Intraspecific variation in prey quality affects the consumption rates of top predators.

ABSTRACT: Prey quality, measured as energy density and energy content, is a key functional trait in predator-prey relationships. While the effects of interspecific differences in prey quality on predators have been examined previously, the consequences of intraspecific variation remain less understood. To examine how within-species variation in prey quality influences predator foraging, we modelled the effects of prey size, maturity and sampling season and region on the quality of Engraulis mordax, Sardinops sagax and Doryteuthis opalescens-three common prey species for top predators in the California Current Ecosystem (CCE). We contextualized our findings using documented energy budgets of the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), a consumer of these species and an important ecosystem indic

SUBMITTER: Nehasil SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12775556 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature