Forage fish are a vital trophic group in marine ecosystems and numerical models, linking plankton with higher trophic levels. The bioenergetics of a key forage fish in eastern Australia, yellowtail scad Trachurus novaezelandiae, was measured using static respirometry and bomb calorimetry to assess their trophic contribution as both predator and prey. The temperature-dependent standard metabolic rate (SMR) of yellowtail scad was 0.62 mgO₂ g^−0.79 h⁻¹ and Q₁₀ of 1.98. The SMR was used with dietary information to calculate a minimum annual prey consumption of 17.8 g g^−0.79 y⁻¹ (at 20 °C), which is equivalent to an SMR-specific consumption:biomass ratio (Q:B_SMR) of 6.77 (100 g adult). This was incorporated into a standard energy balance model to estimate a total Q:B of at least 10.6 at 20 °C (or 7.2 at 14 °C), which is 2 to 3-fold larger than most values used to represent this species in ecosystem models. Implications of underestimating forage fish consumption could include errors in estimated prey biomass, ecotrophic efficiencies, or strength of top-down and bottom-up control. Yellowtail scad were a moderate-high value prey, with a mean energy density of 6 kJ g⁻¹ (±0.97 s.d.). Energy density declined with body size and showed considerable inter-individual and spatial-temporal variation, indicating the potential to influence predator consumption rates at seasonal and fine spatial scales. This research highlights the value of measuring species-specific bioenergetics information for improving our understanding of trophic dynamics in marine ecosystems and models.

饲料鱼是海洋生态系统和数值模型中至关重要的营养类群，它们将浮游生物与更高的营养级联系起来。使用静态呼吸测定法和炸弹量热法测量了澳大利亚东部主要觅食鱼黄尾Trachurus novaezelandiae的生物能，以评估其作为捕食者和猎物的营养贡献。黄尾的温度依赖性标准代谢率（SMR）为0.62 mgO ₂ g ^-0.79 h ^-1和Q ₁₀为1.98。使用SMR和饮食信息来计算每年的最低猎物消耗量为17.8 g g ^-0.79 y ^-1（在20°C下），相当于SMR的特定消耗量：生物质比（Q：B _SMR）为6.77（成人100克）。将其合并到标准的能量平衡模型中，以估计在20°C时至少Q：B至少为10.6（或在14°C时为7.2），这比用于表示该物种的大多数值大2至3倍。生态系统模型。低估饲草鱼消费的影响可能包括估计的猎物生物量，营养养分效率或自上而下和自下而上控制强度的误差。黄尾是中等高价值的猎物，平均能量密度为6 kJ g ^-1（±0.97 sd）。能量密度随着体型的下降而下降，个体间和时空变化都很大，这表明在季节和精细的空间尺度上有可能影响捕食者的消费率。这项研究强调了测量物种特定的生物能信息对于提高我们对海洋生态系统和模型的营养动力学的理解的价值。