Termitivore or detritivore? A quantitative investigation into the diet of the East African caecilian Boulengerula taitanus (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Caeciliidae)

2004 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. John Measey ◽  
Olivier Gaborieau
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Generalist Predators ◽  
East African ◽  
Quantitative Investigation ◽  
Soil Macrofauna ◽  
Taita Hills ◽  
Specialist Predators ◽  
African Genus

AbstractMost caecilians are thought to be generalist predators of soil ecosystem engineers (earthworms, termites and ants), but it has been suggested that members of the East African genus Boulengerula are specialist predators. Surprisingly, in the only detailed study of diet of any Boulengerula, the authors speculated that B. taitanus is partly detritivorous, based on the large amount of organic matter found in the alimentary canal. Here we test the conflicting hypotheses that B.taitanus is a termitivore or detritivore, using the stomach and gut contents of 47 specimens collected in the Taita Hills, Kenya. Termites and earthworms contribute most significantly to diet by number and mass, respectively. These constitute the major dietary items, together with dipteran larvae and other soil macrofauna. Contents of the intestine are mostly soil and organic matter originating from prey items. The mass content of the intestines averages 69% of total gut contents, and is significantly greater than identifiable stomach contents. The null hypotheses that B. taitanus is a generalist and a predator are not rejected.

scholarly journals Trophic structure of macroinvertebrates in tropical pasture streams

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruna Neves da Silveira-Manzotti ◽  
Angelo Rodrigo Manzotti ◽  
Mônica Ceneviva-Bastos ◽  
Lilian Casatti
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Particulate Organic Matter ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Tropical Streams ◽  
Generalist Predators ◽  
Trophic Groups ◽  
Gut Content Analysis ◽  
Gut Content ◽  
Specialist Predators

Abstract: Aim The aim of this study was to describe the diet of stream macroinvertebrates and to determine their trophic groups. Methods Invertebrates were sampled with D nets in three pasture streams. They were identified to genus level and submitted to gut content analysis, except for fluid feeders such as hemipterans, to which diet data was obtained from the literature. Trophic groups were determined based on a similarity analysis using the Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient. Results Five trophic groups were defined: fine-detritivores (feed mostly on fine particulate organic matter - FPOM), coarse-detritivores/herbivores (feed mostly on coarse particulate organic matter - CPOM - and plant material), omnivores, specialist-predators (prey upon aquatic insects only), and generalist-predators. Ephemeroptera, Diptera (except Tanypodinae), Coleoptera, and Trichoptera (except Smicridea) were detritivores. The caddis Macronema (Trichoptera) fed exclusively on plant detritus and Tanypodinae and Smicridea were classified as omnivores. The odonate families Calopterygidae and Gomphidae were classified as specialist-predators, while Macrobrachium (Decapoda), Belostoma, and Limnocoris (Hemiptera) were generalist-predators. Conclusions The great quantity and frequency of occurrence of FPOM consumed by most taxa highlight the importance of this food resource for macroinvertebrate communities from tropical streams. Furthermore, observed variations on trophic group assignment for some taxa indicate the generalist and opportunistic nature of these aquatic invertebrates. Such findings reinforce the importance of conducting gut content analysis on macroinvertebrates to understand their role in the structure and functioning of tropical streams.

scholarly journals 18S rRNA gene sequences of leptocephalus gut contents, particulate organic matter, and biological oceanographic conditions in the western North Pacific

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsuyoshi Watanabe ◽  
Satoshi Nagai ◽  
Yoko Kawakami ◽  
Taiga Asakura ◽  
Jun Kikuchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Particulate Organic Matter ◽  
North Pacific ◽  
Western North Pacific ◽  
18S Rrna ◽  
18S Rrna Gene ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Marine Snow ◽  
Chlorophyll Maximum

AbstractEel larvae apparently feed on marine snow, but many aspects of their feeding ecology remain unknown. The eukaryotic 18S rRNA gene sequence compositions in the gut contents of four taxa of anguilliform eel larvae were compared with the sequence compositions of vertically sampled seawater particulate organic matter (POM) in the oligotrophic western North Pacific Ocean. Both gut contents and POM were mainly composed of dinoflagellates as well as other phytoplankton (cryptophytes and diatoms) and zooplankton (ciliophoran and copepod) sequences. Gut contents also contained cryptophyte and ciliophoran genera and a few other taxa. Dinoflagellates (family Gymnodiniaceae) may be an important food source and these phytoplankton were predominant in gut contents and POM as evidenced by DNA analysis and phytoplankton cell counting. The compositions of the gut contents were not specific to the species of eel larvae or the different sampling areas, and they were most similar to POM at the chlorophyll maximum in the upper part of the thermocline (mean depth: 112 m). Our results are consistent with eel larvae feeding on marine snow at a low trophic level, and feeding may frequently occur in the chlorophyll maximum in the western North Pacific.

Hydrothermal petroleum from lacustrine sedimentary organic matter in the East African Rift

2000 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 355-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernd R.T. Simoneit ◽  
Tarek A.T. Aboul-Kassim ◽  
J.J. Tiercelin
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
East African Rift ◽  
Sedimentary Organic Matter ◽  
East African ◽  
African Rift

The Comparative Feeding Ecology of Six Species of Shark and Four Species of Ray (Elasmobranchii) In The North-East Atlantic

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.R. Ellis ◽  
M.G. Pawson ◽  
S.E. Shackley
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Ecology ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Generalist Predators ◽  
Dietary Overlap ◽  
East Atlantic ◽  
Dietary Breadth ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Commercial Species

The stomach contents of ten species of elasmobranch from the north-eastern Atlantic indicate that most are generalist predators, eating a variety of polychaetes, molluscs, crustaceans and teleosts. Two species, Mustelus asterias and Squatina scjuatina were found to be specialist feeders, consuming portunid crabs and pleuronectids, respectively. Measures for both dietary breadth and dietary overlap are given and the implications of elasmobranch predation on the prey communities and on commercial species are discussed.

scholarly journals Feeding habits of Chironomid larvae (Insecta: Diptera) from a stream in the Floresta da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2003 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. L. Henriques-Oliveira ◽  
J. L. Nessimian ◽  
L. F. M. Dorvillé
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Particulate Organic Matter ◽  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Chironomid Larvae ◽  
Main Food ◽  
Animal Remains ◽  
Aquatic Food ◽  
Main Food Source

Chironomids larvae are frequently one of the most abundant and diverse groups of insects in several kinds of aquatic environments. Also, they play a major role in the aquatic food webs, representing a major link among producers and secondary consumers. This work investigates the feeding behavior of the chironomid larvae present in the Rio da Fazenda, situated in the Parque Nacional da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between August 1994 and May 1995. Algae, fungi, pollen, leaf and wood fragments, animal remains, detritus and silt were the main gut contents found in the larvae studied. The main food item ingested by the larvae was detritus, except for the Stenochironomus whose main food source was leaf and wood fragments. Tanypodinae exhibited a large quantity of animal remains of several kinds in the diet. During the period studied it was observed that the diet of 16 genera (out of 24 studied) varied. Tanypodinae had mainly coarse particulate organic matter (> 1 mm) in the gut contents, while Chironominae and Orthocladiinae had fine particulate organic matter (< 1 mm).

Dissolved organic matter in a tropical saline-alkaline lake of the East African Rift Valley.

2020 ◽  
Vol 173 ◽  
pp. 115532 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Butturini ◽  
P. Herzsprung ◽  
O.J. Lechtenfeld ◽  
S. Venturi ◽  
S. Amalfitano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Rift Valley ◽  
East African Rift ◽  
East African ◽  
Alkaline Lake ◽  
African Rift

A NEW GENUS OF PYRGOMORPHIDAE (ACRIDOIDEA: ORTHOPTERA) FROM THE ISLAND OF SOCOTRA

1973 ◽  
Vol 105 (9) ◽  
pp. 1169-1173
Author(s):  
D. Keith McE. Kevan
Keyword(s):  
New Genus ◽  
Monotypic Genus ◽  
East African ◽  
African Genus

AbstractA new, endemic monotypic genus of Pyrgomorphidae, Xenephias, is described from Socotra. The single known species, X. socotranus n. sp., proves to be a member of the widely distributed tribe Sphenariini. It shows some similarities to eastern Asiatic genera, but is apparently closest to the isolated east African genus Sphenexia Karsch.

Detection of secondary predation by PCR analyses of the gut contents of invertebrate generalist predators

2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 4461-4468 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. K. SHEPPARD ◽  
J. BELL ◽  
K. D. SUNDERLAND ◽  
J. FENLON ◽  
D. SKERVIN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Contents ◽  
Generalist Predators

scholarly journals Can mandible morphology help predict feeding habits in Antarctic amphipods?

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 496-507
Author(s):  
Loïc N. Michel ◽  
Fabienne L. Nyssen ◽  
Patrick Dauby ◽  
Marie Verheye
Keyword(s):  
Functional Groups ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Feeding Strategies ◽  
Generalist Predators ◽  
Dietary Specialization ◽  
Important Place ◽  
Antarctic Amphipod

AbstractIn Antarctica, amphipods form a highly diverse group, occupy many different ecological niches and hold an important place in food webs. Here, we aimed to test whether differences in Antarctic amphipod feeding habits were reflected in their mandible morphology, and if mouthpart specialization could be used to describe amphipod trophic ecology. To do so, we compared mandible morphology in nine species spanning seven families and five functional groups (grazers, suspension feeders, generalist predators, specialist predators and scavengers). Mandible morphology adequately depicted some aspects of amphipod trophic ecology, such as the trophic level at which animals feed or their degree of dietary specialization. On the other hand, links between mandible morphology and amphipod diet were seldom unambiguous or straightforward. Similar adaptations were found in distinct functional groups. Conversely, mandible morphology could vary within a single functional group, and phylogenetic effects sometimes complicated the interpretation of form-function relationships. Overall, mandible morphology on its own was generally not sufficient to precisely predict amphipod feeding strategies. However, when combined with other methods (e.g. gut contents, trophic markers), it constitutes a valuable source of information for integrative studies of amphipod ecological diversity in the Southern Ocean.

Diets of Juvenile Atlantic Menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) in Three Estuarine Habitats as Determined from Fatty Acid Composition of Gut Contents

1975 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 587-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Perry Jeffries
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Fatty Acid Composition ◽  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Particulate Organic Matter ◽  
Alimentary Canal ◽  
Atlantic Menhaden ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Brevoortia Tyrannus ◽  
Fatty Acid Compositions

Juvenile Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) feed on zooplankton and particulate organic matter, but the importance of each material in the diet cannot be visually determined, because food is ground to an amorphous paste in the fish’s gizzard-like stomach. During early digestion in the anterior alimentary canal, fatty acids do not appear to change significantly, at least with respect to relative concentrations of saturated and unsaturated groups. Because zooplankton and particulate organic matter have markedly different fatty acid compositions, a hypothetical mixture of the two components can be calculated that best accounts for the observed fatty acid distributions of gut contents. Decreasing reliance on zooplankton, from bay through river to marsh, probably reflects resource abundances in three habitats and demonstrates adaptability of juvenile menhaden to different food supplies.

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