Stomach content data for six common coastal predators from the northern Gulf of Mexico, 2015-05-08 to 2019-09-21

Stomach content analysis was performed on six abundant, yet understudied, species of estuarine/coastal predators: Atlantic Stingray (Hypanus sabinus), Crevalle Jack (Caranx hippos), Gafftopsail Catfish (Bagre marinus), Hardhead Catfish (Ariopsis felis), Skipjack Herring (Alosa chrysochloris), and Smooth Butterfly Ray (Gymnura lessae). Specimens were caught through both fishery-dependent and -independent sampling, with the majority of individuals collected in either Mobile Bay or Mississippi Sound, or within a few miles of the Alabama coast. In total, 3,072 stomachs were removed and examined for stomach content analysis and more than 5,467 individual prey items, comprising 75 different species, were identified. Smooth Butterfly Ray, Skipjack Herring, and Crevalle Jack were highly piscivorous, with fish prey contributing to 100%, 99%, and 93% of their diets by weight, respectively. Gafftopsail Catfish were also fairly piscivorous, with 68% of their diet by weight consisting of fishes. Hardhead Catfish and Atlantic Stingray were generally non-piscivorous, with the majority of their prey comprised of invertebrates. Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) were by far the most prevalent prey item found across species, representing 29% and 54% of all prey by number and by weight, respectively.