• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.129-135
• /
• 2023

The diet composition of skinnycheek lanternfish, Benthosema pterotum were collected by bottom trawl net in the South Sea of Korea during 2021 (February, May, August, and November) and 2022 (February, April, August, and November). The size of the specimens ranged from 16 to 73 mm in total length. B. pterotum were mesopelagic carnivores that mainly consumed euphausiids and copepods. Its diets included small quantities of amphipods, shrimps, mysids, etc. We calculated the trophic level as 3.16 for B. pterotum. The individuals of small size class (<40 mm) fed mainly on copepods. In the next size classes (40~45 mm, 45~50 mm, 50~55 mm), copepods' proportion decreased and euphausiids increased. In the largest class (55~60 mm and ≥60 mm), the proportion of euphausiids' decreased, and shrimps increased. As the body size of B. pterotum increased the mean weight of prey per stomach (mW/ST) tended to significantly increase (One-way ANOVA, P<0.05).