Trophic Ecology of the Devil Firefish Pterois miles in the Eastern Mediterranean: An Integrated Study Based on Stomach Content and Stable Isotope Analyses

Abstract

Τhe trophic ecology of Pterois miles in the Mediterranean Sea was performed by integrating data from stomach contents (SCA) and stable isotopes analyses (SIA), based on samples caught off the Greek island of Rhodes, SE, Aegean Sea, for the first time. This combined approach provides information on ingested (SCA) and assimilated (SIA) food and thus allows for the depiction of predator–prey relationships. Specimens of devil firefish, including both juveniles and adults (total length of analyzed specimens spanned from 11.40 to 31.50 cm), were collected from different sites around Rhodes. Their diet consisted of bony fish, cephalopods, crustaceans, and gastropods. The δ13C and δ15N values ranged from −18.0 ‰ to −14.4 ‰ and from 7.2 ‰ to 9.2 ‰, respectively. SIA data allowed for the estimation of the trophic position of devil firefish from Rhodes Island, which showed a mean value of 3.1 ± 0.6 and confirms that the species primarily relies on a benthic baseline. Further, our isotopic values approach those obtained in North Carolina and Bermuda, confirming its role as a mesopredator in the Mediterranean benthic food webs. Although preliminary, such results can provide an important baseline for future investigations on the species and the potential impact on the Mediterranean food webs.

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