porgy in any 



Table 2. — Percentage of frequency occurrence (F), percentage of number (N), and percentage of volume 



groups of food in the diet of whitebone porgy, by length interval 



( V) of higher taxonomic 



940 



