Monitoring the diet of the South American Tern: the Argentine Anchovy as key prey in non-breeding grounds

ROCÍO MARIANO-JELICICH; MARÍA PATRICIA RODRÍGUEZ SILVA; SOFÍA COPELLO; JUAN PABLO SECO PON; MARÍA PAULA BERÓN; LAURA MAUCO; MARIELA GHYS; MARCO FAVERO

EMU

CSIRO PUBLISHING

Año: 2011 vol. 111 p. 292 - 296

0158-4197

The Argentine Anchovy (Engraulis anchoita) is one of the most important pelagic fishery resources along the Patagonian shelf and has been referred as prey for several seabirds in northern Argentine coast. The South American Tern (Sterna hirundinacea) is a migratory seabird, endemic of South America, breeding in the Atlantic coast from central Brazil to southern Argentina, and showing large non-breeding flocks during the austral winter and spring from southern Brazil to northern Patagonia. Tern´s diet was studied during three consecutive non-breeding seasons through the analysis of regurgitated pellets. More than 80% (index of relative importance) of fish prey for the South American terns was composed by the Argentine Anchovy. The importance of this prey was consistent throughout the study period. Other important fish prey were Odonthestes incisa, O. argentinensis and Cynoscion guatucupa. The growing interest of fisheries over the Argentine Anchovy, urge the development of studies analyzing the potential impact of its harvest on tern and other top predator populations.