Feeding Ecology and Diet Composition in Fish Assemblages

Feeding ecology and diet composition in fish assemblages examine how species acquire, process and partition food resources within aquatic ecosystems. Central to this field is an understanding of trophic interactions, dietary plasticity and how biotic and abiotic factors—such as seasonality, habitat structure and body size—influence prey selection. Assemblages often comprise omnivorous, carnivorous and detritivorous species, each occupying a distinct trophic niche. Omnivores may shift from benthic invertebrates to small fishes as they grow, while strict carnivores regulate prey populations, and detritivores link primary production to higher trophic levels. Studies employ a range of methods, from visual stomach-content analysis and indices of prey importance to stable-isotope techniques, to quantify diet breadth, niche overlap and resource partitioning. Insights into feeding dynamics inform fisheries management, conservation of endangered species and the maintenance of ecosystem function, particularly under pressures such as habitat alteration and climate change. By revealing the complexity of trophic networks and the drivers of dietary shifts, research in this domain supports sustainable exploitation and habitat restoration strategies worldwide.

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Feeding Ecology and Diet Composition in Fish Assemblages publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in feeding ecology and diet composition in fish assemblages across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Vacuity rate: The percentage of examined stomachs found to be empty, indicating feeding intermittency or methodological gaps.

Relative importance index (IRI): A composite measure combining numerical, volumetric and frequency‐of‐occurrence data to rank prey taxa in diet studies.

Trophic niche breadth: A description of the range of prey types utilised by a species, reflecting dietary generalism or specialisation.

Gravimetric method: A technique quantifying food intake by measuring the mass of prey items in stomach contents.

References

1. The feeding habits of the Amur whitefish Coregonus ussuriensis in the Amur River, China. Frontiers in Environmental Science (2023).
2. Feeding studies take guts – critical review and recommendations of methods for stomach contents analysis in fish. Journal of Fish Biology (2019).
3. Diet composition of redfish (Sebastes sp.) during periods of population collapse and massive resurgence in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Frontiers in Marine Science (2022).