Feeding Habit of Limanda yokohamae in the Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Bed in Kwangyang Bay

Abstract

Feeding habits of Limanda yokohamae collected from the eelgrass bed in Kwangyang Bay were studied. L. yokohamae (1-16 cm SL) was a carnivore which consumed mainly polychaetes. Its diets included a significant quantity of amphipods (gammarids and caprellids) as well as small quantities of gastropods and ophiuroids. L. yokohamae showed ontogenetic changes in feeding habits. Small individuals less than 4 cm SL preyed mainly on amphipods. However, polychaetes were heavily selected with increasing fish size while the portion of the diet attributable to amphipods decreased sharply. Polychaetes were the major prey organisms for all seasons. Dietary breadth of each size class shows relatively low value, and this means that L. yokohamae depends on only few kinds of food organisms.