Food and feeding habits of a herbivore fish Sarpa salpa (L.) (Teleostei, Sparidae) in the southern Adriatic (Croatia)

Abstract

     The diet of salema (Sarpa salpa L.) (2-3 years old) was studied in the southern Adri­atic (the area of Dubrovnik). The gut content analysis showed a great diversity of benthic algae (101 taxa) and one marine phanerogam (Posidonia oceanica). The Rhodophyta taxa seem to be most the important component of the diet. Food of animal origin was very poorly represented; it was composed mainly of epibionts, presumably taken by chance.