Feeding habits of larval yellow goosefish Lophius litulon around the Shimokita Peninsula and in Funka Bay, Japan

抄録

We examined the dietary composition and prey size of larval yellow goosefish Lophius litulon, based on 77 preflexion, 1 flexion and 6 postflexion larvae. Preflexion larvae fed on rotifer Synchaeta sp. and copepod eggs. The flexion larva fed on copepod copepodites and chaetognath Sagitta elegans. The postflexion larvae fed on S. elegans. The range of prey size ratio (second largest length/mouth depth) was stable through the larval stage (10-35%) and 97.8% of prey items were included in this range. Drastic increase in prey size occurred with the rapid increase of gape size between preflexion and postflexion stages.