TY - JOUR
T1 - Feeding ecology and trophic level of the banded guitarfish, Zapteryx exasperata, inferred from stable isotopes and stomach contents analysis
AU - Blanco-Parra, María del Pilar
AU - Galván-Magaña, Felipe
AU - Márquez-Farías, J. Fernando
AU - Niño-Torres, Carlos Alberto
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements Special thanks to the fishermen from Estero del Soldado, Sonora, for allowing us to take samples, and to personnel from the aquatic chemistry laboratory from the Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas (CICIMAR-IPN) for support in the stable isotope analysis. This research was funded in part by the Instituto Nacional de Pesca, Project “Pesca Ribereña” CRIP-Guaymas and Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas Project “Ecology of elasmobranchs in Baja California Sur”. MPBP would like to thank the Dirección General de Estudios de Posgrado, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México for her PhD scholarship. FGM thanks the Instituto Politecnico Nacional (COFAA and EDI fellowships). Special thanks are given to L. Sampson and K.D. Eaton for the English review of this manuscript. All activities presented in this work were conducted in compliance with Mexican laws and regulations.
PY - 2012/9
Y1 - 2012/9
N2 - The feeding ecology and trophic level of the banded guitarfish, Zapteryx exasperata, from the Gulf of California, were assessed using stable isotope analysis (SIA) of carbon and nitrogen in muscle samples, and stomach contents analysis (SCA). Males and females showed similar diet preferences with a high diet overlap (Cλ = 0. 99) and similar values of δ 13C and δ 15N (ANOVA, F = 0. 0 p = 0. 94 for δ 13C; F = 0. 1 p = 0. 78 for δ 15N). The main prey groups found were demersal fishes dominated by the daisy midshipman, Porichthys margaritatus, (>90%IRI), however, pelagic fishes were also found (Engraulis mordax 2%IRI). An ontogenetic diet shift was found, indicated by the importance of crustaceans in the juvenile diet and the significant isotopic differences between juveniles and adults (δ 13C, ANOVA, F = 13. 3 p = 0. 0004 and δ 15N, ANOVA, F = 4. 7 p = 0. 03). An overall trend of increase in δ 15N values with increasing body length (F = 8. 15 p = 0. 005) was observed. The mean trophic level estimated in this work by the two methods was ~4. 1, indicating that this species is a top predator in the Gulf of California. Zapteryx exasperata is a specialist feeder (Bi = 0. 11, H' = 2. 32), consuming mainly benthic fishes in coastal areas of the Gulf of California. The importance of this species in the benthic ecosystem equilibrium as a top predator is an important point to keep in mind when developing future management plans of the batoid fishery in the Gulf of California.
AB - The feeding ecology and trophic level of the banded guitarfish, Zapteryx exasperata, from the Gulf of California, were assessed using stable isotope analysis (SIA) of carbon and nitrogen in muscle samples, and stomach contents analysis (SCA). Males and females showed similar diet preferences with a high diet overlap (Cλ = 0. 99) and similar values of δ 13C and δ 15N (ANOVA, F = 0. 0 p = 0. 94 for δ 13C; F = 0. 1 p = 0. 78 for δ 15N). The main prey groups found were demersal fishes dominated by the daisy midshipman, Porichthys margaritatus, (>90%IRI), however, pelagic fishes were also found (Engraulis mordax 2%IRI). An ontogenetic diet shift was found, indicated by the importance of crustaceans in the juvenile diet and the significant isotopic differences between juveniles and adults (δ 13C, ANOVA, F = 13. 3 p = 0. 0004 and δ 15N, ANOVA, F = 4. 7 p = 0. 03). An overall trend of increase in δ 15N values with increasing body length (F = 8. 15 p = 0. 005) was observed. The mean trophic level estimated in this work by the two methods was ~4. 1, indicating that this species is a top predator in the Gulf of California. Zapteryx exasperata is a specialist feeder (Bi = 0. 11, H' = 2. 32), consuming mainly benthic fishes in coastal areas of the Gulf of California. The importance of this species in the benthic ecosystem equilibrium as a top predator is an important point to keep in mind when developing future management plans of the batoid fishery in the Gulf of California.
KW - Batoid
KW - Carbon
KW - Diet
KW - Nitrogen
KW - Rhinobatid
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84865424625&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10641-011-9862-7
DO - 10.1007/s10641-011-9862-7
M3 - Artículo
SN - 0378-1909
VL - 95
SP - 65
EP - 77
JO - Environmental Biology of Fishes
JF - Environmental Biology of Fishes
IS - 1
ER -