Moncada-Rosas, A.M., A., Castro-Díaz, A., Tripp-Valdez & F., Galván-Magaña (2025). Feeding habits of the brown smooth-hound Mustelus henlei (Chondrichthyes: Triakidae) on the west coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. Environmental Biology of Fishes. DOI: 10.1007/s10641-025-01683-x.
Ana María Moncada-Rosas 1, Alejandra Castro-Díaz 2, Arturo Tripp-Valdez 3 y Felipe Galván-Magaña 3
The diet and feeding habits of the brown smooth-hound shark (Mustelus henlei) were analyzed, considering variations based on sex, maturity, and capture year. This analysis was conducted using the stomach contents of 150 individuals (122 females and 18 males) captured between 2014 and 2018 by artisanal fisheries on the western coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. The trophic spectrum of this shark included 41 prey categories (17 crustaceans, 21 teleost fish, 1 cephalopod, and 1 marine mammal skin). Hemisquilla californiensis (26.7%PSIRI) and Grimothea planipes (20.88%PSIRI) were the most important prey in the diet, followed by bony fish such as Porichthys spp. and Sardinops sagax. Both demersal and pelagic prey were found, indicating a broad habitat exploration. Although the main prey were the same in all categories, variation in their proportion and the composition of secondary prey generated significant differences in the diet between sexes, maturity stages, and sampling years, resulting in no trophic overlap between these diets. The Levin index and Amundsen graphs indicated this species as a selective opportunist predator with individual-specialization towards certain prey, except for juvenile organisms, which tend to be generalists (Bi = 0.60). M. henlei was classified as a tertiary consumer (trophic position = 4.11 ± 0.09) due to its wide range of prey and its benthopelagic habits. This study provides necessary foundational information about the feeding habits of this shark in the region, crucial for understanding the trophic dynamics and variations across sex, maturity, and sampling periods.
Palabras clave: trophic overlap; Trophic position; Niche breadth; diet; PSIRI; Sharks
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