caa a22 4500 477116086 CHVBK 20180405111622.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170330e19960301xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/BF00003100 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/BF00003100 Age specific food utilization and spatial distribution of the puffer, Takifugu niphobles , over an intertidal sand flat [Elektronische Daten] [Kazunori Yamahira, Taiji Kikuchi, Satoshi Nojima] Synopsis: Spatial distribution and feeding habits of the puffer fish,Takifugu niphobles, were studied to understand its mode of resource utilization in an intertidal sand flat at Tomioka in the western coast of Kyushu Island, Japan. The transect survey during high tides showed the presence of young puffers near the shoreline, while adults were mainly found in the offshore area of the sand flat. The gut contents analysis showed that although the young puffers foraged more frequently on organisms dwelling in the inshore area than the adults, both puffers fed mainly on the ghost shrimpCallianassa japonica inhabiting the entire sand flat. There was no apparent difference in the size of consumedC. japonica between the young and adult puffers. However, comparison of size structures of ghost shrimps in the field and in the gut contents showed that the young puffers foraged both from inshore and offshore areas of the sand flat, while the adults foraged mainly in the offshore area. This suggests that young puffers move more frequently over the sand flat with tides than adult ones. This pattern of trophic separation among size classes may reflect environmental features of the intertidal sand flat with large tidal fluctuations. Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1996 Tidal fluctuation nationallicence Habitat separation nationallicence Foraging site nationallicence Diet analysis nationallicence Young and adult nationallicence Resource partitioning nationallicence Callianassa japonica nationallicence Yamahira Kazunori Amakusa Marine Biological Laboratory, Kyushu University, Tomioka, Reihoku-cho, 863-25, Amakusa, Kumamoto, Japan aut Kikuchi Taiji Amakusa Marine Biological Laboratory, Kyushu University, Tomioka, Reihoku-cho, 863-25, Amakusa, Kumamoto, Japan aut Nojima Satoshi Amakusa Marine Biological Laboratory, Kyushu University, Tomioka, Reihoku-cho, 863-25, Amakusa, Kumamoto, Japan aut Environmental Biology of Fishes Kluwer Academic Publishers 45/3(1996-03-01), 311-318 0378-1909 45:3<311 1996 45 10641 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00003100 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00003100 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Yamahira Kazunori Amakusa Marine Biological Laboratory, Kyushu University, Tomioka, Reihoku-cho, 863-25, Amakusa, Kumamoto, Japan aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Kikuchi Taiji Amakusa Marine Biological Laboratory, Kyushu University, Tomioka, Reihoku-cho, 863-25, Amakusa, Kumamoto, Japan aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Nojima Satoshi Amakusa Marine Biological Laboratory, Kyushu University, Tomioka, Reihoku-cho, 863-25, Amakusa, Kumamoto, Japan aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Environmental Biology of Fishes Kluwer Academic Publishers 45/3(1996-03-01), 311-318 0378-1909 45:3<311 1996 45 10641 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer