TY - JOUR AU - Martínez Coello, Diana AU - Lopeztegui Castillo, Alexander AU - Amor Marrero, Ulises PY - 2015/12/15 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Sex differences in the composition of the natural diet of Panulirus argus (Decapoda: Palinuridae) in the eastern of the Gulf of Batabano, Cuba JF - UNED Research Journal JA - URJ VL - 7 IS - 2 SE - Articles DO - 10.22458/urj.v7i2.1153 UR - https://revistas.uned.ac.cr/index.php/cuadernos/article/view/1153 SP - 269-277 AB - <span>The spiny lobster </span><span class="char-style-override-1">Panulirus argus</span><span> is one of the most valuable fishery resources in the Caribbean Sea. This is the only species of lobster that has commercial importance in Cuba. This study was aimed to identify the organisms that conform the natural diet for both sexes of </span><span class="char-style-override-1">P. argus</span><span> and to determine the importance of each prey in the diet of each sex. A total of 30 stomachs of commercial lobsters (≥ 76mm of carapace length) was analyzed. The identified content was grouping by items and classified for species if it was possible. The total weight of each item was determined and the gravimetric method was applied to estimate the relative weight of the principal diet components. The most frequently consumed prey was also determined. Items with high, middle or low importance were established by the relative importance index (IIR). Similarities between both sexes diet were estimated by similarity index (ISe). Stomachs were extracted of lobsters captured in a fishing zones from eastern of the gulf of Batabano. The predation pressure (P) on the mollusks species found in the stomach content was calculated based on the respective opercula. It was possible to identified 15 feeding entities (12 in females and 14 in the males) being the preferences: crustacean rests (100%), shell rests (80%), vegetable rests (70%), opercula (63%) and mineral rests (53%). Those preference entities were the same between sexes although in the males the foraminifera and the mineral rest were included. The IIR showed crustaceans as a single group of high importance. The gravimetric analysis showed crustaceans as the most consumed prey (62.3% in females and 40% in males). The opercula of </span><span class="char-style-override-1">Lobatus gigas</span><span>, </span><span class="char-style-override-1">Turbo castanea</span><span>, </span><span class="char-style-override-1">Fasciolaria tulipa</span><span>, </span><span class="char-style-override-1">Nassarius antillarum</span><span>, </span><span class="char-style-override-1">Cerithium</span><span> sp and </span><span class="char-style-override-1">Tegula fasciata</span><span> were found. </span><span class="char-style-override-1">Tegula fasciata</span><span> showed the highest predation pressure (2.25 in females and 2.14 in males) and together </span><span class="char-style-override-1">Cerithium</span><span> sp. they were the most abundant species (60.5% and 33.9% respectively). Respect to the weight of stomach contents the Mann-Whitney test showed no significant difference between females and males. The diet of both sexes of </span><span class="char-style-override-1">P. argus</span><span> in the assessed area was similar (ISe=96.75%) and it was constituted mainly of crustaceans and mollusks.</span> ER -