The animal diet of families from Búzios Island (Brazil): An optimal foraging approach.

Búzios Island and its fishing community is located in southeast Brazil, on the coast of Sao Paulo State. Fish represent 68% of the animal protein consumed by families from Búzios. The main issue of this study is to understand how islanders rank animal food, using optimal foraging theory. Meals taken by twelve families were sampled and interviews were performed with islanders. The variables used to understand the food ranking are: calories, proteins, fish prices, fish boniness, availability of resources and "preference" (given by islanders). Fish availability and boniness determine what islanders eat, prefer and sell. Food preferences also influences the consumption of food and price influences the fish harvest. Islanders are partially consuming the high ranked animals, based on a ratio of caloric content/boniness and following predictions of the optimal prey choice model. Moreover, high income families consume more calories, including the top ranked food (jerky). Our results suggest that the inclusion of currencies other than calories in human foraging models are feasible and also necessary to make these models more realistic. (author)