Feeding ecology of the sand shrimp Crangon hakodatei Rathbun, 1902 (Decapoda: Crangonidae) in the East Sea of Korea

Abstract The feeding habits of the sand shrimp Crangon hakodatei in the East Sea (Korea) were investigated through analysis and comparison of the stomach contents of 602 individuals according to season, shrimp size class, and prey diversity. The diet of C. hakodatei consisted of 17 prey categories mainly comprising crustaceans, molluscs, polychaetes, nematodes, algae, and fishes, with crustaceans dominating the diet. Molluscs, nematodes, and fishes were also important prey, whilst other categories including polychaetes and algae comprised small percentages of the diet. For small C. hakodatei individuals ( 10 mm CL) tended to be more dependent on amphipods than mysids. Amphipods and mysids together constituted the dominant prey, accounting for more than 50% of the diet in terms of both percent occurrence and relative abundance. The abundance and o...