Diet, Prey Selection and Biomass Consumption of the Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) in Algeria
Abstract
This is the first study on the diet of the Great Cormorant wintering in Algeria. It is carried out in Beni Haroun, the largest dam lake in the country, in north-east of Algeria. The trophic menu of Phalacrocorax carboin this lake is based on four species of fish; Abramis bramas, Carassius carassius, Barbus barbus and Cyprinus carpio. However, Barbus barbus and Carassius carassius represent the two most important species in Great Cormorant’s diet. The total consumed biomass is 155,364.18 g, and the average biomass contained in each pellet varies between 330.7 and 2,953 g. The biomass of consumed fish varies between 36.89 g and 2,501 g. The size of the caught fish records values between 13.7 cm and 52.49 cm. The number of consumed fish per pellet varies between 1 and 9. The results show that the great cormorant of Beni-Haroun Dam Lake consumes between 573 g and 2,353.3 g of fish per day and between 49.8 t and 185 t each month. However, the highest value is recorded in January (between 81.5 and 300.5 t). The Great Cormorant of Beni-Haroun dam lake could have a significant impact on continental and recreational fishing at this site.
References
ANB. 2002. Barrage de Beni-Haroun sur l'oued Kebir, monographie volume 1, Rapport interne de l'agence national des Barrages .
ANDI. 2013. Agence Nationale de Développement de l'Investissement. Rapport Interne.
Amouei, F., Valinassab, T., Haitov, A., 2013. Age determination and morphological study using otoliths in Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758 in the Southern Caspian Sea. Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences, 12, 759-769.
Barquete, V., Bugoni, L., Vooren, C.M., 2008. Diet of Neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocoraxbrasilianus) in an estuarine environment. Mar Biol 153, 431-443.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-007-0824-8
Belfethi, L., Moulaï, R. 2018. Aperçu sur la diversité et l'écologie de l'avifaune aquatique du barrage de Beni-Haroun (Mila, Algérie). Proceedings/Actes du 1er congrès nord-africain d'ornithologie & 4ème colloque international d'ornithologie algérienne, LZA, Univ. Bejaia, 50- 59.
Billard, R. 1995. Les Carpes : biologie et élevage, Editions Quae. INRA, Paris.
Bobori, D.C., Moutopoulos, D.K., Bekri, M., Salvarina. I., Munoz, A.I.P. 2010. Length-weight relationships of freshwater fish species caught in three Greek lakes, Journal of Biological Research-Thessaloniki, 14, 219-224,.
Bostanci, D. 2009. Otolith biometry-body length relationships in four fish species (chub, pikeperch, crucian carp, and common carp), Journal of Freshwater Ecology, 24, 619-624. https://doi.org/10.1080/02705060.2009.9664339
Buttu, S., Mulas, A., Palmas, F., Cabiddu, S. 2013. Diet of Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis (Aves, Phalacrocoracidae) and impact on fish stocks: a study case in Cabras and Mistras lagoons (Sardinia, Italy). Transation water bulletin 7 (2): 17-27, https://doi.org/10.1285/i1825229Xv7n2p17.
Carss, D.,N., Ekins, G.,R. 2002. Further European integration: Mixed sub-species colonies of Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo in Britain: Colony establishment, diet, and implications for fisheries management, Ardea, 90, 23-41.
Čech, M., Čech, P., Kubečka, J., Prchalová, M., Draštík, V. 2008. Size selectivity in summer and winter diets of great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo): does it reflect season-dependent difference in foraging efficiency? Waterbirds, 31, 438-448.
https://doi.org/10.1675/1524-4695-31.3.438
Delmastro, G.,B., Boano G., Conte P.,L., Fenoglio, S. 2015. Great cormorant predation on cisalpine pike: a conservation conflict. Eur J WildlRes, 61, 743 748.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-015-0951-3.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-015-0951-3
DGF. 2013. Dénombrement hivernale des oiseaux d'eau en Algérie, Direction générale des forêts, Rapport interne.
Djeddi, H., Kherief Nacereddine, S., Keddari, D., Afri-Mehennaoui, F.,Z. 2018. Teneurs des éléments traces métalliques Cu, Zn et Pb des sédiments du barrage Béni Haroun (Nord-Est de l'Algérie), EuropeanScientific Journal, 15: 7431,
https://doi.org/10.19044/esj.2018.v14n15p269
Ellis, H.,I., Gabrielsen G.,W. 2002. Energetics of free-ranging seabirds, in Biology of Marine Birds, EA Schreiber and J. Burger. CRC Press, Boca Raton FL, P: 359-407 https://doi.org/10.1201/9781420036305.ch11
Emmrich M, Düttmann H. 2011. Seasonal shifts in diet composition of Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis foraging at a shallow eutrophic inland lake. Ardea, 99, 207-217.
https://doi.org/10.5253/078.099.0211
EnstippMR, JonesDR, Lorentsen SH, Grémillet D. 2007. Energetic costs of diving and prey-capture capabilities in cormorants and shags (Phalacrocoracidae) underline their unique adaptation to the aquatic environment, J Ornithol, 148, 593-600.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-007-0203-8
Gagliardi, A., Martinoli, A., Preatoni, D., Wauters, L.,A., Tosi, G. 2007. From mass of body elements to fish biomass: a direct method to quantify food intake of fish eating birds, Hydrobiologia, 583, 213-222.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0528-y
Keller. T. 1995. Food of cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis wintering in Bavaria, southern Germany. Ardea, 83, 185-192.
Keller, V., Antoniazza, M., Mosimann-Kampe, P., Rapin, P. 2012. Grand cormoran Phalacrocorax Carbo en suisse (2001-2010), Nos Oiseaux, 59, 3-10.
Khristenko, D.,S., Kotovska, G.,O.2017. Length-weight relationship and condition factors of freshwater bream Abramis brama (Linnaeus, 1758) from the Kremenchug Reservoir, Middle Dnieper. Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 17, 71-77.
Klimaszyk, P., Rzymski, P. 2016. The complexity of ecological impacts induced by great cormorants. Hydrobiologia, 771, 13-30.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2618-1
Kontas, S., Bostanci, D. 2015. Morphological and Biometrical Characteristics on Otolith of Barbus tauricus Kessler, 1877 on Light and Scanning Electron Microscope, International Journal of Morphology, 33, 1380-1385.
https://doi.org/10.4067/S0717-95022015000400032
Lebreton, J.,D., Gerdeaux, D. 1996. Gestion des populations de Grand cormoran Phalacrocorax carbo séjournant en France. Unpublished report, CEFE/CNRS, Montpellier, France.
Liordos, V., Goutner, V. 2008. Sex Determination of Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) Using Morphometric Measurements,Waterbirds, The International Journal of Waterbird Biology, 31, 203-210.
https://doi.org/10.1675/1524-4695(2008)31[203:SDOGCP]2.0.CO;2
Magath, V., Abraham, R., Helbing, U., Thiel, R. 2016. Link between estuarine fish abundances and prey choice of the great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (Aves, Phalacrocoracidae), Hydrobiologia, 763, 313-327.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2384-0
Martucci, O., Pietrelli, L., Consiglio, C. 1993. Fish otoliths as indicators of the cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo diet (Aves, Pelecaniformes), Italian Journal of Zoology, 60, 393-396.
https://doi.org/10.1080/11250009309355845
Morat, F. 2007. Régime alimentaire de la population de cormoran huppé de Méditerranée (Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii) de Riou, Marseilles, CEEP and Centre d'Océanologie de Marseille 23.
Opačak, A., Florijančić, T., Horvat, D., Ozimec, S., Bodakoš, D. 2004. Diet spectrum of great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) at the DonjiMiholjac carp fishponds in eastern Croatia, Eur J Wildl Res, 50, 173-178.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-004-0059-7
Prokeš, M., Šovčík, P., Peňáz, M., Baruš, V., Spurný, P., Vilizzi, L. 2006. Growth of barbel, Barbus barbus, in the River Jihlava following major habitat alteration and estimated by two methods. Folia Zool, 55 (1), 12.
Santoul,. F., Hougas, J.,B., Green, A.,J., Mastrorillo, S. 2004. Diet of great cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis wintering in Malause (South-West France). Archivfürhydro biologie, 160, 281-287.
https://doi.org/10.1127/0003-9136/2004/0160-0281
Veldkamp, R. 1995. Diet of cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis at Wanneperveen, the Netherlands, with special reference to bream Abramis brama. Ardea, 83, 143-155.
Voslamber, B., Platteeuw, M., Van Eerden M.,R. 1995. Solitary foraging in sand pits by breeding cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis: does specialised knowledge about fishing sites and fish behaviour pay off. Ardea, 83, 199-212.
Warke, G.,M.,A., Day, K.,R. 1995. Changes in abundance of cyprinid and percid prey affect rate of predation by cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo carbo on salmon salmosalar smolt in northern ireland, Ardea, 83, 157-166.
Yilmaz, S., Yazicioğlu, O., Yazici, R., Polat, N. 2015. Relationships between fish length and otolith size for five cyprinid speciesfrom Lake Ladik, Samsun, Turkey, Turkish Journal of Zoology, 39, 438-446.
