Abstract

Relatively little information is available on the feeding habits of the Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) from the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. The productive shallow water habitats of coastal barrier islands in this region of the fish. During July 2000 the digestive tracts of 78 juvenile pompano were collected from barrier island habitats in Mississippi (Horn, Ship, and Petit Bois Islands), Alabama (Dauphin Island), and West Florida (Santa Rosa Island), preserved, and examined for food items. Comparisons of the prey organisms found were made based on fish size and collection site (e.g. open beaches of the Gulf or the protected beaches of the bay/sound) from the four islands. Of the 78 juvenile pompano examined all but three contained identifiable food items, which represented at least 32 different prey items. Crustaceans, primarily juvenile mole crabs (Emerita spp.), were the dominant food items of the juvenile pompano. Mole crabs occurred at all but one of the eight collecting sites. Diet diversity was slightly higher for fish from open beach habitats than for fish from the protected beaches of the bay or sound sides of the islands [Mississippi Sound/ Mobile Bay/ Pensacola Bay]. Fish collected from the protected north sides of the islands fed on more estuarine organisms (e.g., Neanthes succinea, Corophium louisianum) than those fish examined from open beach Gulf habitats. Our preliminary data indicate that during the summer months, juvenile pompano are opportunistic feeders utilizing the most readily available food resources within the habitats they forage. Juvenile pompano from open beach habitats appear to feed on juveniles of prey species (Donax: spp., Emerita spp.) known from the diet of adults

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