Food Composition and Dietary Overlap of the Lionfish Species in Iskenderun Bay

The food composition and dietary overlap of the Pterois volitans and P. miles were studied in the İskenderun Bay. The main prey groups found in the stomachs of the P. volitans and P. miles were fishes and crustaceans. The study has shown that the Niche overlap-Pianka's index of these species was 83,2%. Most of the stomach contents for both species were not identified. Fish and shirimps were found in the stomachs contents of both species freqently. However reef parts, moss residuals, molluscs shell parts and crab parts were found in the stomachs content for both species rarely. Chlorophthalmus agassizi, Uranoscopus scaber, Helicolenus dactylopterus, Serranidae, Sparidae and Scorpaenidae members have been identified as stomach contents of P. volitans. Similarly C. agassizi was identified in the stomach contents of P. miles. Conspicuously, juvenile lionfish and body parts of juvenile lionfishes (dorsal fin and spines) were found in 4 specimens stomachs of P. miles.

Keywords:

Pterois miles, Pterois volitans, lionfish diet composition, stomach analyses,

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