Unveiling dolphinfish catch and daylight patterns shift at Fish Aggregating Devices using eDNA metabarcoding
This study focuses on a day of fishing targeting the dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) at fish aggregating devices in Maltese marine pelagic waters. The fishing was coupled with an eDNA metabarcoding study. The goals were: (i) use, for the first time, metaprobes for eDNA collection in a pelagic marine environment; (ii) assess the relationship between C. hippurus biomass (kg) and read counts accounting for the soaking time; and (iii) investigate the composition of fish assemblages associated with fish aggregating devices (FADs) related to the biomass of caught dolphinfish and with two different diel phases.