Regional patterns of δ 13 C and δ 15 N for European common cuttlefish ( Sepia officinalis ) throughout the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea

Stable isotope compositions of carbon and nitrogen (expressed as δ13C and δ15N) from the European common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) were measured in order to evaluate the utility of using these natural tracers throughout the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea (NEAO-MS). Mantle tissue...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Royal Society Open Science
Main Authors: R. J. David Wells, Jay R. Rooker, Piero Addis, Haritz Arrizabalaga, Miguel Baptista, Giovanni Bearzi, Igaratza Fraile, Thomas Lacoue-Labarthe, Emily N. Meese, Persefoni Megalofonou, Rui Rosa, Ignacio Sobrino, Antonio V. Sykes, Roger Villanueva
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: The Royal Society 2021
Subjects:
stable isotopes
δ13C and δ15N
cuttlefish
cephalopod
natural tracers
Science
Q
Northeast Atlantic
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.210345
https://doaj.org/article/3dfd36d02d3149318b87dc553a8edc0d
Description
Summary:Stable isotope compositions of carbon and nitrogen (expressed as δ13C and δ15N) from the European common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) were measured in order to evaluate the utility of using these natural tracers throughout the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea (NEAO-MS). Mantle tissue was obtained from S. officinalis collected from 11 sampling locations spanning a wide geographical coverage in the NEAO-MS. Significant differences of both δ13C and δ15N values were found among S. officinalis samples relative to sampling location. δ13C values did not show any discernable spatial trends; however, a distinct pattern of lower δ15N values in the Mediterranean Sea relative to the NEAO existed. Mean δ15N values of S. officinalis in the Mediterranean Sea averaged 2.5‰ lower than conspecifics collected in the NEAO and showed a decreasing eastward trend within the Mediterranean Sea with the lowest values in the most eastern sampling locations. Results suggest δ15N may serve as a useful natural tracer for studies on the population structure of S. officinalis as well as other marine organisms throughout the NEAO-MS.

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