Resource Partitioning in a Mediterranean Demersal Fish Community

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Abstract
Niche breadths and community matrices were examined for 2 guilds (benthic and epibenthic) on the western Mediterranean slope. There are a larger number of specialist species in the benthic than in the epibenthic guild. Selachians have broader niches than other species. Most species pairs with significant overlaps present high values in only a few size groups, some of them also showing seasonal or diel patterns of resource partitioning. Analysis of covariance for each niche dimension shows that species are more closely packed with respect to depth distribution than to food. Covariance values of community matrices for each guild indicate that competition is more likely in the benthid than in the epibenthic guild.