80 
Fishery Bulletin 110(1) 
□ Winter 2006 □ Spring 2006 □Summer2006 □ Autumn 2006 
Figure 5 
Seasonal variation in the vacuity index (given as the percentage of empty 
stomachs) for Scyliorhi?ius canicula, separated by sex (females, males) and 
maturity stage (juveniles, adults). 
A 
B 
100 % ■ 
90% ■ 
80% ■ 
70% ■ 
E 60% ■ 
3 s 50% ■ 
40% ■ 
30% ■ 
20 % ■ 
10 % ■ 
0 % ■ — 
Adults 
| Teleostei 
□ Mollusca 
□ Crustacea 
J Annelida 
HI Others 
Juveniles 
c 
100 % ■ 
90% • 
80% • 
70% • 
0= 60% ■ 
p 50% • 
40% • 
30% • 
20 % • 
10 % ■ 
0 % ■ — 
Adults 
Juveniles 
Adults Juveniles 
Figure 6 
Seasonal variation in diet composition of Scyliorhinus canicula males according to the %IRI (% of the index 
of relative importance), separated according to the maturity stage for (A) winter 2006; (B) spring 2006; 
(C) summer 2006; and (D) autumn 2006. The category “others” represents Echinodermata, Sipuncula, 
Chondrichthyes, Urochordata, and unidentified material. 
The feeding activity was generally higher in the 
spring and summer, which matches the period of higher 
abundance of benthic invertebrates and fish. In gen- 
eral, low vacuity was observed in S. canicula during 
the study period, suggesting a more continuous feed- 
ing activity, contrary to that observed by Braccini et 
al. (2005). An exception was observed for S. canicula 
adult females, whose lower feeding activity in spring 
