Unravelling the stomach contents of fish and crab species from Cananéia, São Paulo: Are they eating plastic?

Plastic pollution represents a threat to marine ecosystems and has therefore been gaining space in the realm of public interest. In this study, we investigated ingestion food non-food items (i.e., plastic particles) by fish crabs. These animals are commonly collected trawling with double-ring net along coast Cananéia, state São Paulo, Brazil; some them consumed as local population. Fish crab stomachs were removed dissected, their contents examined under stereoscopic microscope an image-capturing system. The presence or absence was also registered. We 139 specimens 16 species 143 four species. most frequent found unidentified food, followed crustaceans, molluscs, polychaetes, other fish; crabs, molluscs fish. particles all species, representing 47.5% individuals analysed. incidence lower, occurring only two (5% Callinectes danae 3% C. ornatus). Only analysed had previous records scientific literature. high microplastics our study is worrying because they negatively affect animals’ lives can be transferred through tropic web top predators, including humans, contaminated animals.