scholarly journals Can We Share? Feeding Strategy in Three Syntopic Newts in Artificial Habitats

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Luca Stellati ◽  
Jennifer Mirabasso ◽  
Luca Luiselli ◽  
Marco A. Bologna ◽  
Leonardo Vignoli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prey Availability ◽  
Feeding Strategy ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Niche Width ◽  
Amphibian Conservation ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Trophic Conditions ◽  
Smooth Newt ◽  
Lissotriton Vulgaris

Natural aquatic sites are disappearing worldwide, especially in the Mediterranean region where amphibians are frequently forced to move for reproduction to artificial sites designed for irrigation and cattle watering (i.e., wells, tanks and drinking troughs). In artificial aquatic sites, where resources (space and food) are usually limited, trophic niche information can be particularly useful to infer the suitability of habitats for amphibian conservation especially when more than one species co-occurs. In this paper, we focused on three newt species: The Italian newt (Lissotriton italicus), the Italian smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris meridionalis) and the Italian crested newt (Triturus carnifex) inhabiting man-made wells widespread in an area in Central Italy characterized by few available natural aquatic sites. Specifically, we analyzed the trophic spectrum of the species, their interactions and overlap, and discussed the potential role of wells in amphibian conservation. Overall, 550 newt individuals occurring in 16 distinct wells were sampled. The study species consumed similar resources, mainly of aquatic origin, with Diptera larvae and Cladocera representing the most important preys. The high degree of diet overlap observed may be due to site oligotrophy and high availability of small-sized prey, and it does not necessarily lead to competition. Newts had similar narrow niche width values and a generalist feeding pattern with high diversity among individuals. Lissotriton italicus and T. carnifex showed wider niche width in isolation than in syntopy condition, probably as a result of interspecific competition and/or intraguild predation. We showed that artificial aquatic sites are important for newt ecology and conservation since they allow up to three species to cohabit, thus representing a good surrogate of natural habitats. The study wells apparently provided suitable trophic conditions for newts in terms of prey availability and catchability. To date, just a few studies have contributed to a greater understanding of newts’ diet in artificial aquatic sites and this gap of knowledge has to be filled to clarify their role in amphibian ecology and conservation.

scholarly journals Prey availability, prey selection, and trophic niche width in the lizard Psammodromus algirus along an elevational gradient

2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 603-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregorio Moreno-Rueda ◽  
Elena Melero ◽  
Senda Reguera ◽  
Francisco J Zamora-Camacho ◽  
Inés Álvarez-Benito
Keyword(s):  
Prey Availability ◽  
Prey Selection ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Niche Width ◽  
Psammodromus Algirus

scholarly journals Trophic partitioning between abundant demersal sharks coexisting in the North Aegean Sea

2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (5) ◽  
pp. 1213-1219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emre Yemisken ◽  
Joan Navarro ◽  
Manuela Forero ◽  
Persefoni Megalofonou ◽  
Lutfiye Eryilmaz
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Trophic Position ◽  
Feeding Strategy ◽  
Aegean Sea ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Niche Width ◽  
Isotopic Niche ◽  
Shark Species ◽  
The North ◽  
Eastern Aegean

AbstractWe examined the feeding ecology (diet, trophic width and trophic position) of five demersal shark species (Mustelus mustelus Linnaeus, 1758, Galeus melastomus Rafinesque, 1810, Scyliorhinus canicula Linnaeus, 1758, Scyliorhinus stellaris Linnaeus, 1758, Squalus blainville, Risso, 1826) coexisting in the north-eastern Aegean Sea (around Gökçeda Island) by combining stomach content and stable isotope analyses. The results indicate clear differences in diet between the five sharks. Cephalopods were mainly found in diet of S. stellaris and M. mustelus and the stomachs of G. melastomus, S. canicula and S. blainville included fish. S. blainville showed the highest trophic position in respect of stable isotope analysis (TPsia = 4.89) around Gökçeada Island. It was followed by G. melastomus (TPsia = 4.57). Direct isotopic values (both stable nitrogen and carbon) and isotopic niche width based on the Standard Ellipse Area (SEA) clearly differed among the five shark species. In particular, S. blainville was isotopically segregated from the other shark species studied, showing a narrow isotopic trophic niche and higher trophic level. In contrast, M. mustelus had the widest trophic niche of the five species studied. The niche width of S. stellaris was narrower than M. mustelus and S. canicula but wider than S. blainville and G. melastomus. SEA showed that G. melastomus has a specialized feeding strategy in the area. There is no overlap between S. canicula and S. stellaris in trophic width.

Nonlinear effect of density on trophic niche width and between-individual variation in diet in a neotropical cichlid

2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 492-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lúcia Mateus ◽  
Jean Ortega ◽  
Angélica Mendes ◽  
Jerry Penha
Keyword(s):  
Individual Variation ◽  
Nonlinear Effect ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Niche Width

Genetic characterization of a second novel picornavirus from an amphibian host, smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris)

2016 ◽  
Vol 162 (4) ◽  
pp. 1043-1050 ◽  
Author(s):  
Péter Pankovics ◽  
Ákos Boros ◽  
Zoltán Tóth ◽  
Tung Gia Phan ◽  
Eric Delwart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Characterization ◽  
Smooth Newt ◽  
Lissotriton Vulgaris

Patterns of morphometric variation in the smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris) from Greece: environmental correlates

2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (5-8) ◽  
pp. 435-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Sotiropoulos ◽  
Anastasios Legakis ◽  
Rosa‐Maria Polymeni
Keyword(s):  
Morphometric Variation ◽  
Environmental Correlates ◽  
Smooth Newt ◽  
Lissotriton Vulgaris

scholarly journals The distributions of the six species constituting the smooth newt species complex (Lissotriton vulgaris sensu lato and L. montandoni) – an addition to the New Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 252-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Wielstra ◽  
Daniele Canestrelli ◽  
Milena Cvijanović ◽  
Mathieu Denoël ◽  
Anna Fijarczyk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Complex ◽  
Genomic Data ◽  
Genetic Data ◽  
Sister Species ◽  
Contact Zones ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
Smooth Newt ◽  
Lissotriton Vulgaris ◽  
Constituent Species ◽  
Distribution Ranges

Abstract The ‘smooth newt’, the taxon traditionally referred to as Lissotriton vulgaris, consists of multiple morphologically distinct taxa. Given the uncertainty concerning the validity and rank of these taxa, L. vulgaris sensu lato has often been treated as a single, polytypic species. A recent study, driven by genetic data, proposed to recognize five species, L. graecus, L. kosswigi, L. lantzi, L. schmidtleri and a more restricted L. vulgaris. The Carpathian newt L. montandoni was confirmed to be a closely related sister species. We propose to refer to this collective of six Lissotriton species as the smooth newt or Lissotriton vulgaris species complex. Guided by comprehensive genomic data from throughout the range of the smooth newt species complex we 1) delineate the distribution ranges, 2) provide a distribution database, and 3) produce distribution maps according to the format of the New Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe, for the six constituent species. This allows us to 4) highlight regions where more research is needed to determine the position of contact zones.

Ontogenetic shifts in natural diet, chelae, and mandible of an omnivorous freshwater crab (Aegla uruguayana): linking morphology and function

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Florencia Viozzi ◽  
Juan Manuel Cabrera ◽  
Federico Giri ◽  
Debora de Azevedo Carvalho ◽  
Verónica Williner
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Feeding Strategy ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Composition Analysis ◽  
Diet Change ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Natural Diet ◽  
Plant Remains ◽  
And Function

We analyze whether ontogenetic diet change in Aegla uruguayana (Schmitt, 1942) is related to the morphological changes in chelae and mandibles. We use a combination of scanning electron microscope observation (SEM), dietary composition analysis (stomach observation, trophic niche amplitude, trophic overlap, and feeding strategy), and geometric morphometric tools (discriminant analysis and two-block partial least squares analysis). The two structures analyzed by SEM show differences between juvenile and adult specimens, both in their cuticle and morphology specializations. In juveniles, the absence of the lobular tooth is the notable feature. However, in adult sizes it is marked development. Both groups have simple setae with infracuticular articulation and denticles with different arrangements between groups. In the incisive mandible process, the teeth and spines present sharper points in juveniles and considerable wear in adults. Aegla uruguayana presented two trophic strategies: a profile of more predatory traits when younger and mostly detritivorous when adults. The analysis of geometric morphometry substantiates the patterns observed in SEM and stomach contents analysis. The morphology of smaller specimens is associated with the consumption of animal items (ephemeropterans larvae and cladocerans), while in those of larger sizes; it is related to the consumption of plant remains.

Managing Centrarchid Fisheries in Rivers and Streams

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Prey Selection ◽  
Trophic Position ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Smallmouth Bass ◽  
Spatial Differences ◽  
Stream Size ◽  
Diet Analyses

<em>Abstract.</em>—Prey selection and diet are highly plastic and can vary with temporal and spatial differences in competition or prey availability. This study investigated the possibility that the trophic position of Smallmouth Bass <em> Micropterus dolomieu </em>might change in response to systematic, hierarchical variation in community structure in stream networks. We hypothesized that a shift toward increased insectivory and decreased piscivory would be observed in smaller streams, resulting in a lower trophic position of Smallmouth Bass and reflecting differences in community structure and prey availability. We applied a combination of diet analyses and stable isotope methods to compare prey selection and trophic position of Smallmouth Bass across a range of stream sizes. Stable isotope analyses indicated that Smallmouth Bass trophic position was slightly elevated in smaller watersheds, contradicting our initial hypothesis. However, differences in average trophic position in watershed size categories were small (ranging from 3.6 to 3.8) and of limited ecological significance. Isotopic niche width did not vary among stream size categories, and gut content analyses revealed no differences in frequency of occurrence of fish, crayfish, or insects (larvae and adults). Collectively these results indicate that trophic position, and perhaps trophic niche, of Smallmouth Bass are consistent across hierarchical variation in stream size and habitat.

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