The food of yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares caught by longlines off the east coast of India was studied in detail. Contents
of 146 non-empty stomachs were analysed for the Index of relative importance (IRI) and prey specific abundance. T. albacares
caught by the longline were found to be non-selective generalist feeders, foraging on micronektonic, pelagic or benthic
organisms available in the epipelagic waters. Teleost fish, crabs, squids and shrimps were the major component of food
items. Priacanthus hamrur was the most preyed upon fish with a high IRI (40.5%) followed by the swimming crab
Charybdis smithii (23.9%), the squid Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis (15.5%) and prawn Solenocera hextii (10.3%). Being a
large pelagic predator, it formed an important link in the food chain of the ocean system and also formed a good collector of
the less exploited micronekton organisms of the deep scattering layer (DSL)
