舟山群岛海域5种鳗的营养生态位及种间关系

海鳗等鳗鲡目鱼类是舟山群岛海域常见的近底层凶猛肉食性鱼类,研究鳗类的营养生态位可以了解其在舟山群岛海域生态系统中占据的营养层次。本研究以舟山群岛海域的海鳗（Muraenesox cinereus）、前肛鳗（Dysomma anguillare）、星康吉鳗（Conger myriaster）、食蟹豆齿鳗（Pisodonophis cancrivorus）和短尾吻鳗（Rhynchoconger ectenurus）为研究对象,利用碳氮稳定同位素技术分析这5种鳗的营养生态位及种间食物关系。结果显示：（1）舟山群岛海域5种鳗的δ13C范围是-21.91‰~-14.97‰（平均值-17.03±1.14‰）,δ15N范围为9.56‰~15.13‰（平均值11.50±1.36‰）;（2）非参数检验结果表明,不同物种间的碳氮稳定同位素比值之间均存在极显著差异;Pearson相关性分析表明,5种鳗总体的δ13C、δ15N值与肛长相关性均不显著,而除前肛鳗以外,其余4种鳗总体的δ13C值与肛长相关性不显著,δ15N值与肛长呈极显著正相关;（3）稳定同位素混合模型（SIAR）显示鱼类、虾类和口足类是鳗类的主要食物来源;（4）海鳗与其他4种鳗的营养生态位均有重叠,说明它们之间的食源有一定程度的同质化,存在食物竞争;食蟹豆齿鳗和短尾吻鳗的校正核心生态位面积（SEAc）最大,说明二者食性泛化,其摄食类群主要取决于饵料生物的易得性;前肛鳗、星康吉鳗和短尾吻鳗之间不存在生态位重叠,说明其摄食种类有所分化,体现了同域分布近缘种的食性差异。本研究阐述了舟山群岛海域5种鳗的种间食物关系和进化共存机制,可为研究舟山群岛海域高营养级类群的食物网结构特征提供参考。     

上海青草沙水库食物网结构特征分析

为了给青草沙水库生态系统能量流动和物质循环分析提供基础数据,并为生物操纵等生态修复实践提供科学依据,在青草沙水库采集了鱼类、底栖动物、浮游植物、浮游动物和悬浮物样品,结合碳氮稳定同位素(δ~(13)C和δ~(15)N)技术和胃肠内含物分析法,利用IsoSource软件计算了不同食物对消费者的贡献率,并应用"简化食物网"原则,构建青草沙水库生态系统食物网,分析其结构特征。结果显示,青草沙水库食物网的δ~(13)C值为-28.15‰～-21.53‰,δ~(15)N值为6.81‰～14.94‰。在青草沙水库中,刀鲚Coilia nasus和红鳍原鲌Culter erythropterus属于顶级肉食者,其营养级分别3.595和3.589,其他鱼类的营养级在2.482～3.264。青草沙水库食物网结构显示,浮游动物对杂食性鱼类贝氏歺又鱼Hemiculter bleekeri(34%)和寡鳞飘鱼Pseudolaubuca engraulis(32%)的碳源贡献率较高,浮游植物对似鱎Toxabramis swinhonis的贡献率(31%)高于浮游动物(11%),大型无脊椎动物对黄颡鱼Pelteobagrus fulvidraco(60%)和光泽黄颡鱼Pseudobagrus nitidus(64%)的贡献率远高于其他食物成分,处在食物网顶端的刀鲚和红鳍原鲌的食物主要来源于饵料鱼类。青草沙水库食物链长度为3.60个营养级。     

南沙群岛海域鸢乌贼摄食习性与营养生态位

摘要：鸢乌贼在中国南海海域资源丰富,是灯光罩网渔船的主要捕捞对象之一。本研究对南沙群岛海域中型群和微型群鸢乌贼样品进行采集,利用传统胃含物分析法和碳、氮稳定同位素技术研究其摄食习性、营养级、营养生态位及与饵料生物的关系。研究表明,鸢乌贼以摄食鱼类、头足类和甲壳类为主,且在不同生长阶段,饵料组成有所差异;胴长小于100 mm的微型群和胴长小于90 mm的中型群个体摄食以浮游动物和小型鱼类为主,100~119 mm的微型群个体和90~129 mm的中型群个体摄食以甲壳类、头足类和鱼类生物为主,大于120 mm的微型群和大于130 mm的中型群个体摄食饵料主要为鱼类和头足类。鸢乌贼中型群δ15N值范围为7.17‰~10.13‰,δ13C范围为-19.61‰~-18.10‰,微型群δ15N值范围为6.48‰~10.12‰,δ13C范围为-19.63‰~-17.81‰。分析显示,中型群和微型群的营养生态位重叠明显,表明群体间存在对食物资源的竞争;微型群的营养生态位宽幅大于中型群,其中微型群雄性群体与其他三个群体的核心生态位重叠部分偏低。鸢乌贼中型群的营养级范围为2.54~3.41,平均营养级为2.97,微型群的营养级范围为2.34~3.41,平均营养级为2.87;微型群雄性营养级相对较低且与其他类群存在较大差异,这可能与其体型大小密切相关。     

长江中上游3种鲌的营养生态位比较

为了解长江中上游鲌属鱼类种群动态和种间营养关系,本研究利用碳、氮稳定同位素分析技术,对来自长江中上游3个区域的达氏鲌(Culter dabryi)、蒙古鲌(Culter mongolicus)和翘嘴鲌(Culter alburnus)样品的碳、氮稳定同位素特征和营养生态位进行比较分析。结果显示, 3种鲌的δ¹³C值在各区域均有显著性差异(P<0.05),而δ¹⁵N值仅在上游江段差异显著(P<0.05),表明三者间食物来源和营养级位置存在空间上的差异。多营养生态位指标结果显示,在长江中上游,蒙古鲌的食物来源更为广泛,占据的营养生态位空间总量较大,且在大多数情况下,蒙古鲌的生态位宽度大于达氏鲌和翘嘴鲌,这可能与蒙古鲌独特的摄食器官有关。3种鲌在长江中上游各江段的食性竞争存在差异,其中,蒙古鲌与翘嘴鲌、达氏鲌的重叠度相对较高,而翘嘴鲌与达氏鲌之间重叠度较低甚至无重叠,表明在长江中上游水域,蒙古鲌由于对不同饵料资源的利用能力强而易与其他两者出现食性竞争,而翘嘴鲌与达氏鲌因对各自优势饵料的摄食偏好性强,在食物资源维度上出现了一定的生态位分化...     

太湖鲌鱼数量变化规律及生态效应分析

通过2003~2005年的食性分析和渔获物组成调查,研究了太湖翘嘴红鲌、蒙古红鲌数量变化的规律及在鱼类群落演替过程的作用。食性分析表明:太湖翘嘴红鲌、蒙古红鲌主要摄食鲚鱼,其次是小型鱼类和虾。其中鲚鱼在翘嘴红鲌、蒙古红鲌消化道的出现率分别为95.24%、59.26%;在翘嘴红鲌食物中的重量组成比例为59.2%±11.4%。渔获量统计表明:1952~1958年鲌鱼平均年产量为406.4±102.5 t、占渔获总量的6.28%±0.85%;1987年达到历史最高产量1 090.8 t、占渔获总量7.65%;1993年后鲌鱼资源在快速减少,由1993年的922.3 t、占6.55%下降到近年的100~160 t、仅占渔获总量的0.4%~0.8%。2004年调查表明,在74 667kg渔获物中,翘嘴红鲌、蒙古红鲌仅占0.0038%。分析历年渔获量变化趋势发现,随着鲌鱼数量的不断减少,鲚鱼和小型其它鱼类均呈相反的快速增加趋势,而银鱼则有大体一致的持续下降趋势。简单相关和偏相关分析发现,鲌鱼-鲚鱼、鲌鱼-小型鱼类渔获量的负相关关系达到显著水平;鲌鱼-银鱼渔获量的正相关关系达到显著水平。研究认为:太湖翘嘴红鲌、蒙古红鲌对鲚鱼和小型鱼类有很强的抑制作用,对银鱼可能有间接促进作用;人为过度捕捞使翘嘴红鲌、蒙古红鲌数量不断减少,从而导致鱼类群落向鲚鱼为绝对优势种、小型鱼类不断增加的方向变化。鲚鱼和小型鱼类主要摄食浮游动物,其快速增加抑制了浮游动物、有利于浮游植物生长,这是太湖蓝藻频繁暴发的生物学因素之一。     

太湖鱼类群落变化规律、机制及其对环境影响分析

通过渔获物调查并结合历年鱼类渔获统计资料,用Wilhm改进式计算鱼类组成的均匀度指数,研究了太湖鱼类群落组成变化的规律.用鱼类食物个数组成比例、体积组成比例及食物重叠指数等定量指标,分析了富营养化条件下太湖主要鱼类的食物组成特点及相互关系;并根据渔获物统计资料,用SAS软件建立最优回归模型作为辅助手段,分析了鲚与主要鱼类数量变化间可能存在的关系,探讨太湖鱼类群落演替的内部机制.结果表明:(1)太湖鱼类群落组成变化的规律表现为鱼类种类在不断减少,鲚为绝对优势种,总量快速上升,鱼类组成的均匀程度逐年下降,鲚、鲤、鲫等鱼类年龄结构低龄化趋势加强;(2)富营养化条件下,太湖主要鱼类的食物组成特点及相互关系是鲚主要摄食枝角类,太湖新银鱼主要摄食桡足类,它们的主要食物有很大差别;鲚和鲢、鳙食物中浮游动物组成比例几乎相同,在蓝藻没有暴发期间存在食物竞争;翘嘴鲌、蒙古鲌的主要食物是鲚和小型鱼类,它们之间有捕食与被捕食关系;鲤丰要摄食水生植物和底栖动物,鲫主要摄食篮藻,鲚与鲤、鲫可能存在功能上相互促进的共生关系.这些食物关系和鲚与主要鱼类数量变化的最优回归模型结果相一致.太湖鱼类群落演替的内部机制是特有的鱼类间相互关系,而环境变化通过这种相互关系起作用.鱼类群落变化对环境的主要影响是浮游动物食性鱼类数量的快速上升,对浮游动物的牧食压力不断增加,可能使藻类更易暴发;鲢、鳙、鲫主要摄食蓝藻,可能有抑制蓝藻暴发的作用.控制鲚数量快速增加的有效调控途径是降低捕捞强度,增加鲚捕食者--鲌、食物竞争者--鲢鳙的数量.     

万山群岛秋季鱼类营养级及营养生态位研究

为探究万山群岛鱼类群落的营养结构特征,构建万山群岛渔业生物简要食物网,于2021年秋季(9月)利用稳定同位素技术分析了万山群岛主要渔业生物的营养结构特征,并计算了其营养结构的量化指标。结果表明,万山群岛海域鱼类δ¹³C值变化范围为-21.23‰(鲻Mugil cephalus)～-14.00‰(黑边布氏鲾Eubleekeria splendens),均值为(-16.96±0.41)‰, δ¹⁵N值变化范围为9.93‰(卵形鲳鲹Trachinotus ovatus)～14.83‰(截尾白姑鱼Pennahia anea),均值为(12.52±0.34)‰,鱼类的营养级变化范围为2.54～3.98,平均营养级为3.30。鱼类的δ¹³C变幅(CR)为7.23,δ¹⁵N变幅(NR)为4.90,凸多边形总面积(TA)为23.64,矫正后的标准椭圆面积(SEAc)为3.73,平均离心距离(CD)为1.30,平均最邻近距离(MNND)和平均最邻近距离标准差(SDNND)均为0.24。基于碳氮稳定同位素值可将万山群岛...     

黄河口水域主要鱼种的时空生态位宽度和重叠

生态位在研究群落结构、种间关系和生物多样性等方面具有重要作用。为深入了解黄河口水域鱼类群落结构和种间关系,本研究根据2013—2014年在黄河口水域进行的7个航次的渔业资源底拖网调查数据,应用平均拥挤度、生态位宽度和生态位重叠值等指数研究了该水域12种鱼类的时空生态位宽度和重叠特征。结果表明,黄河口水域主要鱼种时间生态位宽度变化范围为0～1.53,其中矛尾虾虎鱼(Chaemrichthys stigmatias)和方氏云鳚(Enedrias fangi)时间生态位宽度值较高,安氏新银鱼(Neosalanx anderssoni)和鮻(Liza haematocheila)较低。主要鱼种空间生态位宽度具有明显季节变化。所有鱼种间的平均空间生态位重叠值也有着明显的季节差异。生态位宽度和重叠值与各鱼种数量、分布、生态习性和生境状况密切相关,反映了该海域不同鱼种对生境资源的不同利用能力。     

渤海银鲳的营养级及摄食习性

根据2017年9—11月在渤海进行的3次定点底拖网调查采集的216个样品[包括120个银鲳(Pampus argenteus)样品, 51个饵料生物样品和45个比较研究鱼类样品],采用碳、氮稳定同位素技术测定了样品的稳定同位素比值。对银鲳各饵料种类的贡献比率进行了计算,探讨其摄食习性、营养级、生态位宽度和生态位重叠随叉长变化的特征。同时也通过对比研究验证了采用稳定同位素技术研究银鲳摄食生态的准确性。结果表明:(1)渤海银鲳的δ~(13)C值范围为-19.50‰～-14.85‰,平均值为-17.18‰,与叉长相关性不显著(r=-0.03,P=0.71);δ~(15)N值范围为11.55‰～14.77‰,平均值为13.30‰,与叉长相关性极显著,但相关强度是弱相关(r=0.26,P0.01)。(2)基于R语言的贝叶斯稳定同位素混合模型(SIAR)计算各饵料贡献率,表明渤海银鲳为杂食性,其主要饵料为底层虾类,其贡献率为11.52%～57.49%,平均贡献率为35.03%;其次是中国毛虾(Acetes chinensis),其贡献率为13.52%～42.82%,平均贡献率为27.87%。其他饵料的贡献率从高到低依次为日本枪乌贼(Loligo japonica)、浮游植物和浮游动物,其贡献率范围分别为6.41%～42.57%、0～21.33%和0～16.21%;平均贡献率分别为23.29%、8.08%和5.77%。(3)随叉长增加,银鲳的食物组成存在一定变化。生态位宽幅计算结果表明,渤海银鲳的营养生态位宽度随叉长增大存在先升高后下降的特征, 90～109 mm叉长组的生态位宽幅达到最大;但各叉长组营养生态位相似,生态位存在较多的重叠。(4)渤海银鲳的营养级范围为2.84～3.79,平均营养级为3.35;营养级随着叉长增大有升高的趋势。(5)MDS图分析得出银鲳与赤鼻棱鳀(Thryssa kammalensis)的δ~(13)C和δ~(15)N值相似性最高。本研究通过碳氮稳定同位素技术对银鲳的营养级和摄食习性有了较全面的了解,对构建渤海全程食物网,进而研究其动态变化具有重要的意义。     

老虎潭水库鱼类群落结构特征、营养等级及鲢、鳙生长特性研究

研究老虎潭水库鱼类资源现状、群落结构特征、营养级及主要鱼类生长特性,为水质生物调控提供基础资料。2015年2月、5月、8月和11月利用漂流混合刺网、笼壶(地笼网)和抛撒抄网采集鱼类样本,对水库鱼类资源进行了系统调查。共发现鱼类35种,隶属于4目9科。其中,鲤形目28种,占总数的80%;鲇形目和鲈形目各3种,分别占总数的8.6%;合鳃目1种,占总数的2.8%;优势种有6种,分别为鳙、鲢、翘嘴鲌、鲫、黄尾鲴和伍氏半。鲢的全长、体重生长方程分别为:L_t=110.533[1-e~(-0.386(t+0.227))]、W_t=25.138[1-e~(-0.265(t+0.136))]~(3.118),鳙的全长、体重生长方程分别为:L_t=93.042[1-e~(-0.415(t+0.223))]、W_t=12.257[1-e~(-0.415(t+0.223))]~(2.756)。老虎潭水库鲢、鳙体重增长速度以1~3龄较高,3龄以后逐渐降低,鲢、鳙体重生长拐点分别为2.721龄和2.223龄。为最大程度发挥鲢、鳙洁水保水功效,建议起捕年龄均为3龄。碳、氮稳定同位素分析结果显示:老虎潭水库2种食物源的δ~(13)C值跨度范围为-28.99‰~-24.32‰、δ~(15)N值跨度范围为5.06‰~8.19‰,浮游植物的δ~(13)C、δ~(15)N值均大于有机碎屑。26种消费者δ~(13)C值跨度范围为-27.07‰~-20.42‰,平均(-24.76±1.54)‰;δ~(15)N变化范围为8.93‰~14.88‰,平均(12.03±1.47)‰。营养级分析结果显示,26种消费者的营养级从2.18到3.61,分属于2个营养级,且与其食性特征有较好的一致性。     

胶州湾5种虾虎鱼类的营养和空间生态位

应用Shannon-Wiener指数和Pianka重叠指数分析了胶州湾5种虾虎鱼类的食物组成、营养生态位宽度、空间生态位宽度及其重叠,通过计算营养空间二维生态位重叠指数探讨了5种虾虎鱼类种间食物竞争与空间分布的关系。结果表明,胶州湾的5种虾虎鱼均属底栖动物食性,其中斑尾刺虾虎鱼(Synechogobius ommaturus)主要以虾类、多毛类和鱼类为食,而六丝钝尾虾虎鱼(Amblychaeturichthys hexanema)、红狼牙虾虎鱼(Odontamblyopus lace-pedii)、纹缟虾虎鱼(Tridentiger trigonocephalus)和钟馗虾虎鱼(Tridentiger barbatus)则主要摄食桡足类、钩虾、涟虫等小型底栖甲壳动物。在5种虾虎鱼中,六丝钝尾虾虎鱼的营养生态位宽度最高(2.65),纹缟虾虎鱼的空间生态位宽度最高(2.01),而红狼牙虾虎鱼的营养生态位宽度和空间生态位宽度均最低(分别为1.26和0.97)。5种虾虎鱼之间的营养生态位重叠指数在0.03~0.64之间,其中六丝钝尾虾虎鱼与钟馗虾虎鱼的营养生态位重叠指数最高(0.64);空间生态位重叠指数在0.08~0.91之间,最高值出现在红狼牙虾虎鱼与钟馗虾虎鱼之间(0.91);营养空间二维生态位重叠指数在0.0032~0.3648之间,其中钟馗虾虎鱼与六丝钝尾虾虎鱼的营养空间二维生态位重叠指数最高(0.3648),因此最有可能出现激烈的食物竞争,其他鱼种之间则通过营养或空间生态位的分化而降低了种间竞争的程度。     

Quantifying trophic interactions and niche sizes of juvenile fishes in an invaded riverine cyprinid fish community

Quantifying feeding interactions between nonindigenous and indigenous fishes in invaded fish communities is important for determining how introduced species integrate into native food webs. Here, the trophic interactions of invasive 0+ European barbel Barbus barbus (L.) and the three other principal 0+ fishes in the community, Squalius cephalus (L.), Leuciscus leuciscus (L.) and Phoxinus phoxinus (L.), were investigated in the River Teme, a River Severn tributary in Western England. B. barbus has been present in the River Teme for approximately 40 years. Analyses of stomach contents from samples collected from three sites between June and September 2015 revealed that, overall, fishes displayed a generalist feeding strategy, with most prey having low frequency of selection. Relationships of diet composition versus body length and gape height were species‐specific, with increasing dietary specialisms apparent as the 0+ fishes increased in length and gape height. The trophic niche size of invasive B. barbus was always significantly smaller than S. cephalus and L. leuciscus and was significantly smaller than P. phoxinus at two sites. This was primarily due to differences in the functional morphology of the fishes; 0+ B. barbus were generally restricted to foraging on the benthos, whereas the other fishes were able to forage on prey present throughout the water column. Nevertheless, the invasive B. barbus were exploiting very similar prey items to populations in their native range, suggesting these invaders were strongly pre‐adapted to the River Teme and this arguably facilitated their establishment and invasion.     

Stable isotope evaluation of population‐ and individual‐level diet variability in a large,oligotrophic lake with non‐native lake trout

Non‐native piscivores can alter food web dynamics; therefore, evaluating interspecific relationships is vital for conservation and management of ecosystems with introduced fishes. Priest Lake, Idaho, supports a number of introduced species, including lake trout Salvelinus namaycush, brook trout S. fontinalis and opossum shrimp Mysis diluviana. In this study, we used stable isotopes (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) to describe the food web structure of Priest Lake and to test hypotheses about apparent patterns in lake trout growth. We found that isotopic niches of species using pelagic‐origin carbon did not overlap with those using more littoral‐origin carbon. Species using more littoral‐origin carbon, such as brook trout and westslope cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi, exhibited a high degree of isotopic niche overlap and high intrapopulation variability in resource use. Although we hypothesised that lake trout would experience an ontogenetic diet shift, no such patterns were apparent in isotopic signatures. Lake trout growth rates were not associated with patterns in δ¹⁵N, indicating that variation in adult body composition may not be related to adult diet. Understanding trophic relationships at both the individual and species levels provides a more complete understanding of food webs altered by non‐native species.     

Big floods,big knowledge gap: Food web dynamics in a variable river system

While flow regime is widely recognised as an over‐arching feature structuring aquatic ecosystems, the influence of flood events on feeding habits in fish assemblages inhabiting variable environments remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated how diets of a fish assemblage changed in response to fluctuations in hydrology in a highly variable, wet‐dry tropical Australian river. We compared dietary habits, trophic guilds and intra‐ and interspecific dietary overlap and diet breadth across different seasons. Wet‐season floods acted as major geomorphic and ecological perturbations that exerted substantial effects on the trophic dynamics of the terapontid assemblage, particularly through the removal of in‐stream plant production and detritus. Forced by major shifts in food source availability due to seasonal flooding, fishes responded to these perturbations by marked changes in diet, with significant guild switching following wet‐season floods. Rather than the predictable, gradual, changes in consumer–resource interactions associated with the gentler seasonal flood pulse evident in other tropical river systems, study results instead emphasised rapid and profound changes to species' diets and trophic interactions following abrupt flood pulses. These sudden shifts in food sources may also explain some of the lack of clarity in discrimination of specific carbon sources or species' trophic levels evident in isotopic food web studies from the region. Results indicate that the effects of flood pulses on assemblage trophic interactions may differ among ecosystem types and across the broad potential scale of hydrological disturbance mediated by flood events.     

Dietary niche expansion and niche shift in native marble trout (Salmo marmoratus) living in sympatry with introduced rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The non‐native rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) has been introduced worldwide for angling purposes and has established self‐reproducing populations in many parts of the world. Introduced rainbow trout often have negative effects on the native salmonid species, ranging from decrease abundance, growth and survival, to their local extinction. Assessing the effects of introduced rainbow trout on the native species is thus crucial to better set up conservation programmes. In this study, we investigated the effects of non‐native rainbow trout on the diet of native marble trout (Salmo marmoratus) living in the Idrijca River (Slovenia). An impassable waterfall separates the stream in two sectors only a few hundred metres apart: a downstream sector (treatment) in which marble trout live in sympatry (MTs) with rainbow trout (RTs) and an upstream sector (control) in which marble trout live in allopatry (MTa). Specifically, we investigated using stable isotopes the effects of rainbow trout on dietary niche, diet composition, body condition, and lipid content of marble trout. We found dietary niche expansion and niche shift in marble trout living in sympatry with rainbow trout. Compared to MTa, MTs had higher piscivory rate and showed higher body condition and prereproduction lipid content. Our results indicate that the presence of rainbow trout did not have negative effects on marble trout diet and condition and that changes in dietary niche of marble trout are likely to be an adaptive response to the presence of rainbow trout, and further research is needed to better understand.     

Diet and trophic niche of the endangered fish Garra ghorensis in three Jordanian populations

Garra ghorensis is a small riverine cyprinid fish endemic to the southern Dead Sea that is endangered through habitat loss and invasive species. Here, their diet and trophic niche were assessed in three Jordanian populations: an allopatric population, a population sympatric with native Capoeta damascina and a population sympatric with invasive Oreochromis aureus. Stomach content analyses of samples collected between February 2011 and January 2012 revealed that detritus and algae were prominent food items in their diets, with low dietary contributions of animal material. The most frequent and abundant macro‐invertebrates in intestines were Odonata nymphs and gastropod species. The calculation of trophic niche size from the stomach content data revealed that the niche of G. ghorensis (0.10) was generally smaller than sympatric C. damascina (0.24), with an overlap of 72%, whereas they had a larger trophic niche than sympatric O. aureus (0.20–0.13), with a niche overlap of 54%. These outputs were generally supported by stable isotope analyses of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N completed on samples collected at the end of the 2011 growth season, although these indicated a greater contribution of animal material to assimilated diet. They also indicated that the trophic niche breadth [as standard ellipse area (SEA)] of C. damascina (4.18‰²) was higher than G. ghorensis (2.48‰²) and overlapped by 26%. For G. ghorensis, their SEA was slightly larger than O. aureus (4.33–4.00‰²), with an overlap of 27%. Although both methods indicated some sharing of food resources between sympatric fishes, there was no evidence suggesting detrimental outcomes for G. ghorensis and thus was not considered as a constraint on the status of their populations.     

Dietary plasticity of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) facilitates coexistence with competitively superior European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus)

Abstract – Habitat use and diet of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) coexisting with European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) and grayling (Thymallus thymallus) were studied in one deep and two relatively shallow subarctic lakes in northern Norway. Stomach content and stable isotope analyses revealed clear and temporally stable resource partitioning between the species in all three lakes. Arctic charr had a wide and flexible trophic niche and was the only piscivorous species. In contrast, whitefish and grayling had remarkably stable planktivorous and benthivorous niches, respectively. In the deepest lake, Arctic charr together with grayling mainly utilised littoral benthos, while piscivory was more prevalent in Arctic charr in the two shallower lakes. In one of the shallow lakes, whitefish was apparently relegated to the inferior profundal niche because of dominance of the littoral by grayling. Our results suggest that Arctic charr may not necessarily need an extensive profundal zone as a refuge, but can coexist with whitefish if a third competing fish species like grayling occurs in the littoral habitat or if profitable small prey fish are available. The study demonstrates that strong dietary plasticity of Arctic charr is instrumental in the observed coexistence with the commonly competitively superior whitefish.     

Allometric and ontogenetic patterns related to feeding of a neotropical fish, Satanoperca pappaterra (Perciformes, Cichlidae)

Abstract –  This study aims to analyse whether Satanoperca pappaterra changes its feeding habit throughout ontogenetic development, and whether morphological ontogenetic patterns are related to its feeding habit and food capture. We collected 258 individuals in the Cuiabá river basin (Brazil) for analyses. There was a weak relationship between diet and body size, as evidenced by size class and multivariate analyses, and niche breadth did not vary strongly during ontogenetic development. Eight morphometric variables were measured in each individual. We found an isometric relationship for mouth height and width, and for head length. We found positive allometry for snout length and body height in relation to body length, whereas this relationship for intestine length and eye diameter showed negative allometry. These results suggest that morphology and consequently diet vary weakly during ontogenetic development of S. pappaterra .     

Trophic ecology of speckled peacock bass Cichla temensis Humboldt 1821 in the middle Negro River,Amazon, Brazil

The aim of this study was to analyse the trophic ecology of speckled peacock bass Cichla temensis inhabiting two tributaries of the middle Negro River, the Aracá River and the Demeni River. Using an analysis of stomach contents and stable isotope composition (δ¹⁵N, δ¹³C) of scales, we describe the diet and evaluate the trophic position of subadult and adult individuals. We then test whether diet shifts and trophic positions occurred among successive size classes and among sample locations. The stomach content analysis confirmed the piscivorous feeding habit of the species and showed that the speckled peacock bass preyed on a variety species belonging to different trophic guilds. The length of the ingested prey increased with the size of the speckled peacock bass. Diet composition and trophic position were not different among size classes. δ¹³C values yielded significant shifts among the size classes: larger individuals displayed higher δ¹³C values than smaller individuals. Trophic position varied between locations, with lowest values observed in fish from the Aracá River. This study demonstrated that diet of C. temensis may vary according to the size of the fish, even at the subadult or adult stages, and according to the river/locality, even within a same basin. We then suggest that further studies take into account local availability of food resources to better explore C. temensis diet and tropic ecology.