WATSON and DAVIS: LARVAL FISH DIETS IN SHALLOW COASTAL WATERS 



clear gradient of feeding incidence from highest 

 nearshore to lowest offshore (Tkble 3). Feeding 

 incidence for the Pr lai-vae was highest between 

 about 1 and 3.8 km from shore, and lower both 

 seawaixl and shorewai'd, with no overlap of confi- 

 dence limits (Tkble 3). Both the Pr and PT lai-vae 

 consumed more items per feeding individual in 

 the most nearshore block than elsewhere (Table 

 5). This was especially striking for the Pr larvae. 



The most important prey for both the Pr and 

 FP larvae was Eiderpina acutifrons (Table 5). 

 The Pr larvae tended to utilize E. acutifrons 

 nauplii only a little less than the copepodites and 



adults, while the older larvae showed a clear 

 preference for the copepodites and adults (Table 

 5). Coscinodiscus spp. were important in the 

 diet of the Pr larvae, but constituted only a 

 minor fraction of the FP diet. Minor components 

 of the diet for the Pr larvae included dinoflagel- 

 lates {Peridinium spp.), tintinnids (Steno- 

 somella spp.), and small copepods (Paracalanus 

 parvus and unidentified nauplii). Older larvae 

 also consumed these items, as well as ciiTiped 

 nauplii, bivalve veligers, and a wider variety of 

 copepods (e.g., Oncea, Oithona, Microsetella, 

 and Corycaeus). 



Table 5. — Diet of larval Leuresthes tenuis. Results for preflexion stage larvae are given above; those for flexion-postflexion stage 

 larvae are below. A blank column indicates that no larvae containing food occurred in that stratum. Since larval L. tenuis occurred 

 only In the neuston and midwater, only those strata are shown. Water column strata are N = neuston; M = midwater. %N = the 

 percent of the total food items attributable to a given category: %F0 = the percent of the larvae containing food items that 

 contained prey of the given category. Copepods listed as prey species include both copepodites and adults. 



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