Variations in type, width, volume and carbon content of anchoveta Engraulis ringens food items during the early larval stages.

In order to determine the changes in the relative importance of different kinds of preys as larval anchoveta Engralis ringens grows, the present study reports information about feeding incidence, type, size, and carbon content estimates of preys, at the beginning of the main spawning season in mid-winter off central Chile. Our results show a mixed diet initially dominated by phytoplankton and later switching to zooplankton in older larvae. While larval anchoveta grows, they feed on preys whose widths do not vary much compared to their body length and volume. These preys might be different taxa or a single species whose body widths vary little among life stages (i.e. nauplii and copepodites). Differences in estimated carbon content were observed among food items and a marked increase in carbon consumption was observed in the larger larval sizes (>9 mm standard length). These ontogenetic changes in feeding are coincident with the increased proportion of larger preys and also with the number of preys consumed by larger larvae.