What type of prey do smaller, juvenile yellowfin tuna primarily target?
Answer
Larval fish, small shrimp, and tiny invertebrates
The size of the yellowfin tuna dictates the size of the prey it can efficiently consume, a phenomenon known as the size effect. Juvenile or smaller yellowfin lack the necessary gape size and stamina to handle large prey items like full-sized mackerel or sizable squid. Therefore, they must focus their feeding activities on smaller, less energy-dense options. This includes larval fish, small shrimp, and other tiny invertebrates which are more accessible, ensuring they consume a high volume of small prey to fuel their necessary rapid growth.
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