ECOLOGIA TROFICA DE Mugil curema, M. incilis y M. liza (PISCES: MUGILIDAE) EN LA CIENAGA GRANDE DE SANTA MARTA, CARIBE COLOMBIANO. I. ANALISIS CUALITATIVO Y CUANTITATIVO

Abstract

A comparative study has been carried out considering qualitative and quantitative aspects of the stomach contents ofMugil curema, M. inci/is and M. liza in the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta. The percentages of meiobenthic invertebrates in the stomach contents of M. inci/is and M. liza was high in the low salinity period, and decreased with the increase in salinity, when M. curema appeared in the Ciénaga. This species has basically vegetarian diet, eating mainly benthic diatoms; M. liza showed a detritic diet though markedly influenced by accompaning bottom meiofauna and M. incilis the most balanced diet compared to that of the other spe- * cies. Mean particle size found in theÿtomach contents were 163 nm in M. curema, 229 nm in M. incilis and 401xnm in M. liza, thus confirming a selective character in its ingestion.