Effects of size and diet on stable hydrogen isotope values (δD) in fish: implications for tracing origins of individuals and their food sources

2011 ◽  
Vol 68 (11) ◽  
pp. 2011-2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
David X. Soto ◽  
Leonard I. Wassenaar ◽  
Keith A. Hobson ◽  
Jordi Catalan

Recent studies suggest that stable hydrogen isotope ratios (δD) of fish can be used to track their watershed origin and the relative contributions of source material. Both applications assume that there is no metabolic or trophic effect on tissue δD. We studied the local variation of δD values in four fish species of contrasting size and feeding habits in an isotopically homogenous reservoir (Flix, Spain). Other isotopic values (δ15N, δ13C) and trace metal content were measured as indicators of trophic and bioaccumulation patterns. In addition, isotopic values (δD, δ15N, δ13C) of other food web components were measured for comparison. Muscle δD values differed greatly among fish species: European catfish, Silurus glanis (–131‰); common carp, Cyprinus carpio (–141‰); rudd, Scardinius erythrophthalmus (–158‰); and roach, Rutilus rutilus (–163‰). The influence of fish size and trophic position affected the fish δD values. Possible mechanisms that drive δD variation among fish might be a metabolic effect and (or) the compounding effect of ambient water δD on exchangeable H at each trophic stage. Our findings showed that size and feeding habits are factors that should be controlled when tracing origins of fish or their dependence on nutrient inputs using δD measurements.

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 202
Author(s):  
Rien E. van Wijk ◽  
Yahkat Barshep ◽  
Keith A. Hobson

The measurement of stable hydrogen isotope ratios (δ2H) in animal tissues is a popular means of inferring spatial origins and migratory connections. However, the use of this isotope to infer diet and potentially trophic position remains poorly understood, especially in non-aquatic terrestrial ecosystems. In many animal communities, tissue δ15N values are strongly associated with trophic position. Correlations between tissue δ2H and δ15N are expected, then, if δ2H is affected by trophic enrichment of 2H. In addition, within sites, we would expect higher tissue δ2H values in insectivorous species compared to granivores or nectarivores. We tested these hypotheses for two resident avian communities in Nigeria consisting of 30 species representing a range of dietary guilds (granivores, frugivores, nectarivores, omnivores, insectivores) by comparing feather δ2H, δ15N and δ13C values. We found considerable isotopic overlap among all guilds except granivores, with no clear pattern of enrichment in 2H with trophic position. However, at one of our sites (open scrubland), feather δ2H was positively correlated with feather δ15N (R2 = 0.30) compared to a closed canopy forest site (R2 = 0.09). Our results indicate weak evidence for predictable trophic enrichment in 2H in terrestrial environments and indicate that controlled studies are now required to definitively elucidate the behavior of H isotopes in terrestrial food webs.


Author(s):  
Tom Moens ◽  
Steven Bouillon ◽  
Fabiane Gallucci

The role and quantitative importance of free-living nematodes in marine and estuarine soft sediments remain enigmatic for lack of empirical evidence on the feeding habits and trophic position of most nematode species. Here we use natural abundances of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes of some abundant nematode species/genera from estuarine intertidal sediments to assess their trophic level and major food sources. In all stations, δ15N of different dominant nematode species/genera spanned a range of 3.6 to 6.3 ppt, indicating that at least two trophic levels were represented. The large nematodes Enoplus brevis, Enoploides longispiculosus and Adoncholaimus fuscus consistently had high δ15N, in line with mouth-morphology based predictions and empirical evidence on their predacious feeding modes. Daptonema sp., Metachromadora remanei, Praeacanthonchus punctatus and ‘Chromadoridae’ (dominated by Ptycholaimellus ponticus) had comparatively lower δ15N, and δ13C suggesting that microphytobenthos (MPB) is their major carbon source, although freshly sedimented particulate organic matter may also contribute to their nutrition in silty sediments. The trophic position of Sphaerolaimus sp., a genus with documented predacious feeding mode, was ambiguous. Ascolaimus elongatus had δ15N signatures indicating a predacious ecology, which is at variance with expectations from existing feeding type classifications. Our study shows that—despite limitations imposed by the biomass requirements for EA-IRMS (elemental analyser—isotope ratio mass spectrometry)—natural isotope abundances of carbon and nitrogen are powerful tools to unravel trophic structure within nematode communities. At the same time, the prominence of different trophic levels results in a large span of δ15N, largely invalidating the use of nitrogen isotope abundances to assess food sources and trophic level of whole nematode communities.


Author(s):  
Nikolay Aleksandrovich Pudovkin ◽  
Peter Vladimirovich Smutnev

The authors of the article have studied the content of the elements of anti-oxidant system (malondialdehyde, catalase, selenium) in tissues of the internal organs (gills, intestine, muscles, liver, swimbladder, scales) in some species of predatory fish (pike Esox lucius (L., 1758), perch Perca fluviatilis (L., 1758), pike-perch Sander lucioperca (L., 1758), catfish Silurus glanis ) widespread in the basin of the Volga river in the Saratov region. The lowest concentration of malondialdehyde in organisms of the studied fish species is observed in fall and winter; the highest - in spring and summer. Catalase activity in gills tissue of a pike raised in 11.8%, cat-fish - 9.1%, pike-perch - 7.5%, perch - 7.8%. In fall (compared to winter) enzyme activity lowering in gonads of pike-perch makes 16.3%, in gonads of perch - 14.4%. In other tissues there were not observed any evident changes of catalase activity. Fish species under consideration are listed according to the average value of selenium concentration in organisms, µg/g: pike (0.208) > catfish (0.207) > pike-perch (0.196) > perch (0.178). According to the average value of the selenium accumulation in the body in different season all the studied species can be placed in the following order, µg/g: winter-pike (0.132) > pike-perch (0.136) > perch and catfish (0.142); spring - pike-perch (0.190) > perch (0.191) > pike (0.208) > catfish (0.209); summer - perch (0.186) > pike-perch (0.190) > catfish and pike (0.203); autumn - perch (0.193) > pike-perch (0.268) > > catfish (0.274) > pike (0.289).


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Keppler ◽  
Enno Bahlmann ◽  
Markus Greule ◽  
Heinz Friedrich Schöler ◽  
Julian Wittmer ◽  
...  

Abstract. Chloromethane (CH3Cl) is an important provider of chlorine to the stratosphere but yet lacks detailed knowledge of its budget. Stable isotope analysis is potentially a powerful tool to constrain CH3Cl flux estimates. The largest degree of isotope fractionation is expected to occur for deuterium in CH3Cl in the hydrogen abstraction reactions with its main sink reactant tropospheric OH and its minor sink reactant Cl atoms. We determined the isotope fractionation by stable hydrogen isotope analysis of the fraction of CH3Cl remaining after reaction with hydroxyl and chlorine radicals in a 3.5 m3 Teflon smog-chamber at 293 ± 1 K. We measured the increasing stable hydrogen isotope values of the unreacted CH3Cl using compound specific thermal conversion isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The isotope fractionations of CH3Cl for the reactions with hydroxyl and chlorine radicals were found to be −242 ± 7 mUr (or ‰) and −280 ± 11 mUr, respectively. For comparison, we performed similar experiments using methane (CH4) as the target compound with OH and obtained a fractionation constant of −205 ± 6 mUr which is in good agreement with values previously reported. The observed large kinetic isotope effects are helpful when employing isotopic analyses of CH3Cl in the atmosphere to improve our knowledge of its atmospheric budget.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dhiya Shafiqah Ridzuan ◽  
Che Salmah Md. Rawi ◽  
Suhaila Abdul Hamid ◽  
Salman Abdo Al-Shami

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document