Abstract

The southern ray's bream Brama australis is an important artisanal fishery resource in the coast of central Chile, included into biological monitoring programs, but with few evaluations of its trophic aspects. In order to update the state of knowledge, its diet was analyzed during the austral summer (time of greater availability of this fish in the central coast of Chile). By means of stomach contents analysis of 300 specimens captured between November 2011 and March 2012. A diet dominated by Euphausia mucronata (IIR = 92.33%) was identified, although on a monthly scale a mixed diet of E. mucronata was identified during November, December 2011 and March 2012, beside Pterygosquilla armata and hyperiid amphipods during January and March 2012. A comparison by gender revealed no significant differences. These results demonstrate and confirm that B. australis is a selective pelagic predator of reduced trophic spectrum in the coast of central Chile.