Academic Journal

Diet of European hake (Merluccius merluccius) preflexion larvae in the Atlantic through DNA metabarcoding: eating fish from the very beginning

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Title: Diet of European hake (Merluccius merluccius) preflexion larvae in the Atlantic through DNA metabarcoding: eating fish from the very beginning
Authors: Aitor Albaina, Anders Lanzen, Naiara Rodríguez-Ezpeleta, Iñaki Mendibil, Naroa Aldanondo, Unai Cotano, Jorge Langa, Paula Alvarez
Source: Marine Biodiversity. 55
Publisher Information: Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Description: The diet of preflexion European hake larvae (Merluccius merluccius) in the North-Eastern Atlantic was assessed through miniCOI metabarcoding in its fishery’s Northern and Southern stocks. As previously reported for the larvae of other hake species worldwide, copepods of the genera Clausocalanus, Paracalanus, Pseudocalanus and Ctenocalanus represented the bulk of prey, with copepod DNA corresponding to 75% of the gut contents on average. By combining the high taxonomic resolution of metabarcoding with a parallel sampling of the food field, prey selection could be determined at the species level. The highest positive selection was reported for the copepod species Clausocalanus pergens and Ctenocalanus vanus. Neither the larval size (2–4 vs. 4–6 mm SL) nor the time of capture (Day vs. Night) affected dietary composition. However, the herein-reported importance of fish prey, only second to copepods and comprising, on average, 14% of prey DNA in the four surveys analyzed, is unprecedented. Moreover, our data suggest that European hake larvae enhanced their piscivore behaviour when copepod prey was less abundant. The present work reinforces the utility of DNA-based diet assessment to disclose previously neglected, but albeit potentially important, mortality sources when modelling fishery resources.
Document Type: Article
Language: English
ISSN: 1867-1624
1867-1616
DOI: 10.1007/s12526-025-01568-3
Rights: CC BY
Accession Number: edsair.doi...........9c1ba75b65b324eac86789c4e65d57ff
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  Data: Diet of European hake (Merluccius merluccius) preflexion larvae in the Atlantic through DNA metabarcoding: eating fish from the very beginning
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Aitor+Albaina%22">Aitor Albaina</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Anders+Lanzen%22">Anders Lanzen</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Naiara+Rodríguez-Ezpeleta%22">Naiara Rodríguez-Ezpeleta</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Iñaki+Mendibil%22">Iñaki Mendibil</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Naroa+Aldanondo%22">Naroa Aldanondo</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Unai+Cotano%22">Unai Cotano</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jorge+Langa%22">Jorge Langa</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Paula+Alvarez%22">Paula Alvarez</searchLink>
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  Data: <i>Marine Biodiversity</i>. 55
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  Data: The diet of preflexion European hake larvae (Merluccius merluccius) in the North-Eastern Atlantic was assessed through miniCOI metabarcoding in its fishery’s Northern and Southern stocks. As previously reported for the larvae of other hake species worldwide, copepods of the genera Clausocalanus, Paracalanus, Pseudocalanus and Ctenocalanus represented the bulk of prey, with copepod DNA corresponding to 75% of the gut contents on average. By combining the high taxonomic resolution of metabarcoding with a parallel sampling of the food field, prey selection could be determined at the species level. The highest positive selection was reported for the copepod species Clausocalanus pergens and Ctenocalanus vanus. Neither the larval size (2–4 vs. 4–6 mm SL) nor the time of capture (Day vs. Night) affected dietary composition. However, the herein-reported importance of fish prey, only second to copepods and comprising, on average, 14% of prey DNA in the four surveys analyzed, is unprecedented. Moreover, our data suggest that European hake larvae enhanced their piscivore behaviour when copepod prey was less abundant. The present work reinforces the utility of DNA-based diet assessment to disclose previously neglected, but albeit potentially important, mortality sources when modelling fishery resources.
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