FOOD-HABITS OF JUVENILE RED GROUPERS, EPINEPHELUS-MORIO (VALENCIENNES, 1828), FROM CAMPECHE BANK, YUCATAN, MEXICO

Stomach contents revealed that juvenile red grouper Epinephelus morio from Campeche Bank (Yucatan, Mexico) prey heavily on demersal reef invertebrates such as brachyurans (true crabs) and stomatopods. Fishes, molluscs and shrimps occurred infrequently in the sample. Stomatopods appeared only in the larger individuals, but otherwise there was no clear evidence of size related differences in the main prey groups. The degree of overlap in identified prey species in stomachs from four different sites indicated no regional variation in feeding habits or prey availability. In spite of the bias in data resulting from rapid digestion of soft-bodied organisms and from the sampling method used.