Knowledge of marine predator trophic ecology is essential for defining their ecological role and trophic position in ecosystems. Based on their trophic habits, sharks and batoids occupy higher and medium trophic levels in the food webs, although differences in the trophic preferences exist between species. They are important organisms in marine ecosystems by maintaining the species below them in the food chain and serving as an indicator for ocean health. In comparison to sharks, batoids usually receive less research attention, with very little diet information available. This is true of the speckled ray (Raja polystigma), one of the three endemic batoids in Mediterranean waters. Here, by combining analyses of stomach contents and stable isotopes, we examined the trophic ecology (dietary composition and trophic position) of this ray in the north-western Mediterranean Sea. We also compared its trophic niche with the trophic position of other sympatric elasmobranchs present in same marine ecosystem. The results revealed that R. polystigma mainly consumes shrimps and to a lesser extent crabs, fin-fish, cephalopods, polychaetes and, surprisingly, small demersal sharks. We also found that R. polystigma shows similar trophic position to other crustacean-consumer elasmobranchs such rays and small demersal sharks. The results of this study provide new insights into the ecological role of this endemic ray species in the Mediterranean Sea.

了解海洋捕食者的营养生态学对于定义其在生态系统中的生态作用和营养位置至关重要。根据它们的营养习性，鲨鱼和类蝙蝠在食物网中占据较高和中等营养水平，尽管不同物种之间在营养偏好方面存在差异。它们是海洋生态系统中的重要生物，通过在食物链中维持其下方的物种并作为海洋健康的指标来发挥作用。与鲨鱼相比，蝙蝠一般较少受到研究关注，饮食信息也很少。斑点射线（Raja polystigma）确实如此），这是地中海水域中的三种地方性蜡oid之一。在这里，通过对胃内容物和稳定同位素的分析相结合，我们检查了该射线在地中海西北海域的营养生态学（饮食组成和营养位置）。我们还比较了其营养小生境与同一海洋生态系统中存在的其他同伴弹s的营养位置。结果表明，多头红斑蛙主要食用虾，其次为蟹，鳍鱼，头足类，多毛类，以及令人惊讶的是小深海鲨鱼。我们还发现，多头R显示出与其他甲壳类消费性弹性分支（如射线和小型深海鲨鱼）相似的营养位置。这项研究的结果为这种特有射线物种在地中海中的生态作用提供了新的见解。