Data on the diet composition of Hippocampus guttulatus cuvier, 1829: Different prey preferences among habitats

Francesca Ape; Giuseppe Corriero; Simone Mirto; Cataldo Pierri; Tamara Lazic; Michele Gristina

doi:10.1016/j.dib.2019.104068

Data on the diet composition of Hippocampus guttulatus cuvier, 1829: Different prey preferences among habitats

Data Brief. 2019 May 27:25:104068. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2019.104068. eCollection 2019 Aug.

Authors

Francesca Ape¹, Giuseppe Corriero², Simone Mirto¹, Cataldo Pierri², Tamara Lazic², Michele Gristina²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council (IAS-CNR), via G. da Verrazzano, 17, Castellammare del Golfo, 91014 TP, Italy.
² Dipartimento di Biologia, Universita` degli Studi di Bari, via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy.

Abstract

The data presented here support research article entitled 'Trophic flexibility and prey selection of the wild long-snouted seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus Cuvier, 1829 in three coastal habitats'' Ape et al., 2019. Determinations of the dietary composition, differences in prey selection and potential prey abundance and availability among three habitats at Taranto Mar Piccolo were based on the analysis of gut contents of seahorses and sediment samples. Both highly (Corallina elongata and Cladophora prolifera) and low complex (sandy bottom) habitats were investigated. Prey items were divided into two size classes: <1 mm and >1mm. Data about the total abundance of each prey size class in gut contents and sediments in three different habitats and PERMANOVA comparisons are given.

Keywords: Gut content; Habitat type; Hippocampus guttulatus; Prey availability.