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Feeding Habits Of Blacktip Sharks, Carcharhinus Limbatus, And Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks, Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae, In Louisiana Coastal Waters, Kevin Patrick Barry
Feeding Habits Of Blacktip Sharks, Carcharhinus Limbatus, And Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks, Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae, In Louisiana Coastal Waters, Kevin Patrick Barry
LSU Master's Theses
Little is known regarding the feeding behavior of many shark species. Even less is known about shark feeding habits in Louisiana coastal waters. The stomach contents of gillnet-captured blacktip sharks (n=356), Carcharhinus limbatus, and Atlantic sharpnose sharks (n=55), Rhizoprionodon terraenovae, were examined in this study. Roughly half of the blacktip stomachs (52%) and sharpnose stomachs (45%) contained prey items. The primary prey item in terms of percent number, occurrence, and weight for blacktips and sharpnose was the gulf menhaden, Brevoortia patronus. Both blacktips and sharpnose appear to mainly be piscivores; however, no members of Sciaenidae, the most common family of …