Effect of lipid extraction on the interpretation of fish community trophic relationships determined by stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (10) ◽  
pp. 2167-2172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brent A Murry ◽  
John M Farrell ◽  
Mark A Teece ◽  
Peter M Smyntek
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Nitrogen Isotopes ◽  
Lipid Extraction ◽  
Trophic Relationships ◽  
Coordinate Space ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Food Web Structure ◽  
N Isotopes ◽  
C And N

Stable isotopes of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are commonly used to evaluate trophic relationships and food web structure; however, the decision to extract lipids or not may influence the interpretation of results. Lipid extraction is not a universal practice, thus pooling or comparing results across studies may not always be appropriate. Additionally, common lipid extraction techniques remove not only lipids, but also N-containing compounds that may alter the δ15N value of a sample. We examined differences in the interpretation of fish community trophic structure derived from δ13C and δ15N stable isotope data based on lipid-extracted and nonextracted samples from nine freshwater fish species. Lipid extraction significantly increased δ13C and δ15N, causing a positive shift in overall food web placement. The magnitude of isotopic change did not, however, differ among species, such that the overall interpretation of the fish community structure was not altered. The consistent increase in both C and N isotopes did, however, significantly alter the placement of the food web in coordinate space relative to nonextracted webs. Cross-study comparisons need to consider these procedural inconsistencies when drawing conclusions from multiple studies.

Only a few key prey species fuel a temperate coastal fish food web

2020 ◽  
Vol 653 ◽  
pp. 153-166
Author(s):  
SSH Poiesz ◽  
JIJ Witte ◽  
HW van der Veer
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Wadden Sea ◽  
Food Web Structure ◽  
Fish Food ◽  
Coastal Fish ◽  
Web Structure ◽  
Sea Fish

The food web structure of a coastal fish community (western Dutch Wadden Sea) was studied based on stomach content data from samples collected between 2010 and 2018. In total, 54 fish species were caught and 72 different prey items were identified. Fish species consumed from only a few up to >30 different prey species, suggesting the presence of both opportunistic and more specialized feeders. We found no significant differences between years or switches in food source with fish size. The trophic positions of the Wadden Sea fish community ranged from 2.0 to 4.7, with most trophic positions above 3.0. In the past, (near)-resident species were the most abundant guild in spring, and juvenile marine migrants in autumn. At present, all guilds are present in similar but low abundances. The (near)-resident community consisted of about 20 species that fed primarily on amphipod crustaceans, brown shrimps and juvenile herring. There was only a slight overlap in diet with the group of juvenile marine migrants (5 species of juvenile flatfishes and clupeids), whose preferred prey were copepods, polychaetes and brown shrimps. About 15 species of marine seasonal visitors showed an overlap in diet with both the (near)-resident and the juvenile marine migrants, especially for brown shrimps and to a lesser extent herring and gobies. Our results illustrate (1) the pivotal position of a few key prey species (amphipod crustaceans, brown shrimps, juvenile herring and gobies) for the coastal Wadden Sea fishes and (2) that the substantial prey overlap in the diet of some predators cannot exclude intra- and inter-specific competition among these predators.

Changes in food web structure of fish assemblages along a river-to-ocean transect of a coastal subtropical system

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adna F. S. Garcia ◽  
Mauricio L. Santos ◽  
Alexandre M. Garcia ◽  
João P. Vieira
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Trophic Relationships ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Bipartite Networks ◽  
Food Web Structure ◽  
Web Structure

There is an urgent need to understand how food web structure changes along environmental gradients. In this study we investigated changes in trophic organisation and the relative importance of autotrophic sources sustaining fish assemblages along a transect from river to ocean. In order to address these topics, we analysed fish stomach contents and isotopic composition of consumers and food sources. The findings revealed a greater number of autotrophic sources sustaining fish assemblages in the continental systems (especially in the river) than in the adjacent marine system. Bipartite networks depicting trophic relationships between fish and prey also changed along the transect, showing comparatively higher complexity in the estuary. These findings could be explained by the greater number of food web components (autotrophic sources, fish trophic guilds and prey) associated with pelagic and benthic food chains within the estuary compared with the adjacent systems studied. The findings of this study highlight the need to take into account river-to-ocean changes in food web structure of fish assemblages in management plans to mitigate human impacts in coastal systems.

scholarly journals Food-Web Structure and Functioning of Coastal Marine Ecosystems: Alvarado Lagoon and Adjacent Continental Shelf, Northern Gulf of Mexico

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Víctor H. Cruz-Escalona ◽  
María V. Morales-Zárate ◽  
Jonathan Franco- López ◽  
Leonardo A. Abitia-Cárdenas ◽  
Armando Hernández-López ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Food Web ◽  
Demersal Fish ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Trophic Relationships ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Food Web Structure ◽  
Coastal Marine ◽  
Coastal Marine Ecosystems

Introduction:The aim of the present study was to develop a trophic model characterizing simultaneously the structure and function of the two coastal marine ecosystems: Alvarado Lagoon, Mexico and adjacent continental shelf, important area for penaeid shrimps and demersal fish species.Method:The model was based on the assumption of biomass balance and describes the trophic relationships, flows of energy, and transfer efficiency of the food web, and includes 66 functional groups.Results:Results shows that 33% of the aggregate biological community biomass comes mainly second and third trophic levels. Size of aggregate flows as well as the transfer effectiveness among groups, results like those saw in other similar works. Connectance index (CI) was 0.12, meaning that there is only 12% only of the total theoretical connections exist. Results also shows that primary producers and detritus (lagoon and shelf) contribute with 60.1% of the total ascendency. Our work can be the basis for future research, which allow us to contrast alternate hypotheses about the functioning of the system.

Stable C and N isotope ratios reveal soil food web structure and identify the nematode Eudorylaimus antarcticus as an omnivore–predator in Taylor Valley, Antarctica

Polar Biology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 1013-1018 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Ashley Shaw ◽  
Byron J. Adams ◽  
John E. Barrett ◽  
W. Berry Lyons ◽  
Ross A. Virginia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Isotope Ratios ◽  
Soil Food Web ◽  
Food Web Structure ◽  
Web Structure ◽  
Taylor Valley ◽  
C And N

Elucidating food web structure of the Poyang Lake ecosystem using amino acid nitrogen isotopes and Bayesian mixing model

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 555-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongyi Zhang ◽  
Jing Tian ◽  
Yansheng Cao ◽  
Nengjian Zheng ◽  
Jingjing Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Food Web ◽  
Nitrogen Isotopes ◽  
Poyang Lake ◽  
Mixing Model ◽  
Lake Ecosystem ◽  
Food Web Structure ◽  
Bayesian Mixing Model ◽  
Web Structure ◽  
Amino Acid Nitrogen

Food web structure of a restored macroalgal bed in the eastern Korean peninsula determined by C and N stable isotope analyses

2008 ◽  
Vol 153 (6) ◽  
pp. 1181-1198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang-Keun Kang ◽  
Eun Jung Choy ◽  
Yongsoo Son ◽  
Jae-Young Lee ◽  
Jong Kyu Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Food Web ◽  
Korean Peninsula ◽  
Food Web Structure ◽  
Stable Isotope Analyses ◽  
Web Structure ◽  
C And N ◽  
Isotope Analyses

scholarly journals Food Web Analysis of Jordanelle Reservoir, Utah, USA: Where Do All the Rainbows Go?

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-35
Author(s):  
Joshua A. Verde ◽  
Mark C. Belk
Keyword(s):  
Rainbow Trout ◽  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Food Web ◽  
Brown Trout ◽  
Salmo Trutta ◽  
Yellow Perch ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Smallmouth Bass ◽  
Food Web Structure

Background: Reservoir communities in the intermountain west are typically dominated by a mix of introduced fishes. Due to the non-coevolved interactions present in these communities, energy flow and trophic interactions may not facilitate optimal growth and survival for all species. It is difficult to predict how well each species will survive in such novel communities. One such community is in Jordanelle Reservoir in northern Utah, USA. Recently, low survival and recruitment of stocked rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss) have been observed in Jordanelle Reservoir. Objective: We characterize the food web structure of the fish community in Jordanelle reservoir to infer competitive or predatory interactions that might lead to a poor return of stocked rainbow trout. Methods: We performed a stable isotope analysis on the fish community in Jordanelle Reservoir and carried out niche space analyses using the software package Stable Isotope Bayesian Ellipse (SIBER) in R. Results: Small rainbow trout exhibit high competitive overlap with brown trout (Salmo trutta), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), and yellow perch (Perca flavescens). In addition, large brown trout and large smallmouth bass may feed heavily on small rainbow trout. Conclusion: Food web analysis suggests that rainbow trout encounter a highly competitive and potentially high predation environment in Jordanelle reservoir, leading to observed low return rates.

scholarly journals Characterization of Trophic Structure of Fish Assemblages in the East and South Seas of Korea Based on C and N Stable Isotope Ratios

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Donghoon Shin ◽  
Tae Hee Park ◽  
Chung-Il Lee ◽  
Kangseok Hwang ◽  
Doo Nam Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
East Sea ◽  
Trophic Relationships ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Isotopic Niche ◽  
The South ◽  
Food Web Structure ◽  
Δ13c And Δ15n ◽  
South Sea

The aim of this study was to assess seasonal variation in the food-web structure of fish assemblages in the East (two sites) and the South (one site) Seas of Korea, and to compare the isotopic niche areas between the regions. To do this, we analyzed the community structures and the δ13C and δ15N values for fish assemblages, and their potential food sources collected during May and October 2020. There were spatial differences in the diversity and dominant species of fish assemblages between the two seas. The fish assemblages in the South Sea had relatively wide ranges of δ13C and δ15N (−22.4‰ to −15.3‰ and 7.4‰ to 13.8‰, respectively) compared to those (−22.1‰ to −18.0‰ and 9.8‰ to 13.6‰, respectively) in the East Sea. The δ13C and δ15N values of suspended particulate organic matter, zooplankton, and fish assemblages differed significantly among sites and between seasons (PERMANOVA, p < 0.05, in all cases). Moreover, isotopic niche indices were relatively higher in the South Sea compared to those in the East Sea. Such differences in food-web characteristics among sites are likely due to the specific environmental effects (especially, major currents) on the differences in the species compositions and, therefore, their trophic relationships. Overall, these results allow for a deeper understanding of the changing trophic diversity and community structure of fish assemblages resulting from climate variability.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document