NOTE Abitia-Cardenas et al. : Food habits and energy values of prey of Tetrapturus audax 
365 
the area, as happens in waters off southern Califor- 
nia where fall and winter catches present large num- 
bers of chub mackerel (Roedel, 1952). Both S. 
japonicus and S. caeruleus were found in some stom- 
achs, but this finding is not surprising because S. 
japonicus is abundant off Baja California and in the 
Gulf of California (MacCall, 1973), where mixed 
populations of S. japonicus and S. caeruleus are of- 
ten found (Kramer, 1969). During summer, the 
greater numbers of the jumbo squid D. gigas in 
striped marlin stomachs are not surprising because this 
squid is very common in waters from 200 to 2,000 m 
in depth off Cabo San Lucas (Sato, 1976). This species, 
from subtropical and tropical waters, undergoes long, 
large seasonal migrations. The presence of D. gigas can 
be associated with tropical water masses at the en- 
trance of the Gulf of California (25° to 29°C) and with 
the occurrence of prey species (pilchards and macker- 
els) in this area (Erhardt et al., 1986). 
Our results, compared with those of 
studies in other areas, showed similar 
types of prey consumed by striped marlin. 
Previous studies found that striped mar- 
lin commonly feed on clupeids, scombrids, 
jacks, and cephalopods. Striped marlin in 
New Zealand ate saury and squid (Mor- 
row, 1952). Baker ( 1966), in the same area, 
found that jacks and cephalopods were the 
main prey. In Peru and Chile, La Monte 
( 1955) and de Sylva ( 1962) found cephalo- 
pods, engraulids, and jacks in the stom- 
ach contents of striped marlin. In East 
Africa, Williams (1967) found cornet fish 
(Fistularia sp.), bullet mackerel (Auxis 
thazard), and unidentified squid. Fish of 
the families Alepisauridae and Clupeidae 
are common in the Tasman Sea (Koga, 
1968). Around the Bonin Islands, striped 
marlin ate Gempylus sp., Pseudoscopelus 
sp Alepisaurus sp., Ostracion sp., cepha- 
lopods, and crustaceans (Yabuta, 1953). In 
the eastern Pacific Ocean, Hubbs and 
Wisner (1953) found that striped marlin 
consumed saury, anchovy, and sardine. 
Evans and Wares (1972) and 
Eldrige and Wares (1974) found 
that the most important prey of 
striped marlin off Buenavista, 
Mexico, included the fish E. 
teres, Euthynnus lineatus, Lago- 
cephalus lagocephalus, and S. 
japonicus, as well as the squid 
D. gigas. These findings are 
similar to those of our study, 
even though the relative impor- 
tance of the main species dif- 
fered; e.g. in our study S. japon- 
icus and S. caeruleus were more 
important than E. teres, and 
squid were less important. 
These results indicate that the 
prey composition of striped mar- 
lin probably has not changed 
drastically off the coast of 
6500 
6000 
5500 
5000 
4000 
3500 
3000 
A Maximum value 
■ Minimum value 
• Average value 
Figure 3 
Comparison of group caloric values (cal/g dry wt ) of dominant prey: 1 = 
D. gigas, 2 = P. planipes, 3 = E. teres, 4 = S. caeruleus, 5 = M. productus, 
6 = Fistularia sp., 7 = D. hypodus, 8 = S. crumenophtalmus, 9 = Auxis 
spp., 10 = S. japonicus, and 11 = B. polylepis. 
Scomber japonicus (32.4) 
Sardinops caeruleus (21 .2) 
Selar crumenophthalmus (1 .7) 
Auxis spp. (4.6) 
r Balistes polylepis (2 2) 
Decaplerus hypodus (4.5) 
Dosidicus gigas (1 0.5) 
Etrumeus teres (10. 7) 
Fistularia spp. (4.3) 
Pleuroncodes planipes (0.5) 
Merluccius productus (1 .4) 
Figure 4 
Caloric contribution (expressed as a percent) of the eleven dominant prey types of 
striped marlin. 
