(Occurrence of fishes, cephalopods and crustaceans in stomachs of tunas and related species caught by longline in Brazil ((23ºS í 34ºS) 1972 í 1985.)

Abstract

In 3799 stomachs of Thunnus alalunga, Thunnus albacares, Xiphias gladius, Coryphaena hippurus, Tetrapturus albidus, Istiophorus albicans and Thunnus obesus, fish was the most important food item occurrence in the southeastern area and in the fourth and first quarter of the year (summer) and also was the first in the total sample (69.3%). Cephalopod was the most important food item occurrence in the southern area and in the second and third quarter (winter) but was the second in the total (53.8%). Item crustacea occurred in small quantity (17.6%). Differences in the food items occurrences in the predators caught in the southeastern or southern areas no matter what season was, indicate a zoogeographic dissimilarity in the pelagic zone near the continental slop about the 27°S parallel.