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ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TIGERFISH AND SARDINES IN LAKE KARIBA
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Limnological Society of Southern Africa • Authors: B.E. Marshall --- Department of Biological Sciences, ZimbabweThere was a clear relationship in Lake Kariba between the abundance of young-of-the-year (0+) tigerfish and the sardines on which they prey. The abundant sardine population that existed before commercial fishing began accounted for the increase in tiger-fish which occurred... -
Prosobranch mollusc species- and size-preferences of Sargochromis codringtonii (Cichlidae) in Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: J Brodersen MJ Chimbari H MadsenFrom the stomach contents of 28 wild-caught Sargochromis codringtonii from Lake Kariba the size and species of snails consumed were estimated from opercula found. An energetic cost/benefit ratio of the various sizes of the most frequent prey, Bellamya capillata, was... -
The food and feeding habits of five freshwater and brackish-water fish species in Nigeria
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: PO Ajah MN Georgewill MO AjahThe food and feeding habits of five economically important fresh-and brackish-water fishes, Channa obscura, Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus, Heterotis niloticus, Synodontis nigrita and Trachinotus maxillosus, were investigated. A number of techniques were used to carry out gut content analysis, including the Hynes... -
Rapid colonisation of artificial substrates by macroinvertebrates in a South African lentic environment
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: AJ Booth --- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, South Africa WT Kadye --- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, South Africa T Vu --- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, South Africa M Wright --- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, South AfricaMacroinvertebrate colonisation patterns on artificial substrates were investigated in a small reservoir in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Semi-closed 1 000 cm3 polythene netting cages filled with either brick, gravel, shredded plastic, or equal proportions of these three materials, were... -
ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TIGERFISH AND SARDINES IN LAKE KARIBA
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Southern African Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health • Authors: B.E. Marshall --- Department of Biological Sciences, ZimbabweThere was a clear relationship in Lake Kariba between the abundance of young-of-the-year (0+) tigerfish and the sardines on which they prey. The abundant sardine population that existed before commercial fishing began accounted for the increase in tiger-fish which occurred... -
Consideration of multispecies interactions in the Antarctic: a preliminary model of the minke whale – blue whale – krill interaction
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: M. Mori D. S. ButterworthAs a first step in investigating the major predator–prey interactions in the Antarctic, a model describing blue whales Balaenoptera musculus, minke whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata and krill Euphausia superba is developed. Blue and minke whales feed mainly on krill, and they... -
The diet of the ragged-tooth shark Carcharias taurus Rafinesque 1810 in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: MJ SmaleThe ragged-tooth shark Carcharias taurus is a large predator of inshore coastal waters in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Born at about 1m long and attaining approximately 3m, stomach content analyses have shown that it feeds largely on teleosts and... -
Surviving off junk: low-energy prey dominates the diet of African penguins Spheniscus demersus at Mercury Island, Namibia, between 1996 and 2009
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: K Ludynia --- Animal Demography Unit, Department of Zoology, South Africa J-P Roux --- Animal Demography Unit, Department of Zoology, South Africa R Jones --- Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Namibia J Kemper --- Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Namibia LG Underhill --- Animal Demography Unit, Department of Zoology, South AfricaThe diet of African penguins Spheniscus demersus in Namibia consisted mainly of sardine Sardinops sagax in the 1950s. Since the collapse of pelagic fish stocks in the 1970s, birds fed mainly on bearded (pelagic) goby Sufflogobius bibarbatus, a low-energy prey... -
Diet of large-eye dentex Dentex macrophthalmus (Pisces: Sparidae) off Angola and Namibia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: K Kilongo P Barros M DiehdiouThe large-eye dentex Dentex macrophthalmus is a major target species of the demersal fishery off Angola, and is taken as bycatch off northern Namibia. Its prey spectrum off Angola and Namibia is described from the stomach contents of 593 individuals... -
Confirmation of the occurrence of a second killer whale morphotype in South African waters
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: PB Best --- Mammal Research Institute, Whale Unit, South Africa MA Meÿer --- Branch: Oceans and Coasts, Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa M Thornton --- Mammal Research Institute, Whale Unit, South Africa PGH Kotze --- Branch: Oceans and Coasts, Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa SM Seakamela --- Branch: Oceans and Coasts, Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa GJG Hofmeyr --- Port Elizabeth Museum at Bayworld, Port Elizabeth, and Department of Zoology, South Africa S Wintner --- KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board, Umhlanga Rocks, and Biomedical Resource Unit, South Africa CD Weland --- Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, Canada D Steinke --- Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, CanadaKiller whales Orcinus orca occur worldwide in a number of morphotypes that differ in size, pigmentation, acoustic behaviour, food type and genetics – some may indeed warrant subspecific or even specific status. Until recently, all killer whales in South African... -
Notes on African Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus diet in savanna and forest in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Craig T Symes --- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, South Africa Annie R Antonites --- Anthropology Department, USAOur study reports on contrasts in prey items from African Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus nesting in forest (n = 1) and savanna (n = 2) biomes in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. At least 12 taxa were identified at a forest nest,... -
Foraging mode of a group-living lizard, Cordylus cataphractus (Cordylidae)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: P. le --- Department of Zoology, South Africa F.N. Mouton --- Department of Zoology, South Africa H. Geertsema --- Department of Entomology & Nematology, South Africa L. Visagie --- Department of Zoology, South AfricaCordylus cataphractus is a group-living lizard endemic to the dry western regions of southern Africa. Groups of up to 30 individuals are regularly encountered and, if this species is a sit-and-wait forager like other members of its family, competition for... -
Effect of location and season on the arthropod prey of Nycteris grandis (Chiroptera: Nycteridae)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Sarah Bayefsky-Anand --- Abraham Joshua Heschel School, U.S.A.Analysis of culled arthropod prey parts collected from beneath four feeding perches was used to assess prey taken by Nycteris grandis from November 1987 to May 1988. The perches were located along the Zambezi River in Mana Pools National Park... -
Do Cape ground squirrels (Xerus inauris) discriminate between olfactory cues in the faeces of predators versus non-predators?
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Lydia E. Belton --- Department of Zoology and Entomology, South Africa Nick Ball --- Department of Zoology and Entomology, South Africa Jane M. Waterman --- Department of Biology, U.S.A. Philip W. Bateman --- Department of Zoology and Entomology, South AfricaOne way to avoid potential predators is to be sensitive to odour cues, particularly those in faeces and urine, left by predators. This sensitivity has been demonstrated in many solitary, nocturnal, small mammals which may fall victim to ambush predators.We... -
Lion predation on elephants in the Savuti, Chobe National Park, Botswana
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: R. John Power --- Carnivore Conservation Group, Endangered Wildlife Trust, De Beers Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve, South Africa R. X. Shem Compion --- Carnivore Conservation Group, Endangered Wildlife Trust, De Beers Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve, South AfricaLions rarely prey on elephants. Botswana‘s Savuti lions, however, switch to preying on elephants during the late dry season (August–November), and the frequency of this has increased in the last two decades (1985–2005). An opportunity to document this phenomenon was... -
Do deterministic processes influence the phenotypic patterns of animalivorous bat ensembles at urban rivers?
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: M. Corrie Schoeman --- School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, South Africa Kirby J. Waddington --- School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, South AfricaAlthough urbanization is perhaps the most damaging, persistent, and rapidly expanding form of anthropogenic pressure on natural ecosystems, data on the patterns and processes of sympatric bat species in urban landscapes are relatively scant. We quantified the packing and dispersion... -
Foraging strategies of coexisting lacertid lizards in the arid Tankwa Karoo Basin of South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: I.J. du Plessis --- Department of Botany and Zoology, South Africa P. le F.N. Mouton --- Department of Botany and Zoology, South AfricaFour lacertid lizards, Pedioplanis laticeps, P. lineo-ocellata, Meroles knoxii and Nucras tessellata, occur sympatrically on the arid plains of the Tankwa Karoo Basin in South Africa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of foraging strategy in... -
Feeding biology of the giant clingfish Chorisochismus dentex – implications for limpet populations
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Y.A.R.G. Lechanteur --- Marine Biology Research Institute, South Africa K. Prochazka --- Marine Biology Research Institute, South AfricaThe behaviour of the giant clingfish, Chorisochismus dentex, feeding on limpets was investigated in the laboratory and in the field. Prey size and species preference were determined in captivity, and compared with observations of stomach contents obtained from fishes in... -
Foraging mode of serpentiform, grass-living cordylid lizards: a case study of Cordylus anguina
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: A. du Toit --- Department of Zoology, South Africa P. le F.N. Mouton --- Department of Zoology, South Africa H. Geertsema --- Department of Entomology and Nematology, South Africa A.F. Flemming --- Department of Zoology, South AfricaForaging mode of the Cape grass lizard, Cordylus anguina, was determined by using three criteria: 1) the number of movements per minute (MPM) and the percentage of time spent moving (PTM) during periods of activity; 2) prey chemical discrimination ability;... -
Diets of Cape clawless otters at two South African coastal localities
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: W. Emmerson --- Department of Zoology, South Africa S. Philip --- Department of Zoology, South AfricaThe diet of the Cape clawless otter Aonyx capensis was investigated at the Dwessa Nature Re serve and Mkambati Nature Reserve on the Wild Coast, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Their diet was more varied at Mkambati (15 prey species)... -
Near-shore distribution of Heaviside’s (Cephalorhynchus heavisidii) and dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) at the southern limit of their range in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: S.H. Elwen --- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, South Africa M. Thornton --- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, 0001 Pretoria c/o Iziko South African Museum, South Africa D. Reeb --- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, South Africa P.B. Best --- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, 0001 Pretoria c/o Iziko South African Museum, South AfricaPhoto-identification surveys over three years along 390 km of coastline north of Cape Town, revealed that Heaviside’s dolphin distribution was consistent between years and higher in areas more exposed to swells and with greater long-term availability of small hake Merluccius... -
Migration patterns of the Osprey Pandion haliaetus on the Eastern European–East African flyway
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Ülo Väli --- Department of Zoology, Estonia Urmas Sellis --- Eagle Club, EstoniaWe analysed migration strategies of the Osprey Pandion haliaetus on the poorly studied Eastern European–East African flyway. Four adult birds were equipped with GPS-based satellite-transmitters or data-loggers in their breeding sites in Estonia (north-eastern Europe) and tracked to their wintering... -
Is diet adaptability a reason for the persistence of African Crowned Eagles Stephanoaetus coronatus in altered habitats?
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Brian Reeves --- Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency, South Africa Andre F Boshoff --- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, Department of Zoology, South AfricaThe dietary response of African Crowned Eagles Stephanoaetus coronatus to habitat transformation was investigated. Habitat alteration around nests in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, was mapped and nests were assigned to two habitat classes. Prey remains were collected from around... -
Characterisation of the dietary relationships of two sympatric hake species, Merluccius capensis and M. paradoxus, in the northern Benguela region using fatty acid profiles
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: JA Iitembu --- Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Namibia NB Richoux --- Department of Zoology and Entomology, South AfricaThe two sympatric species of Cape hake, Merluccius capensis and M. paradoxus, have been the main targets of bottom-trawl fisheries off Namibia for several decades. The feeding ecology of these hakes has been studied mainly using stomach content analyses and... -
Influence of prey abundance and abiotic factors on the long-term home-range and movement dynamics of spotted grunter Pomadasys commersonnii in an intermittently open estuary
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: BA Maree --- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, South Africa PD Cowley --- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, South Africa TF Næsje --- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, South Africa A-R Childs --- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, South Africa AI Terörde --- Arcus Consulting, South Africa EB Thorstad --- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NorwayLong-term home-range and movement dynamics of spotted grunter Pomadasys commersonnii and the distribution of their dominant prey, the sandprawn Callichirus kraussi, were investigated in the intermittently open East Kleinemonde Estuary, South Africa. In addition, the effects of fish length, diel... -
Atlantic humpback dolphins Sousa teuszii in the Saloum Delta (Senegal): distribution, relative abundance and photo-identification
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: CR Weir --- Ketos Ecology, UKDuring October and November 2015, the first systematic survey of Sousa teuszii was carried out in the Saloum Delta (Senegal, West Africa), comprising 1 617.5 km of boat-based survey coverage. Thirty sightings were recorded in the Saloum and Diomboss rivers,... -
Selective predation and prey class behaviour as possible mechanisms explaining cheetah impacts on kudu demographics
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Douglas F Makin --- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, South Africa Graham IH Kerley --- Centre for African Conservation Ecology, South AfricaA number of predator–prey studies show that certain prey demographic classes are targeted over others. The possible mechanisms driving these effects can be two-fold. Firstly, a preference for a certain demographic class results in selective predation by a predator. Secondly,... -
Predatory pelagic fishes of the Bijagós Archipelago (Guinea-Bissau) show high overlap in diets dominated by sardinella
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: E Correia --- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Portugal JP Granadeiro --- Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Portugal A Regalla --- Instituto da Biodiversidade e das Áreas Protegidas da Guiné-Bissau (IBAP), Guinea-Bissau E Dias --- Instituto da Biodiversidade e das Áreas Protegidas da Guiné-Bissau (IBAP), Guinea-Bissau A Almeida --- Centro de Investigação Pesqueira Aplicada (CIPA), Guinea-Bissau P Catry --- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), PortugalKnowledge of trophic interactions between the key components of marine communities is required to understand food-web dynamics and develop ecosystem-based management approaches. In West Africa, where fisheries sustain the livelihoods of a significant part of the human population, this understanding... -
Diet of bluegill Lepomis macrochirus in a South African reservoir during winter and summer
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: PM Ndaleni --- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, South Africa RJ Wasserman --- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, South Africa BR Ellender --- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, South Africa OLF Weyl --- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, South AfricaAlien fishes are considered a major threat to aquatic biodiversity in South Africa, yet relatively little regional information on their biology and ecology is available for many of these species. Seasonal changes in the diet of the bluegill Lepomis macrochirus... -
How many can you catch? Factors influencing the occurrence of multi-prey loading in provisioning Greater Crested Terns
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Davide Gaglio --- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa Timothée R Cook --- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa Richard B Sherley --- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa Peter G Ryan --- DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, Department of Biological Sciences, South AfricaSeabirds use several methods to transport food to their chicks; most species carry food in their stomachs or crops, but some terns and auks carry prey in their bills. Terns usually only carry one prey item at a time, limiting... -
Temporal changes in prey composition and biomass delivery to African Crowned Eagle nestlings in urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Tim van der Meer --- School of Life Sciences, South Africa Shane McPherson --- School of Life Sciences, South Africa Colleen Downs --- School of Life Sciences, South AfricaGlobally urban areas are expanding rapidly and this usually has negative effects on biodiversity. Despite this, some species manage to persist in urban areas, as is the case with African Crowned Eagles Stephanoaetus coronatus in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. As relatively... -
Impact of shorebird predation on intertidal macroinvertebrates in a key North African Atlantic wintering site: an experimental approach
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: L Joulami --- Faculty of Sciences Ben M’sik, Morocco R El Hamoumi --- Faculty of Sciences Ben M’sik, Morocco Z Daief --- Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Morocco H Bazairi --- Faculty of Sciences, Morocco RJ Lopes --- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO), InBio Laboratório Associado, PortugalShorebirds, as migratory aquatic birds and top predators in intertidal ecosystems, can be affected by global environmental changes and escalations in local impacts on coastal lagoons and estuarine trophic networks. Many shorebirds winter in North African Atlantic coastal sites, most... -
Crayfish, catfish and snails: the perils of uncontrolled biological control
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: BE Marshall --- Great North Road, New ZealandA recent proposal that the Australian redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus and hybrid catfish could potentially control the snail hosts of schistosomiasis has been criticised on the grounds that crayfish pose a severe threat to aquatic ecosystems into which it might... -
The diet and trophic ecology of non-native Micropterus salmoides in two South African impoundments
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: GC Taylor --- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), South Africa JM Hill --- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), South Africa OLF Weyl --- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), South AfricaLargemouth bass Micropterus salmoides is a highly successful predator that preys on fish and invertebrates. Highly popular with anglers, it is one of the most introduced and invasive fish globally, with strong potential to alter ecosystem structure and functioning. A... -
Seasonal variation in diet and prey availability in the wall lizard Podarcis vaucheri (Boulenger, 1905) from the Djurdjura Mountains, northern Algeria
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Rabah Mamou --- , France Faïza Marniche --- , , Algeria Mansour Amroun --- , , Algeria Jean-Marie Exbrayat --- , France Anthony Herrel --- , FranceWe studied the composition and seasonal changes in diet and prey selection in the wall lizard Podarcis vaucheri of the Djurdjura Mountains throughout its activity period, from April to October 2014. The analysis of 238 faecal pellets revealed 1 206... -
Comparative trophic ecology of Cape anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus and Natal anchovy Stolephorus holodon off South Africa’s east coast
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: M Horton --- Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa CD van der Lingen --- Department of Biological Sciences, South AfricaThe distributional ranges of Cape anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus and Natal anchovy Stolephorus holodon presently overlap at their eastern and western extremes, respectively, off South Africa’s east coast. These species might become more strongly sympatric as a consequence of changed distributions... -
Diet of Glossogobius callidus (Teleostei: Gobiidae) in freshwater impoundments in the Sundays River Valley of the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: L Mofu --- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, South Africa DJ Woodford --- Centre for Invasion Biology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, South Africa RJ Wasserman --- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, South Africa T Dalu --- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, South Africa OLF Weyl --- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, South AfricaDespite the high abundance of the gobiid fish Glossogobius callidus in many freshwater ecosystems in South Africa, very few studies have assessed the biology and ecology of the species. Here, we investigated the diet of G. callidus populations sourced from... -
Geographical and temporal variation in the diet of Bank Cormorants Phalacrocorax neglectus in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: BM Dyer --- Department of Environment, South Africa J Cooper --- Department of Botany and Zoology, South Africa RJM Crawford --- Department of Environment, South Africa RB Sherley --- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, United Kingdom S Somhlaba --- Department of Environment, South Africa A Cockcroft --- Department of Environment, South Africa L Upfold --- Department of Environment, South Africa AB Makhado --- Department of Environment, South AfricaThe Bank Cormorant Phalacrocorax neglectus is endemic to the Benguela upwelling ecosystem off southwest Africa and is classified as Endangered owing to a recent large reduction in its number. It is thought that food scarcity, including a decreased abundance of... -
Diet of albacore Thunnus alalunga from the waters of Mauritius (western Indian Ocean) inferred from stomach contents and fatty acid analysis
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: Z Dhurmeea --- , Mauritius H Pethybridge --- , Australia EV Romanov --- , Réunion C Appadoo --- , Mauritius N Bodin --- , SeychellesThe diet of albacore Thunnus alalunga from their spawning ground in the waters of Mauritius was investigated. The stomach contents of 249 albacore individuals, caught by industrial longliners and artisanal fishers, was analysed, and the dominant prey taxa were selected... -
Foraging behaviour of wintering shorebirds at Merja Zerga lagoon (Atlantic coast, Morocco)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Feirouz Touhami --- , Morocco Hamid Rguibi Idrissi --- , Morocco Abdelaziz Benhoussa --- , MoroccoThis paper presents the results of a comparative study on the foraging behaviour of 15 species of wintering shorebirds at Merja Zerga lagoon. We video recorded a total of 600 actively foraging birds at the intertidal mudflats of the lagoon... -
Accounting for linefish dependency in management of the South African small pelagic fishery
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: D Parker --- , South Africa JC Coetzee --- , South Africa H Winker --- , South Africa CD van der Lingen --- , South AfricaTo further implement an ecosystem approach to management of the small pelagic fishery in South Africa, we attempted to develop functional relationships between spatialised time-series of the biomass of three small pelagic fish species and the catch per unit effort... -
Spatial and ontogenetic variability in the diet and trophic ecology of two co-occurring catsharks (Scyliorhinidae) off South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: GM van der Heever --- , South Africa CD van der Lingen --- , South Africa RW Leslie --- , South Africa MJ Gibbons --- , South AfricaThe Izak catshark Holohalaelurus regani and the yellow-spotted catshark Scyliorhinus capensis both occur over the continental shelf around South Africa and are often caught together as bycatch in demersal trawls. Yet our understanding of their diet is fragmented, which makes... -
Long-term variation in the breeding diets of macaroni and eastern rockhopper penguins at Marion Island (1994–2018)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: FE Dakwa --- , South Africa PG Ryan --- , South Africa BM Dyer --- , South Africa RJM Crawford --- , South Africa PA Pistorius --- , South Africa AB Makhado --- , South AfricaPopulations of the macaroni penguin Eudyptes chrysolophus and the eastern rockhopper penguin E. filholi breeding at Marion Island (Prince Edward Islands) in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean decreased from 1994 to 2018. We examined their diets when rearing chicks during this... -
A pilot study on the use of DNA metabarcoding for diet analysis in a montane amphibian population from North Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Ana Pereira --- Universidade do Porto, Portugal Mohamed Amine Samlali --- Cadi Ayyad University, Morocco Abderrahim S’Khifa --- Cadi Ayyad University, Morocco Tahar Slimani --- Cadi Ayyad University, Morocco D James Harris --- Universidade do Porto, PortugalAlthough dietary studies are essential to design effective conservation strategies for amphibians, non-invasive studies using microscopy assessment of faecal material are known to have limitations. We assessed the use of DNA metabarcoding to determine diet in the Moroccan painted frog... -
Nestling diet of the Algerian Nuthatch Sitta ledanti, an endemic threatened bird in Babors’ Kabylia region (north-eastern Algeria)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Mourad Zemouri --- , Algeria Lydia Asloune --- , Algeria Aida Adrar --- , Algeria Abdelouhab Bouchareb --- , Algeria Abdelazize Franck Bougaham --- , AlgeriaThe Algerian Nuthatch is an endemic and protected bird species in Algeria, and its different habitats are threatened by fires and others human actions; the species is therefore considered ‘Endangered’. A faecal samples analysis of the species’ nestlings was done... -
Are Cape Cormorants Phalacrocorax capensis losing the competition? Dietary overlap with commercial fisheries
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: OB Masiko --- , South Africa PG Ryan --- , South Africa CD van der Lingen --- , South Africa L Upfold --- , South Africa S Somhlaba --- , South Africa M Masotla --- , South Africa Y Geja --- , South Africa BM Dyer --- , South Africa RJM Crawford --- , South Africa AB Makhado --- , South AfricaCape Cormorants Phalacrocorax capensis breed in southern Africa’s Benguela upwelling system and in 2013 were listed as Endangered by the IUCN following a population decrease of >50% over their three most recent generations. This decrease was associated with reduced prey... -
Predicted future changes in ocean temperature and pH do not affect prey selection by the girdled dogwhelk Trochia cingulata
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: N Martin --- , South Africa S Clusella-Trullas --- , South Africa TB Robinson --- , South AfricaPredator–prey relationships can drive community dynamics in marine systems, but it remains unclear how future changes in seawater temperatures and pH will influence these relationships. This study assessed the effect of predicted future temperatures and pH on the prey choice... -
A Bat Hawk Macheiramphus alcinus pair preyed primarily on bats and birds that forage in clutter-edge and open-air habitat groups
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: G Malan --- , South Africa E Harris --- , South Africa T Harris --- , South Africa A Monadjem --- , EswatiniThis study aimed to analyse the diet of a pair of Bat Hawks Macheiramphus alcinus, based on regurgitated pellets, and the associated habitat-foraging groups that the prey species belonged to. A total of 908 regurgitated pellets were collected from underneath... -
Namaqua Dwarf Adders are generalist predators
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Bryan Maritz --- , , USA Graham J. Alexander --- , , South AfricaPrey items vary greatly in the total amount of energy they provide and the costs associated with their location, capture, consumption and assimilation. As a result not all prey types are of equal value, and the relative frequency with which... -
Long-term changes in petrel populations on Inaccessible Island, Tristan da Cunha, inferred from the diet of Brown Skuas Stercorarius antarcticus
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Peter G Ryan --- University of Cape Town, South AfricaPetrels that breed in burrows and return to their colonies after dark are among the most poorly studied seabirds. Brown Skuas Stercorarius antarcticus (family Stercorariidae) are major predators of burrowing petrels at many seabird breeding islands in the Southern Ocean,... -
The potential predators of pancake tortoises (Malacochersus tornieri) in Kenya
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Jacob Mueti Ngwava --- Hainan Normal University, China Fanrong Xiao --- Hainan Normal University, China Patrick Kinyatta Malonza --- , Kenya Beryl Akoth Bwong --- , Kenya Hai-Tao Shi --- Hainan Normal University, ChinaStudying the interactions between prey and predators is crucial for understanding the intricacies of predator-prey dynamics and for formulating effective conservation strategies. Yet there is almost no systematic analysis of pancake tortoise predation, and its consequences on the tortoise populations... -
Diet of a Maghreb Owl Strix mauritanica individual at Kahf Lakhal cave on Jbel Moussa, northern Morocco
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Abdeslam Rihane --- , Morocco Abdelmottalib Nahli --- University of Hassan II Casablanca, Morocco EL-Mustapha Laghzaoui --- , Morocco Youssef Dbiba --- , Morocco Mohamed Radi --- , Morocco Mohamed Dakki --- , Morocco El Hassan El Mouden --- , Morocco Rhimou El Hamoumi --- University of Hassan II Casablanca, MoroccoThe diet of a single Maghreb Owl Strix mauritanica (family Strigidae) was examined within its natural habitat at Kahf Lakhal cave on Jbel Moussa, a mountain in northern Morocco. The two distinct batches of pellets collected contained a total of... -
‘Vampire birds’: diet metabarcoding reveals that migrating Woodchat Shrikes Lanius senator consume engorged camel ticks in a desert stopover site
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Crinan Jarrett --- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Switzerland Marc Illa --- Institut Català d’Ornitologia, Nat-Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Spain Marta Burri --- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Switzerland Gabriel Marcacci --- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Switzerland Vanessa A Mata --- Universidade do Porto, Portugal Maria Luisa Boglino --- Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Austria Oumnia Himmi --- Mohammed V University of Rabat, Institut Scientifique, Morocco Ivan Maggini --- Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Austria Barbara Helm --- Swiss Ornithological Institute, SwitzerlandData on the diets of Afro-Palearctic migratory birds outside their breeding grounds are scarce, despite the importance of feeding during the migratory journey. Here, we report on anecdotal findings from a study in which we used diet metabarcoding to analyse... -
Southern African python (Python natalensis) diet, using information gathered from social media and historical data
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Kirsty J Kyle --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Colleen T Downs --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaAfrican pythons are the largest and among the most charismatic species of snake on the continent. Surprisingly little is known about the details of their diets. This may be due to the difficulty of compiling a list of prey items... -
Surveys of Sooty Falcons Falco concolor wintering in Madagascar in 2023 and 2024
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Gilbert Razafimanjato --- , Madagascar Michael J McGrady --- International Avian Research, Austria Radoniaina Razafiherison --- , Madagascar Heritiana J Randriamanantena --- , Madagascar Marius PH Rakotondratsima --- , Madagascar Idéaly J Dinafitiavana --- , Madagascar Russell Thorstrom --- World Center for Birds of Prey, United States Lily-Arison Rene de Roland --- , MadagascarMadagascar is the non-breeding-season destination for a significant proportion of the global population of the migratory and Vulnerable Sooty Falcon Falco concolor. Here, we report on surveys of wintering birds in Madagascar, conducted in 2023 and 2024 over a total... -
A reduced-parameter predator–prey model of soil formation from bedrock and biomass
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Journal of Plant and Soil • Authors: Animesh Samanta --- The Neotia University, India Priyanka Mandal --- The Neotia University, India Ayan Chatterjee --- The Neotia University, IndiaSoil–bedrock interaction on hillslopes is not well-studied, though it's affected by many physical and chemical factors. The aim of the present mathematical modelling study is to construct a model for soil formation utilising ordinary differential equations, all while reducing the...