FEEDING-HABITS OF LUTJANUS-GUTTATUS (PISC ES, LUTJANIDAE) IN THE GULF-OF-NICOYA, COSTA-RICA

A total of 504 ''Spotted Snapper'' Lutjanus guttatus were collected mo nthly in the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica, from January 1993 to January 1994 to determine its feeding habits. The fishes studied ranged 12 - 6 0 cm in total length and were collected by using hook and line. The to tal biomass of the stomach contents was 593.1 g. 73.8% of the stomachs were empty. Taking into account the whole sample, peneid shrimps were the most abundant taxon; they accounted for 59.3% of occurrence in th e fish stomachs and 79.3% of the biomass. However, whereas the main fo od item in the stomach contents of juvenile fishes (smaller than 30 cm in total length) were peneids (Penaeus spp.), that of big ger fishes were stomatopods (Squilla spp.).