Diet Composition of the Blotched Picarel Spicara flexuosa Rafinesque, 1810 (Actinopterygii: Sparidae) from the Aegean Sea, Turkey

Stomach content of Spicara flexuosa from the Sigacik Bay (400 individuals) was studied. Overall, 64 taxa were identified belonging to 16 prey groups. the relative importance analysis identified crustacean groups (mostly pelagic copepods) as the most important prey in the diet of all size groups in all seasons. in addition, larvae of Decapoda and Mysidacea were also important in certain seasons and size groups. Based on the results of the study, S. flexuosa is a pelagic zooplanktivorous species that feeds with meso- and macrozooplankton, with pelagic copepods being the main food item for this species.