Fish resist temptation from junk food: State-dependent diet choice in reproductive Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) facing seasonal fluxes of lipid-rich prey

In ecological sciences, animal diets are often simplified to “resources” or “caloric quantities”. However, in the present study, we investigated the optimal foraging strategy of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) when both macro- and micro-nutritional requirements are accounted for. Proteins cannot be synthesized from fatty acids, so the proteins for gonad development must come from other dietary sources. In addition, micronutrients are required in smaller quantities. For example, for cod, arachidonic acid (ARA) acts as a micronutrient precursor for prostaglandins, which is important for reproduction. We formulated a dynamic state-dependent model to make predictions about optimal diet choice and foraging behavior. We applied the model to a case study in the strait between Denmark and Sweden. The model predicted that energy acquired from dietary protein should be twice that acquired from lipids, with a small increase in the lipid requirements when gonads are growing. The model also predicted th...