132 Fishery Bulletin 119(2-3) 
804 0-30 m (n=38) 804 31-60 m (n=52) 804 >60 m (n=15) 
0 
PPP QPP HP PPP FFAS? os e 
LS Se SORES x EON oo SE 
CR FS SEH Q y, 
Ve oe Xe Week Ss 
PLP 
RSs 
Figure 7 
Generalized diet composition by depth and prey categories, according to index of relative importance 
(IRI) values based on examination of stomach contents of red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) 
caught along the Atlantic coast of the southeastern United States in 2017 and 2018. Prey items were 
identified by using a combination of visual and DNA barcoding methods. The categories for depths at 
which red snapper were captured are 0-30 m, 31-60 m, and >60 m. n=number of stomachs analyzed. 
emerged as a resource that could potentially limit 
population growth and therefore merit manage- 
ment concern. Only minimal predation on other 
species of management concern was observed. 
Although we believe that the most significant 
prey of red snapper were documented in our 
study, additional sampling should be continued to 
further characterize the composition of prey spe- 
cies. Additional studies on spatial and temporal 
variability in the diet of red snapper and other 
; SIGESS OSE co-occurring species would also significantly ben- 
40 60 100 efit the advancement of ecosystem-based fisher- 
Number of stomachs ies management for the snapper-grouper complex 
in the region. 
Prey species richness 
Figure 8 
Species accumulation curve for prey found in stomachs of red snap- 
per (Lutjanus campechanus) caught along the Atlantic coast of the 
southeastern United States in 2017 and 2018. Prey were identified Acknowledgments 
by using a combination of visual and DNA barcoding methods. The 
shaded polygon represents the 95% confidence interval. The slope of We thank K. Kanapeckas, M. Walker, and 
a linear regression fit to data in the curve for the final 5 randomly T. O’Donnell of the South Carolina Department 
SEEDS UST US atest TS 2 ENC of Natural Resources Population Genetics Lab 
and K. Hill-Spanik of the Molecular Core Facil- 
ity at the College of Charleston for lab and data 
the Atlantic coast of the southeastern United States. Here, analysis assistance. Thanks to G. Sancho for input and 
we provide results indicating that red snapper in this support. Funding was provided by the Slocum-Lunz 
region are generalist predators that consume a wide range Foundation and Southeast Area Monitoring and Assess- 
of invertebrate and vertebrate prey. Because the red snap- ment Program South-Atlantic. This work is contribu- 
per is a generalist predator, no individual prey species tion number 824 of the South Carolina Department of 
