Amphipods as one of the main food components of three pleuronectiformes from the continental shelf of south Brazil and north Uruguay

Amphipods are analysed as one of the main food components of the flatfishes: Verecundum rasile, Etropus longimanus and Simphurus jenynsi. The fish were caught on the continental shelf of south Brazil and north Uruguay. V. rasile, E. longimanus and S. jenynsi ingested respectively: 19, 17 and 8 species from a total of 29 species. Only Ampelisca panamensis, Liljeborgia quinquedentata and Pseudharpinia dentata were common prey for the three fishes. Amphipoda species were consumed in a different way by the fishes in terms of percent composition. V. rasile is an infaunal feeder, while E. longimanus is epifaunal. An equal percentage of epifaunal and infaunal species found in S. jenynsi revealed a non-preference, probably due to its characteristics of smell and touch feeders.Contribution no. 506 of the Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil