Trophic relationships of a subtidal fish assemblage in the Francisco Coloane Coastal Marine Protected Area, southern Chilean Patagonia

A combination of stomach content and nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) stable-isotope analysis was used to assess the trophic interactions and feeding habits of three notothenioid coastal fish (Champsocephalus esox, Patagonotothen tessellata and Patagonotothen cornucola) and one exotic salmon specie...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polar Research
Main Authors: Mathias Hüne, Ernesto Davis, Silvia Murcia, David Gutiérrez, Daniela Haro
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Norwegian Polar Institute 2018
Subjects:
Notothenioidei
exotic salmonid
trophic level
feeding habits
Magellan region
sub-Antarctic
Environmental sciences
GE1-350
Oceanography
GC1-1581
Antarctic
Patagonia
Antarc*
Polar Research
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1080/17518369.2018.1435107
https://doaj.org/article/2d1842f3a8eb4339a27d7fbb564e004f
Description
Summary:A combination of stomach content and nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) stable-isotope analysis was used to assess the trophic interactions and feeding habits of three notothenioid coastal fish (Champsocephalus esox, Patagonotothen tessellata and Patagonotothen cornucola) and one exotic salmon species (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) with diverse life habits (benthic and benthopelagic) in the Francisco Coloane Coastal Marine Protected Area, southern Chile. The stomach contents of C. esox were mainly fish; those of P. cornucola and O. tschawytscha were crustacean decapods, Munida gregaria. A cluster analysis on isotope data and stable-isotope Bayesian ellipses detected two different predator groups, one with benthopelagic habits (C. esox and O. tshawytscha) and one with benthic habits (P. cornucola and P. tessellata). These results were supported with similar isotopic trophic level of each group. We suggest that the exotic salmon O. tschawytscha is a generalist predator with a broad trophic niche that may compete with the native notothenioid C. esox, as both have equivalent trophic levels with substantial overlap. This preliminary study is the first on trophic relationships of a subtidal fish assemblage within a remote ecosystem of fjords and channels in Chile’s southern Patagonia.

Similar Items