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Diet of age-0 tarpon Megalops atlanticus near their northern range limit in the western Atlantic Ocean

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Abstract

The Atlantic tarpon Megalops atlanticus is a tropical-subtropical fish that occupies mangrove and salt marsh habitats during the first year of life. Diet during the first few months of life can have substantial effects on growth and survival of fishes. The purpose of our study was to examine the diet of age-0 tarpon in the North Inlet-Winyah Bay estuarine system, located near the northern extent of their distribution in the western Atlantic Ocean. We examined stomach contents to characterize tarpon diet and relate tarpon feeding to water temperature. The most important prey items based on the frequency of occurrence and proportion by weight indices were small fishes and crustaceans, whereas copepods were the most important prey based on the proportion by number index. Small age-0 tarpon (\(\le\) 100 mm) consumed small crustaceans (copepods) while large age-0 tarpon (> 100 mm) consumed larger crustaceans (shrimp) and age-0 tarpon of all sizes consumed fish. Most tarpon with empty stomachs were collected at temperatures < 25 °C, whereas most tarpon with prey in their stomach were collected at temperatures > 25 °C. The proportion of tarpon having at least one prey item in their stomach contents was greatest around 28 °C and declined at lower and higher water temperatures. Salt marsh habitats in the North Inlet-Winyah Bay estuarine system provide suitable food resources for age-0 tarpon. As water temperatures increase and tropical species, such as tarpon, expand their range, these coastal nursery habitats may become more important for tarpon growth and recruitment to the spawning stock.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the staff and students from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center Heritage Preserve (J. Collington, J. Dozier, H. Evans, B. Gamble, J. Lee, F. Sim, Z. Simpson, J. Wood), USC Baruch Marine Field Laboratory (D. Allen, R. Bulger, E. Haffey, M. Kennedy, B. Pfirrmann, J. Tesensky), and Coastal Carolina University (G. Elmo) for assistance with this research.

Funding

Funding for this research was provided by the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust and the Gupta College of Science at Coastal Carolina University

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  1. Marvin M. Mace III

    Present address: Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 580 Taylor Ave., B-2, Annapolis, MD, 21401, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Baruch Marine Field Laboratory, University of South Carolina, 2306 Crab Hall Road, Georgetown, SC, 29440, USA

    Marvin M. Mace III & Matthew E. Kimball

  2. Department of Biology, Coastal Carolina University, 107 Chanticleer Drive East, Conway, SC, 29526, USA

    Derek P. Crane & Justin McNabb

  3. Department of Marine Science, Coastal Carolina University, 107 Chanticleer Drive East, Conway, SC, 29526, USA

    Juliana M. Harding

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Correspondence to Marvin M. Mace III.

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All sampling and handling of fish was conducted in accordance to permits from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and protocols approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees at the University of South Carolina (protocol number: 2338-101197-030317) and Coastal Carolina University (protocol number: 2018.11).

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Mace, M.M., Crane, D.P., Kimball, M.E. et al. Diet of age-0 tarpon Megalops atlanticus near their northern range limit in the western Atlantic Ocean. Environ Biol Fish (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-024-01563-w

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