Diet of the intertidal callianassid shrimps Biffarius arenosus and Trypea australiensis (Decapoda:Thalassinidea) in Western Port (southern Australia), determined with multiple stable-isotope analyses

1997 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul I. Boon ◽  
Fiona L. Bird ◽  
Stuart E. Bunn
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Food Source ◽  
Avicennia Marina ◽  
Benthic Microalgae ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Mangrove Species ◽  
Δ13c And Δ15n ◽  
Green Macroalgae ◽  
Isotope Analyses

Biffarius arenosus had a mean δ13C of –15·4 ± 0·2‰ and a mean δ15N of 5·9 ± 0·1‰ (n = 38), and Trypea australiensis had a mean δ13C of –16·3 ± 0·3 and a mean δ15N of 7·6 ± 0·1 (n = 20). The δ13C signatures of the only mangrove species present (Avicennia marina) and the most abundant saltmarsh plant (Sarcocornia quinqueflora) indicated that they were not major food sources. Seagrasses, predominantly Heterozostera tasmanica, had mean δ13C and δ15N values of –11·7 ± 0·2‰ (n = 65) and 3·9 ± 0·2‰ (n = 62), respectively. Seagrass epiphytes had mean δ13C and δ15N values of –17·9 ± 0·4‰ and 4·6 ± 0·3‰ (n = 27), respectively. A mixture of seagrasses and their epiphytes was the most likely source of organic carbon for B. arenosus. Benthic microalgae, such as diatoms, were a possible food source, but phospholipid biomarkers indicated a meagre abundance of diatoms in the sediments, and microscopy of shrimp guts revealed few or no diatom frustules. For T. australiensis, food sources were less easily distinguished than for B. arenosus, but they could include seagrass epiphytes plus the green macroalgae Enteromorpha spp. and/or the brown alga Chordaria cladisiphon.

scholarly journals Arsenic speciation in food chains from mid-Atlantic hydrothermal vents

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivien F. Taylor ◽  
Brian P. Jackson ◽  
Matthew R. Siegfried ◽  
Jana Navratilova ◽  
Kevin A. Francesconi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Hydrothermal Vents ◽  
Arsenic Speciation ◽  
Inorganic Arsenic ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Arsenic Compounds ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Δ13c And Δ15n ◽  
Organic Arsenic

Environmental contextArsenic occurs in marine organisms at high levels and in many chemical forms. A common explanation of this phenomenon is that algae play the central role in accumulating arsenic by producing arsenic-containing sugars that are then converted into simpler organic arsenic compounds found in fish and other marine animals. We show that animals in deep-sea vent ecosystems, which are uninhabited by algae, contain the same organic arsenic compounds as do pelagic animals, indicating that algae are not the only source of these compounds. AbstractArsenic concentration and speciation were determined in benthic fauna collected from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal vents. The shrimp species, Rimicaris exoculata, the vent chimney-dwelling mussel, Bathymodiolus azoricus, Branchipolynoe seepensis, a commensal worm of B. azoricus and the gastropod Peltospira smaragdina showed variations in As concentration and in stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) signature between species, suggesting different sources of As uptake. Arsenic speciation showed arsenobetaine to be the dominant species in R. exoculata, whereas in B. azoricus and B. seepensis arsenosugars were most abundant, although arsenobetaine, dimethylarsinate and inorganic arsenic were also observed, along with several unidentified species. Scrape samples from outside the vent chimneys covered with microbial mat, which is a presumed food source for many vent organisms, contained high levels of total As, but organic species were not detectable. The formation of arsenosugars in pelagic environments is typically attributed to marine algae, and the pathway to arsenobetaine is still unknown. The occurrence of arsenosugars and arsenobetaine in these deep sea organisms, where primary production is chemolithoautotrophic and stable isotope analyses indicate food sources are of vent origin, suggests that organic arsenicals can occur in a foodweb without algae or other photosynthetic life.

Stable isotope analysis reveals partitioning in prey use by Kajikia audax (Istiophoridae), Thunnus albacares, Katsuwonus pelamis, and Auxis spp. (Scombridae) in the Eastern Tropical Pacific of Ecuador

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rigoberto Rosas-Luis ◽  
Nancy Cabanillas-Terán ◽  
Carmen A. Villegas-Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Food Web ◽  
Stable Isotope Analysis ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Middle Level ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Thunnus Albacares ◽  
Katsuwonus Pelamis ◽  
Δ13c And Δ15n

Abstract Kajikia audax, Thunnus albacares, Katsuwonus pelamis, and Auxis spp. occupy high and middle-level trophic positions in the food web. They represent important sources for fisheries in Ecuador. Despite their ecological and economic importance, studies on pelagic species in Ecuador are scarce. This study uses stable isotope analysis to assess the trophic ecology of these species, and to determine the contribution of prey to the predator tissue. Isotope data was used to test the hypothesis that medium-sized pelagic fish species have higher δ15N values than those of the prey they consumed, and that there is no overlap between their δ13C and δ15N values. Results showed higher δ15N values for K. audax, followed by T. albacares, Auxis spp. and K. pelamis, which indicates that the highest position in this food web is occupied by K. audax. The stable isotope Bayesian ellipses demonstrated that on a long time-scale, these species do not compete for food sources. Moreover, δ15N values were different between species and they decreased with a decrease in predator size.

Tracing sewage-derived organic matter into a shallow groundwater food web using stable isotope and fluorescence signatures

2011 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Hartland ◽  
Graham D. Fenwick ◽  
Sarah J. Bury
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Food Web ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Sewage Treatment Plant ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Shallow Groundwater ◽  
Organic Pollution ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Δ13c And Δ15n

Little is known about the feeding modes of groundwater invertebrates (stygofauna). Incorporation of sewage-derived organic matter (OM) into a shallow groundwater food web was studied using fluorescence and stable isotope signatures (δ13C and δ15N). Organic pollution was hypothesised to limit sensitive species’ abundances along the contamination gradient and isotope signatures of stygofauna consuming sewage-derived OM were expected to be enriched in δ15N. Stygofauna communities near a sewage treatment plant in New Zealand were sampled over 4 months and microbial biofilms were incubated in situ on native gravel for 1 month. As anticipated, OM stress-subsidy gradients altered stygofauna composition: the biomass of oligochaetes and Paraleptamphopus amphipods increased in OM-enriched groundwater (higher dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and tryptophan-like fluorescence), whereas other, probably less-tolerant taxa (e.g. ostracods, Dytiscidae) were absent. Isotopic signatures for stygofauna from polluted groundwater were consistent with assimilation of isotopically enriched sewage-N (δ15N values of 7–16‰), but highly depleted in δ13C relative to sewage. Negative 13C discriminations probably occur in Paraleptamphopus amphipods, and may also occur in oligochaetes and Dytiscidae, a finding with implications for the application of δ13C for determining food sources in groundwaters. Organic pollution of groundwaters may have serious repercussions for stygofauna community structure with potentially irreversible consequences.

scholarly journals Seasonal Variation in Stable Isotope Ratios of Cow Milk in Vilnius Region, Lithuania

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrius Garbaras ◽  
Raminta Skipitytė ◽  
Justina Šapolaitė ◽  
Žilvinas Ežerinskis ◽  
Vidmantas Remeikis
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Dairy Products ◽  
Geographic Origin ◽  
Isotope Ratios ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Cow Milk ◽  
Ratio Method ◽  
Stable Isotope Ratios ◽  
Δ13c And Δ15n ◽  
Artesian Water

Various studies have shown that stable isotope analysis has the potential to verify the geographic origin of foods and drinks. However, stable isotope composition is not always constant in the environment and can even change in the same area. Dairy products are of particular interest as a group of foods that play an important role in feeding the population. The composition of milk is fundamentally dependent on the feeding of the cows, and thereby on a particular environment. To better understand the amount of variation in δ18O, δ13C, and δ15N values in the milk from the same area, we measured stable isotope ratios in cow milk water, artesian water, and precipitation (δ18O) as well as in bulk milk samples (δ13C and δ15N) collected in 2014–2016. Different water and food sources were available during the winter (artesian water only and dry grass) and summer (artesian water and fresh grass), and spring and autumn seasons reflected transitional periods. Oxygen stable isotope ratios in milk water were relatively lower in winter and transitional seasons and higher in summer, showing the dependence on the main water source. δ13C values reflected particular food sources. This study shows the applicability of the stable isotope ratio method in linking cow milk to specific environments and reveals the amount of variation in stable isotope ratios in the same area. These results could be valuable for other studies on geographical origin determination of dairy products.

Stable-isotope and electron-microscopic evidence that cyamids (Crustacea: Amphipoda) feed on whale skin

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (5) ◽  
pp. 721-727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald M Schell ◽  
Victoria J Rowntree ◽  
Carl J Pfeiffer
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Food Source ◽  
Nitrogen Isotope ◽  
Isotope Ratios ◽  
Observational Evidence ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Stable Carbon ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Trophic Enrichment

Cyamids (Crustacea: Amphipoda) are found only on whales. Observational evidence and the morphology of the mouthparts have indicated that whale skin is the primary food for these organisms. It has also been suggested, however, that the cyamids may be feeding on epidermal diatoms and meiofauna associated with the skin or using the whales as transport to regions of high zooplankton densities, where small pelagic organisms are captured while the whales feed. Here we report electron-microscopic and isotopic evidence that whale skin was ingested and assimilated by cyamids. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of cyamids and whale skin from six species of whales were compared with those of zooplankton from the regions through which the whales migrate, to infer the most likely food sources. In all cases, cyamid isotope ratios closely matched those of the whale skin and not those of the zooplankton, again indicating that whale skin was the predominant food source. Unlike most other carnivorous organisms, cyamids do not show a trophic enrichment of δ15N, a trait also found in other species of Amphipoda.

scholarly journals Reflection of stable isotopes and selected elements with the inundation gradient at the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve (MMFR), Malaysia

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
W. R. Khan ◽  
M. Nazre ◽  
S. Z. Zulkifli ◽  
K. A. Kudus ◽  
M. Zimmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Mangrove Forest ◽  
Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Isotope Ratios ◽  
Stable Isotope Ratios ◽  
Mangrove Species ◽  
Forest Reserve ◽  
Δ13c And Δ15n ◽  
Elemental Concentrations ◽  
Rhizophora Apiculata

Multi-elemental and isotopic fingerprints could help to track changes in mangrove forest productivity and development. This study aims to identify elemental concentrations and stable isotope ratios in inter- and intra-mangrove species along the inundation gradient of the Matang mangrove forest. Matured sun leaves of different mangrove species, namely, Avicennia alba, Rhizophora apiculata, Bruguiera parviflora, and Sonneratia ovata, were collected from the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve (MMFR). After samples preparation, determination of elemental concentrations and stable isotope ratios were carried out using an Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS) and Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) respectively. Trace elements (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn), cations (Na, K, Ca, Mg) and stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) ratios were found to follow different patterns along the inundation gradient in the leaves of the sampled plant species. Elemental concentrations of Na, K, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn along with stable istopic ratio differed significantly within similar and different mangrove species. The results of Rhizophora apiculata elemental concentrations and stable isotope ratios can potentially serve as a baseline to further the research in the MMFR compartments.

Trophic analyses of opportunistic polychaetes (Ophryotrocha cyclops) at salmonid aquaculture sites

2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (4) ◽  
pp. 713-722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flora Salvo ◽  
Dounia Hamoutene ◽  
Suzanne C. Dufour
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Trace Element ◽  
Trace Element Analysis ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Associated Bacteria ◽  
Stable Isotope Analyses ◽  
Isotope Analyses

A new species of dorvilleid polychaete,Ophryotrocha cyclops, has been observed on the rocky seafloor underneath deep salmonid aquaculture sites on the south coast of Newfoundland, Canada. The distribution of these opportunistic worms is likely related to organic matter accumulation on the seafloor, and this species may have a role in remediation processes. To better understand the functional role ofO. cyclopsat aquaculture sites, it is important to know what they feed upon. Here, stable isotope analyses (δ13C, δ15N and δ34S) and trace element analyses were performed on dorvilleids and their potential food sources at three aquaculture sites. Stable isotope analyses revealed spatial and temporal variation in the isotopic carbon signature ofO. cyclops, highlighting possible differences in the food sources of individual dorvilleids within and between sites. The isotopic composition of dorvilleids was closest to that of fish pellets; the presence of abundant lipid droplets in gut epithelial cells ofO. cyclopssuggests the assimilation of fish pellet-derived lipids. Trace element analysis indicated thatO. cyclopsdoes not concentrate the aquaculture tracers Zn or Cu to a large extent. However, concentrations of sulphur were high inO. cyclopscompared with other sources. Taken together, results show thatO. cyclopsmost likely consume both fish pellets and flocculent matter-associated bacteria. As such, they are involved in sulphur cycling and fish pellet degradation at aquaculture sites.

Dual stable isotope analysis (δ13C and δ15N) of soil invertebrates and their food sources

Pedobiologia ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olaf Schmidt ◽  
James P Curry ◽  
Jens Dyckmans ◽  
Emilia Rota ◽  
Charles M Scrimgeour
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Stable Isotope Analysis ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Soil Invertebrates ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Δ13c And Δ15n
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