# (W Australia fish diets) Dietary data on the gut contents of 7 marine fish species found in nearshore waters of the lower west coast of Western Australia are reported by Hourston M, Platell ME, Valesini FJ, Potter IC 2004, *J Mar Biol Assoc UK* 84: 805-817 and Schafer LN, Platell ME, Valesini FJ, Potter IC 2002, *J Exp Mar Biol Ecol* 278: 67-92. Data is %volumetric gut contribution (reflecting both composition and gut fullness) of each of 39 ‘dietary categories’ (broadly classified taxa), in a total of 68 samples across the 7 fish species (unbalanced replication), each sample being from a pool of 5 fish guts. The data matrix in PRIMER 7 format can be found in C:\Examples v7\WA fish diets\WA fish diets %vol.pri. Since species are involved in the definition of both samples and variables it is important to keep a clear head as to which are which! Here the fish predator species are the sampling device, so different individual fish guts (in pools of 5) constitute the samples. The assemblage studied is the set of prey species (higher taxa) making up the dietary categories; they are the variables.