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Resumen Con el objetivo de identificar los organismos que conforman la dieta natural de la langosta Panulirus argus y determinar diferencias entre sexos en cuanto a la importancia de cada presa, se analizaron 30 estómagos con contenido (16 hembras y 14 machos), extraídos de langostas capturadas al Este del golfo de Batabanó. Se identificaron 15 entidades alimentarias (12 en las hembras y 14 en los machos). Las entidades preferenciales coincidieron en ambos sexos, aunque en los machos se incluyeron además los foraminíferos y los restos minerales. Los crustáceos fueron el único grupo de importancia alta y son las presas mayormente consumidas (G=62.3% en las hembras y G=40% en los machos). Se determinó la presencia de opérculos de Lobatus gigas, Turbo castanea, Fasciolaria tulipa, Nassarius antillarum,Cerithium spy Tegula fasciata, que fue la que mostró mayor presión de depredación (2.25 en las hembras y 2.14 en los machos). Esta especie junto a Cerithium sp. fueron las que presentaron mayor abundancia numérica (60.5% y 33.9% respectivamente). La prueba U de Mann-Whitney arrojó que entre sexos no existen diferencias en el peso del contenido estomacal. La similaridad entre las dietas fue de 96.75% y se compone fundamentalmente de crustáceos y moluscos. AbstractSex differences in the composition of the natural diet of Panulirus argus (Decapoda: Palinuridae) in the eastern of the Gulf of Batabano, Cuba. The spiny lobster Panulirus argus is one of the most valuable fishery resources in the Caribbean Sea. This is the only species of lobster that has commercial importance in Cuba. This study was aimed to identify the organisms that conform the natural diet for both sexes of P. argus and to determine the importance of each prey in the diet of each sex. A total of 30 stomachs of commercial lobsters (≥ 76mm of carapace length) was analyzed. The identified content was grouping by items and classified for species if it was possible. The total weight of each item was determined and the gravimetric method was applied to estimate the relative weight of the principal diet components. The most frequently consumed prey was also determined. Items with high, middle or low importance were established by the relative importance index (IIR). Similarities between both sexes diet were estimated by similarity index (ISe). Stomachs were extracted of lobsters captured in a fishing zones from eastern of the gulf of Batabano. The predation pressure (P) on the mollusks species found in the stomach content was calculated based on the respective opercula. It was possible to identified 15 feeding entities (12 in females and 14 in the males) being the preferences: crustacean rests (100%), shell rests (80%), vegetable rests (70%), opercula (63%) and mineral rests (53%). Those preference entities were the same between sexes although in the males the foraminifera and the mineral rest were included. The IIR showed crustaceans as a single group of high importance. The gravimetric analysis showed crustaceans as the most consumed prey (62.3% in females and 40% in males). The opercula of Lobatus gigas, Turbo castanea, Fasciolaria tulipa, Nassarius antillarum, Cerithium sp and Tegula fasciata were found. Tegula fasciata showed the highest predation pressure (2.25 in females and 2.14 in males) and together Cerithium sp. they were the most abundant species (60.5% and 33.9% respectively). Respect to the weight of stomach contents the Mann-Whitney test showed no significant difference between females and males. The diet of both sexes of P. argus in the assessed area was similar (ISe=96.75%) and it was constituted mainly of crustaceans and mollusks.

El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar, mediante el análisis comparativo de los resultados, la metodología no destructiva más adecuada para estimar la condición nutricional de la langosta Panulirus argus en Cuba. Los indicadores evaluados fueron: índice de refracción de la hemolinfa (IRH) y cuatro expresiones de la relación peso total-largo (KLt, KLc, KLc³ y Klog). Las muestras se tomaron de las capturas comerciales de dos zonas: Golfo de Batabanó y Archipiélago Sabana-Camagüey. Los indicadores calculados fueron correlacionados entre sí y con el peso total (Pt) mediante el coeficiente de Spearman, y fueron comparados entre zonas y sexos mediante la prueba Kruskal-Wallis. Se efectuó además la regresión de cada indicador respecto al Pt. El IRH presentó la menor asociación y dependencia con el Pt, y parece reflejar mejor la condición nutricional al momento del muestreo. Los indicadores Klog y KLc³ tuvieron bajas correlaciones y regresiones, y presentaron resultados ambiguos al comparar entre zonas y sexos. El estimador KLt resultó el más adecuado por la alta correlación y regresión con el Pt, seguido por KLc. La mayoría de los indicadores mostraron una condición nutricional mayor en el golfo, área sometida a menor impacto antrópico y con mejor estado de los pastos marinos y las comunidades zoobentónicas asociadas, que constituyen alimento potencial para las langostas. En ambas zonas los indicadores morfométricos (KLt, KLc, KLc³ y Klog) mostraron mayor condición nutricional en los machos. El estimador IRH no detectó diferencias entre sexos por lo que éstas pudieran deberse al dimorfismo sexual. The aim of this study was to determine which nondestructive methodology is more adequate for estimating nutritional state of the lobsters Panulirus argus in Cuba. The indicators evaluated were Blood Refractive Index (BRI) and four different expressions of the total weight-length rate (KLt, KLc, KLc³ and Klog). The analyzed commercial lobsters came from two areas: Gulf of Batabano and Archipelago Sabana-Camagüey. The Spearman Coefficient correlated the calculated indicators among them. In addition, those indicators were compared between zones and sexes applying the Kruskal-Wallis test. Regression analysis were applied among each indicator and the total weight (Pt). The BRI presented the smallest association and dependence with Pt, it seems to be more related with changes on animals at sampling moment. Klog and KLc³ did not have a high value of correlation or regression and shown ambiguous result when comparing between sex and zone. Based on the high correlation and regression coefficients with Pt, the most appropriate indicator was KLt; followed by KLc. Most of the indicators showed that nutritional condition was significantly greater for lobsters in the gulf. The anthropogenic impact is lower in this area and then the seagrasses could have a better state, likewise the benthic communities (that constitute potential food for lobsters). Most of the morphometric indicators detected significant differences between sexes, being the greater value for males. On the contrary, the analytic index BRI did not detect these differences, which could be due to the sexual dimorphism that exists in this species.