La Libertad Region, in north-central Peru, is the main landing region for coastal fishes. Within this group of coastal fish, Sciaena deliciosa (lorna drum) is one of the main species landed. Studies on the main trophic aspects of this species are scarce but necessary to improve the population knowledge of this species. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to analyze the seasonal variation of the main trophic parameters, according to sex and size, of S. deliciosa in north-central Peru, from 2016 to 2019. The index of relative importance (%IRI) was used to determine the relevance of each prey item. The breadth of the trophic niche of the species was determined, the trophic level was quantified and possible statistical differences in diet according to sex, size and seasonality were evaluated using permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA). Also, to interpret the feeding strategy, a scatter plot was generated based on Costello's graphical method. The diet of S. deliciosa consisted of 31 prey items, of which the crustacean Emerita analoga and the fish Engraulis ringens were the most important. The feeding characteristics between the factors size and season of the year were significant. In addition, S. deliciosa presented a narrow trophic breadth and a selective diet, with an estimated trophic level of 4.2. Therefore, in north-central Peru, S. deliciosa is a carnivorous benthopelagic specialist predator, with a diet based mainly on the consumption of the crustacean E. ringens and the fish E. analoga, with adaptive characteristics oriented to trophic opportunism that allow it to sustain its abundance.
