INTERANNUAL CHANGES IN THE DIET OF THE ALMACO JACK, SERIOLA RIVOLIANA (PERCIFORMES: CARANGIDAE) FROM THE AZORES

João Pedro BARREIROS, Telmo MORATO, Ricardo Serrão SANTOS e Alfredo Emílio de BORBA

The food habits of 232 almaco jack (Seriola rivoliana) were investigated in the Azores (NE Atlantic) 2000. fish length ranged from 23 to 134 cm (Sl), and 83.2% of the stomachs contained food. Their diet was exclusively piscivorous and dominant prey were juveniles of Trachurus picturatus (1997 to 1998) and Scomber japonicus (1999 to 2000). An apparent decrease of T. picturatus stock is interpreted as the main cause for the detected diet shift.