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A stable isotope analysis of the dietary patterns of the aquatic apex predator, the African tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus).
Gerber, Ruan; de Necker, Lizaan; van Vuren, Johan H J; Ikenaka, Yoshinori; Nakayama, Shouta M M; Ishizuka, Mayumi; Wepener, Victor; Smit, Nico J.
Afiliación
  • Gerber R; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
  • de Necker L; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
  • van Vuren JHJ; South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF-SAIAB), Makhanda, South Africa.
  • Ikenaka Y; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
  • Nakayama SMM; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
  • Ishizuka M; Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
  • Wepener V; Translational Research Unit, Veterinary Teaching hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
  • Smit NJ; One Health Research Center, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
J Fish Biol ; 103(5): 1129-1143, 2023 Nov.
Article en En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37498144
Stable isotope analyses, specifically δ13 C and δ15 N, are useful tools increasingly used to understand ecosystem function, food web structures, and consumer diets. Although the iconic tigerfish Hydrocynus vittatus is regarded as an apex predator in southern African freshwater systems, little information is available regarding their feeding behavior and how this may change with growth or differ between ecosystems, with most information stemming from stomach content analyses (SCA). The aim of the present study was to address this lack of information through a baseline study of the diet of large and small tigerfish in various lentic and lotic ecosystems in South Africa using stable isotope methods. Fish and various food web components and food sources were collected from two river and two lake ecosystems in South Africa. The δ13 C and δ15 N values for all samples were determined and multivariate analyses and Bayesian analytical techniques applied to determine the feeding ecology of H. vittatus and how this may differ with size and habitat type. Analyses revealed a substantial difference in the type and abundance of food sources contributing to the diet of H. vittatus between ecosystems, most prominently between the lotic systems, where less dietary specialization was observed, and lentic systems where more specialization was observed. Furthermore, there was a distinct difference in diet between small and large tigerfish, especially in the lotic system, indicating an ontogenetic diet shift as tigerfish grow and further supporting previous SCA studies. This is the first study of its kind on the African continent for H. vittatus and the findings illustrate the value of stable isotope analysis in providing in-depth information into the feeding ecology of consumers and how this may differ between size classes and habitat types.
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Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Ecosistema / Characiformes Límite: Animals Idioma: En Revista: J Fish Biol Año: 2023 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: Sudáfrica Pais de publicación: Reino Unido
Texto completo
Añadir a Mi BVS
Imprimir
XML
PubMed Links
Buscar en Google

Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Ecosistema / Characiformes Límite: Animals Idioma: En Revista: J Fish Biol Año: 2023 Tipo del documento: Article País de afiliación: Sudáfrica Pais de publicación: Reino Unido