Total Diet Comparison in Fishes by Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficients

Abstract

The Spearman rank correlation and t-test were employed as a novel method for comparative analysis of total diets of three species of Killifish (Cyprinodontidae). The Calfornia killifish, Fundulus parvipinnis and mummichog, F. heteroclitus, of Nova Scotia have similar diets in similar but remotely separated habitats. In contrast two populations of F. heteroclitus inhabiting substantially different habitats have different diets. Two phylogenetically related sympatric species, F. heteroclitus and the banded killifish, F. diaphanus are shown to have differing diets. These results agree with the expected feeding performance of closely related species inhabiting the same trophic level sympatrically and allopatrically.