Diet composition and temporal changes in the trophic patterns of Plesionika narval (Crustacea-Decapoda) in the Aegean Sea (Eastern Mediterranean Sea)

Abstract The feeding habits of the Plesionika narval , narwal shrimp, from the south-eastern Aegean Sea (E. Mediterranean) were studied monthly during an annual cycle between 2014–2015. A total of 2516 specimens (1631 females and 885 males) was studied from two depth zones (A  =  10–30 m, C  =  150–170 m). P. narval consumed a wide variety of preys, mostly dominated by crustaceans, molluscs and polychaetes. The Shannon–Wiener diversity index (H′), did not reveal significant differences in its diet composition, either between sexes or seasons. However, the female’s diet was found to significantly differ between months and depth zones. The diet varied within sex, the average dietary dissimilarities were 18.87% among males and 12.04% among females, possibly attributed to the sexual dimorphism and/or the size differences between sexes. The low variation (