Seagrass meadows in far South Texas are dominated by turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum), and juvenile pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides) are abundant grazers of seagrass epifauna. As they grow, pinfish exhibit an ontogenetic dietary shift and begin consuming increasing amounts of plant material. In this study, contrasting environmental regimes in two seagrass meadows were examined to identify how they might affect pinfish diets, diet shifts, and growth across the growing season. The eastern site was sheltered from prevailing southeasterly winds by a barrier island, while the western site was shallower and subjected to higher wind energy and turbidity. Gut contents from 290 pinfish were quantified from May through October 2016 and multivariate analyses showed strong but overlapping separation of diets and temporal change in feeding habits. Although there were spatial and temporal differences between the two sites, a site by time interaction indicated different temporal trends. Nonetheless, ooze (amorphous detritus) and aquatic invertebrates (primarily amphipods) were the primary diet items consumed at both localities across time. Pinfish at both sites consumed seagrass, which increased in importance as the growing season progressed, although volume and consumption rate did not differ between sites. Growth rates of pinfish were similar at both sites, but pinfish from the western site were larger and fewer in number across the study. Although pinfish diets differed under different environmental regimes, they were generalist consumers in South Texas seagrass meadows with high diet variability that trended towards herbivory in late summer and fall.

中文翻译：

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得克萨斯州下拉古纳马德雷环境条件不同的海龟草床（地中海藻）的Bed鱼（泻湖菱形）的饮食时空趋势

得克萨斯州南部的海草草甸以龟草（Thalassia testudinum）和少年pin鱼（Lagodon rhomboides）为主。）是海草表生动物的食草动物。随着它们的生长，pinfish表现出个体发育的饮食变化，并开始消耗越来越多的植物材料。在这项研究中，研究人员对比了两个海草草甸的环境状况，以确定它们如何影响pin鱼的饮食，饮食变化以及整个生长期的生长。东部岛被屏障岛遮挡了盛行的东南风，而西部岛则较浅，风能和浊度更高。从290种pin鱼的肠含量于2016年5月至2016年10月进行了定量分析，多变量分析显示，日粮之间存在强烈但重叠的分离，并且喂养习惯随时间发生了变化。尽管两个站点之间存在时空差异，但通过时间交互作用的站点表明了不同的时间趋势。但是，渗出液（无定形碎屑）和水生无脊椎动物（主要是两栖动物）是整个地区在两个时间段内消耗的主要饮食。两个地点的鱼都消费了海草，海藻的重要性随着生长期的发展而增加，尽管地点之间的数量和消费率没有差异。在这两个地点，pin鱼的增长率相似，但在整个研究中，来自西部地点的fish鱼数量较大，数量较少。尽管针鱼的饮食在不同的环境条件下会有所不同，但它们是德克萨斯州南部海草草甸的全民消费者，饮食变化多，夏末和秋季趋于食草。两个地点的鱼都消费了海草，海藻的重要性随着生长期的发展而增加，尽管地点之间的数量和消费率没有差异。在这两个地点，pin鱼的增长率相似，但在整个研究中，来自西部地点的fish鱼数量较大，数量较少。尽管针鱼的饮食在不同的环境条件下会有所不同，但它们是德克萨斯州南部海草草甸的全民消费者，饮食变化多，夏末和秋季趋于食草。两个地点的鱼都消费了海草，海藻的重要性随着生长期的发展而增加，尽管地点之间的数量和消费率没有差异。在这两个地点，pin鱼的增长率相似，但在整个研究中，西部地点的pin鱼数量较大，数量较少。尽管针鱼的饮食在不同的环境条件下会有所不同，但它们是德克萨斯州南部海草草甸的全民消费者，饮食变化多，夏末和秋季趋于食草。