Decapod crustaceans in the diets of demersal fish in the Cantabrian Sea

The diets of 14 species of demersal fish, representing 81% of the fish biomass of the Cantabrian Sea (ICES Division VIIIc), were determined in the spring and autumn of 1988 from the analysis of 6536 stomachs. Decapod crustaceans represented 54.3% of the diet of these fish in frequency of occurrence and 22.1% in percentage by volume. The main prey taxa were: Solenocera membranacea, Alpeus glaber, the Crangonidae and Processidae families within the Natantia, the Paguridae and Galatheidae families within the Anomura, and Goneplax rhomboides and the Portunidae family within the Brachyura. Predator-prey linkages were described and each predator was assigned to the size group that would best demonstrate any size-related feeding pattern.