Ecology Summary - Trichiurus lepturus

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Main Ref.	Nakamura, I. and N.V. Parin, 1993
Remarks	Generally over muddy bottoms of shallow coastal waters (Ref. 9351). Often enter estuaries (Ref. 9351). Adults and juveniles have opposing complementary vertical diurnal feeding migration. Juveniles and small adults form schools about 100 m above the bottom during daytime and form loose feeding aggregations at night-time near the surface where they prey on planktonic organisms such as euphausiids, small pelagic planktonic crustaceans and small fishes (anchovies, bregmacerotids, etc.). Large adults feed on pelagic prey (anchovies, sardines, myctophiids, bregmacerotids, carangoids, sphyraenids, atherinids, sciaenids, Scomber, Trichiurus, squid and crustaceans, etc.) near the surface during daytime and migrate to the bottom at night (Also Ref. 9773). One of the main predators during summer in a sandy beach at Canto Grande, Santa Catarina, Brazil (Ref. 55758). Benthopelagic. Dwells in shallow sandy estuaries to deeper waters. Shoaling species. Crepuscular feeding habit (Ref. 9773).

Main Ref.

Nakamura, I. and N.V. Parin, 1993

Remarks

Generally over muddy bottoms of shallow coastal waters (Ref. 9351). Often enter estuaries (Ref. 9351). Adults and juveniles have opposing complementary vertical diurnal feeding migration. Juveniles and small adults form schools about 100 m above the bottom during daytime and form loose feeding aggregations at night-time near the surface where they prey on planktonic organisms such as euphausiids, small pelagic planktonic crustaceans and small fishes (anchovies, bregmacerotids, etc.). Large adults feed on pelagic prey (anchovies, sardines, myctophiids, bregmacerotids, carangoids, sphyraenids, atherinids, sciaenids, Scomber, Trichiurus, squid and crustaceans, etc.) near the surface during daytime and migrate to the bottom at night (Also Ref. 9773). One of the main predators during summer in a sandy beach at Canto Grande, Santa Catarina, Brazil (Ref. 55758). Benthopelagic. Dwells in shallow sandy estuaries to deeper waters. Shoaling species. Crepuscular feeding habit (Ref. 9773).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Trichiurus lepturus may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Benthic; Pelagic; Soft Bottom: sand; mud;
Substrate Ref.	Martin, F.D. and J.W. Patus, 1984
Special habitats	Coral Reefs;
Special habitats Ref.	Nguyen, N.T. and V.Q. Nguyen, 2006

Associations

Ref.
Associations	shoaling;
Associated with
Association remarks
Parasitism

Feeding

Feeding type	mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref.	Nakamura, I. and N.V. Parin, 1993
Feeding habit	hunting macrofauna (predator)
Feeding habit Ref.	Nakamura, I. and N.V. Parin, 1993

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method	Original sample		Unfished population		Remark
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition	4.42	0.37	4.39	0.74	Troph of adults from 4 studies.
From individual food items	4.36	0.92			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.	Portsev, P.I., 1980

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