Characterisation of the dietary relationships of two sympatric hake species, Merluccius capensis and M. paradoxus, in the northern Benguela region using fatty acid profiles
- Iitembu, Johannes A, Richoux, Nicole B
- Authors: Iitembu, Johannes A , Richoux, Nicole B
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/456010 , vital:75475 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2015.1115778"
- Description: The two sympatric species of Cape hake, Merluccius capensis and M. paradoxus, have been the main targets of bottom-trawl fisheries off Namibia for several decades. The feeding ecology of these hakes has been studied mainly using stomach content analyses and thus there remain some gaps in our knowledge about food assimilated over the longer term. In this study, we used fatty acid (FA) profiles to characterise the dietary relationships of M. capensis and M. paradoxus. Muscle samples from hake (n=110) and their known prey (n=68) were collected during trawl surveys off Namibia during 2011. Significant differences between the neutral FA profiles of the hake populations were detected in December 2011 but not in January 2011, an indication of temporal variations in diet and resource partitioning. Comparisons of the neutral FAs in hake and the total FAs of potential prey showed no clear trophic connections, with the exception of flying squid Todarodes sagittatus, which had FA profiles very similar to those of M. paradoxus in December 2011. Our results highlight the complex and temporally shifting relationships that exist between hake and the large pool of prey available to them, and between the two hake species that overlap in their feeding habits and distribution within the highly productive Benguela Current region.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Iitembu, Johannes A , Richoux, Nicole B
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/456010 , vital:75475 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2015.1115778"
- Description: The two sympatric species of Cape hake, Merluccius capensis and M. paradoxus, have been the main targets of bottom-trawl fisheries off Namibia for several decades. The feeding ecology of these hakes has been studied mainly using stomach content analyses and thus there remain some gaps in our knowledge about food assimilated over the longer term. In this study, we used fatty acid (FA) profiles to characterise the dietary relationships of M. capensis and M. paradoxus. Muscle samples from hake (n=110) and their known prey (n=68) were collected during trawl surveys off Namibia during 2011. Significant differences between the neutral FA profiles of the hake populations were detected in December 2011 but not in January 2011, an indication of temporal variations in diet and resource partitioning. Comparisons of the neutral FAs in hake and the total FAs of potential prey showed no clear trophic connections, with the exception of flying squid Todarodes sagittatus, which had FA profiles very similar to those of M. paradoxus in December 2011. Our results highlight the complex and temporally shifting relationships that exist between hake and the large pool of prey available to them, and between the two hake species that overlap in their feeding habits and distribution within the highly productive Benguela Current region.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Depth and habitat determine assemblage structure of South Africa’s warm-temperate reef fish
- Heyns-Veale, Elodie R, Bernard, Anthony T F, Richoux, Nicole B, Parker, Daniel M, Langlois, T J, Harvey, E S, Götz, Albrecht
- Authors: Heyns-Veale, Elodie R , Bernard, Anthony T F , Richoux, Nicole B , Parker, Daniel M , Langlois, T J , Harvey, E S , Götz, Albrecht
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/456035 , vital:75477 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-016-2933-8"
- Description: Depth and habitat are important predictors of fish assemblage structure, yet current no-take marine protected area (MPA) networks are generally limited to providing refuge for fish species that inhabit shallow waters and may exclude deep habitats essential to exploited populations. To ensure MPA efficacy at the design, uptake and management levels, baseline data on fish populations associated with deep nearshore reefs are needed. This study employed baited remote underwater stereo-video systems to investigate fish habitat associations at shallow (11–25 m) and deep (45–75 m) reef sites in the Tsitsikamma National Park MPA, South Africa. The compositions of fish assemblages at shallow and deep reef sites were significantly different. Specifically, rare species, juveniles and low trophic level species dominated the shallow reef, while deep reef assemblages were characterised by large, sexually mature and predatory fish. The body size of abundant species was also correlated with depth, with larger individuals being more abundant on deeper reefs. Habitat types were identified according to a habitat classification system established in a previous study, which resulted in four broad depth separated habitat types (defined by macrobenthos and environmental variables). Canonical analysis of principle coordinates (CAP) indicated that habitat type was a good categorical predictor of the observed fish assemblages. The CAP analysis determined that 86 % of the samples were correctly assigned to the habitat type from which they were collected, indicating that specific fish assemblages were associated with distinct habitat types. This study highlights the importance of protecting both shallow and deep reefs, not only to ensure the conservation of particular fish assemblages, but also to provide protection for all stages of the life cycle of fish species.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Heyns-Veale, Elodie R , Bernard, Anthony T F , Richoux, Nicole B , Parker, Daniel M , Langlois, T J , Harvey, E S , Götz, Albrecht
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/456035 , vital:75477 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-016-2933-8"
- Description: Depth and habitat are important predictors of fish assemblage structure, yet current no-take marine protected area (MPA) networks are generally limited to providing refuge for fish species that inhabit shallow waters and may exclude deep habitats essential to exploited populations. To ensure MPA efficacy at the design, uptake and management levels, baseline data on fish populations associated with deep nearshore reefs are needed. This study employed baited remote underwater stereo-video systems to investigate fish habitat associations at shallow (11–25 m) and deep (45–75 m) reef sites in the Tsitsikamma National Park MPA, South Africa. The compositions of fish assemblages at shallow and deep reef sites were significantly different. Specifically, rare species, juveniles and low trophic level species dominated the shallow reef, while deep reef assemblages were characterised by large, sexually mature and predatory fish. The body size of abundant species was also correlated with depth, with larger individuals being more abundant on deeper reefs. Habitat types were identified according to a habitat classification system established in a previous study, which resulted in four broad depth separated habitat types (defined by macrobenthos and environmental variables). Canonical analysis of principle coordinates (CAP) indicated that habitat type was a good categorical predictor of the observed fish assemblages. The CAP analysis determined that 86 % of the samples were correctly assigned to the habitat type from which they were collected, indicating that specific fish assemblages were associated with distinct habitat types. This study highlights the importance of protecting both shallow and deep reefs, not only to ensure the conservation of particular fish assemblages, but also to provide protection for all stages of the life cycle of fish species.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Depth-related distribution patterns of subtidal macrobenthos in a well-established marine protected area
- Heyns, E R, Bernard, Anthony T F, Richoux, Nicole B, Götz, A
- Authors: Heyns, E R , Bernard, Anthony T F , Richoux, Nicole B , Götz, A
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/457230 , vital:75618 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-016-2816-z"
- Description: Effective marine resource management requires knowledge of the distribution of critical habitats that support resource populations and the processes that maintain them. Reefs that host diverse macrobenthic communities are important habitats for fish. However, detailed information on macrobenthic communities is rarely available and is usually limited to SCUBA diving depths. To establish depth-related distribution patterns and drivers that structure reef communities, the macrobenthos situated in a warm-temperate marine protected area (MPA; 34°01′24S; 23°54′09E) was sampled between 2009 and 2012. Comparison of shallow (11–25 m) and deep (45–75 m) sites revealed significantly different communities, sharing only 27.9 % of species. LINKTREE analysis revealed a changeover of species along the depth gradient, resulting in four significantly different assemblage clusters, each associated with particular environmental variables. High light intensity supported benthic algae at shallow depths, and as light availability decreased with depth, algal cover diminished and was eventually absent from the deep reef. Upright growth forms and settled particulate matter were positively related to depth and dominated the deep reef. Reduced wave action and currents on the deep reef can explain the increased settling of suspended particles. Under such conditions, clogging of feeding parts of the encrusting species is expected, and upright growth would be favoured. Considering that most MPAs are restricted to shallow coastal habitats and that macrobenthic communities change significantly with depth, it is probable that many unique deep reef habitats are currently afforded no protection.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Heyns, E R , Bernard, Anthony T F , Richoux, Nicole B , Götz, A
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/457230 , vital:75618 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-016-2816-z"
- Description: Effective marine resource management requires knowledge of the distribution of critical habitats that support resource populations and the processes that maintain them. Reefs that host diverse macrobenthic communities are important habitats for fish. However, detailed information on macrobenthic communities is rarely available and is usually limited to SCUBA diving depths. To establish depth-related distribution patterns and drivers that structure reef communities, the macrobenthos situated in a warm-temperate marine protected area (MPA; 34°01′24S; 23°54′09E) was sampled between 2009 and 2012. Comparison of shallow (11–25 m) and deep (45–75 m) sites revealed significantly different communities, sharing only 27.9 % of species. LINKTREE analysis revealed a changeover of species along the depth gradient, resulting in four significantly different assemblage clusters, each associated with particular environmental variables. High light intensity supported benthic algae at shallow depths, and as light availability decreased with depth, algal cover diminished and was eventually absent from the deep reef. Upright growth forms and settled particulate matter were positively related to depth and dominated the deep reef. Reduced wave action and currents on the deep reef can explain the increased settling of suspended particles. Under such conditions, clogging of feeding parts of the encrusting species is expected, and upright growth would be favoured. Considering that most MPAs are restricted to shallow coastal habitats and that macrobenthic communities change significantly with depth, it is probable that many unique deep reef habitats are currently afforded no protection.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Developmental and spatial variations in the diet signatures of hyperbenthic shrimp Nauticaris marionis at the Prince Edward Islands based on stable isotope ratios and fatty acid profiles
- Richoux, Nicole B, Allan, E Louise, Froneman, P William
- Authors: Richoux, Nicole B , Allan, E Louise , Froneman, P William
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67923 , vital:29169 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2016.02.0131
- Description: Publisher version , The caridean shrimp Nauticaris marionis is an ecologically important species in the benthic community around the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands (PEI) as it represents a key prey item for a variety of top predators breeding on the islands. We hypothesized that the diet of N. marionis shifts during its development, and that spatial variability in food availability results in differentiation in the diet signatures of specimens collected from various locations of the shelf waters around the PEI. Specimens were collected from nine stations (depth range 70 to 240 m) around the PEI at inter-island shelf (from west to east: upstream, between and downstream) and nearshore regions during austral autumn 2009. Stable isotope and fatty acid data both revealed spatial and developmental variations in the shrimp diet. Nearshore shrimp were more 13C-enriched than those from the inter-island region, suggesting increased kelp detritus entered the food web in the nearshore regions. The shrimp showed increases in δ13C and δ15N signatures (and trophic position) with an increase in body size, resulting in distinctions between size classes that reflected shifts in their trophic niche through development. The fatty acid profiles similarly indicated distinctions in diet with increased shrimp size (in the deep regions), and spatial variability was evident in relation to region and depth. All shrimp contained large proportions of polyunsaturated and essential fatty acids, indicating that the quality of food consumed was similar between regions despite the diet variability. Our results provide new dietary information about a key species operating near the base of the food web at the highly productive PEI, and show that there were no areas of enhanced nutrition available to the shrimp. As such, there was no nutritional advantage to shrimp inhabiting any specific region around the PEI.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Richoux, Nicole B , Allan, E Louise , Froneman, P William
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67923 , vital:29169 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2016.02.0131
- Description: Publisher version , The caridean shrimp Nauticaris marionis is an ecologically important species in the benthic community around the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands (PEI) as it represents a key prey item for a variety of top predators breeding on the islands. We hypothesized that the diet of N. marionis shifts during its development, and that spatial variability in food availability results in differentiation in the diet signatures of specimens collected from various locations of the shelf waters around the PEI. Specimens were collected from nine stations (depth range 70 to 240 m) around the PEI at inter-island shelf (from west to east: upstream, between and downstream) and nearshore regions during austral autumn 2009. Stable isotope and fatty acid data both revealed spatial and developmental variations in the shrimp diet. Nearshore shrimp were more 13C-enriched than those from the inter-island region, suggesting increased kelp detritus entered the food web in the nearshore regions. The shrimp showed increases in δ13C and δ15N signatures (and trophic position) with an increase in body size, resulting in distinctions between size classes that reflected shifts in their trophic niche through development. The fatty acid profiles similarly indicated distinctions in diet with increased shrimp size (in the deep regions), and spatial variability was evident in relation to region and depth. All shrimp contained large proportions of polyunsaturated and essential fatty acids, indicating that the quality of food consumed was similar between regions despite the diet variability. Our results provide new dietary information about a key species operating near the base of the food web at the highly productive PEI, and show that there were no areas of enhanced nutrition available to the shrimp. As such, there was no nutritional advantage to shrimp inhabiting any specific region around the PEI.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2016
Distribution of benthic diatom communities in a permanently open temperate estuary in relation to physico-chemical variables
- Dalu, Tatenda, Richoux, Nicole B, Froneman, P William
- Authors: Dalu, Tatenda , Richoux, Nicole B , Froneman, P William
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67943 , vital:29172 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2015.06.004
- Description: Publisher version , The spatial and temporal patterns in benthic diatom community structure in temperate permanently open estuaries are poorly understood. In this study, we used a combination of multivariate and diversity indices to elucidate environmental factors associated with diatom community structure in the Kowie Estuary, South Africa. Benthic diatom samples were collected from three sites corresponding to the upper, middle and lower reaches of the estuary on four occasions over the period early spring 2012 to winter 2013. Among the 89 benthic diatoms observed, Entomoneis paludosa (W Smith) Reimer, Nitzschia reversa W Smith, Nitzschia closterium (Ehrenberg) W Smith, Pleurosigma elongatum W Smith, P. salinarum (Grunow) Grunow, Staurosira elliptica (Schumann) DM Williams & Round, Surirella brebissonii Krammer & Lange-Bertalot, and Surirella ovalis Brébisson were the numerically dominant species. Principal component analysis demonstrated that the diatom community structure was determined by a variety of factors including nutrient (ammonia, nitrate) concentrations, hydrology (e.g., water depth and flow) and pH. Hierarchical cluster analysis revealed the absence of any distinct spatial patterns, although distinct benthic diatom communities were recorded during the different sampling periods. The species richness was highest in the middle reach, decreasing from early spring to summer in all reaches. The results of the study provide important insights into the various factors that structure benthic diatom community composition within a permanently open temperate southern African estuary.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Dalu, Tatenda , Richoux, Nicole B , Froneman, P William
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67943 , vital:29172 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2015.06.004
- Description: Publisher version , The spatial and temporal patterns in benthic diatom community structure in temperate permanently open estuaries are poorly understood. In this study, we used a combination of multivariate and diversity indices to elucidate environmental factors associated with diatom community structure in the Kowie Estuary, South Africa. Benthic diatom samples were collected from three sites corresponding to the upper, middle and lower reaches of the estuary on four occasions over the period early spring 2012 to winter 2013. Among the 89 benthic diatoms observed, Entomoneis paludosa (W Smith) Reimer, Nitzschia reversa W Smith, Nitzschia closterium (Ehrenberg) W Smith, Pleurosigma elongatum W Smith, P. salinarum (Grunow) Grunow, Staurosira elliptica (Schumann) DM Williams & Round, Surirella brebissonii Krammer & Lange-Bertalot, and Surirella ovalis Brébisson were the numerically dominant species. Principal component analysis demonstrated that the diatom community structure was determined by a variety of factors including nutrient (ammonia, nitrate) concentrations, hydrology (e.g., water depth and flow) and pH. Hierarchical cluster analysis revealed the absence of any distinct spatial patterns, although distinct benthic diatom communities were recorded during the different sampling periods. The species richness was highest in the middle reach, decreasing from early spring to summer in all reaches. The results of the study provide important insights into the various factors that structure benthic diatom community composition within a permanently open temperate southern African estuary.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2016
Effects of substrate on essential fatty acids produced by phytobenthos in an austral temperate river system
- Dalu, Tatenda, Galloway, Aaron W E, Richoux, Nicole B, Froneman, P William
- Authors: Dalu, Tatenda , Galloway, Aaron W E , Richoux, Nicole B , Froneman, P William
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/68002 , vital:29179 , https://doi.org/10.1086/688698
- Description: Publisher version , Aquatic and riparian habitats increasingly are affected by anthropogenic stressors, but the effects of these stressors on the nutritional quality of primary producers are often unknown. We compared essential fatty acids (EFAs) in the phytobenthos (benthic algae) growing on different substrate types (bricks, clay tiles, rocks, macrophytes, and sediments) at 2 river sites subject to differing anthropogenic stressors (using nutrient concentration as a proxy) in a temperate southern hemisphere location. We hypothesized that the fatty acid (FA) content of phytobenthos changes in response to shifts in local nutrient availability but not substrate type. EFA content (18∶2ω6, 18∶3ω3, 20∶4ω6, 20∶5ω3, and 22∶6ω3) in the phytobenthos differed overall among substrates, sites, and seasons and was generally greater in summer than in autumn and winter. EFA content was significantly greater on artificial than natural substrates and was greater at the nutrient-enriched downstream site than at the upstream site. The response of EFA content at the downstream site suggests that land use affected the synthesis of EFAs by phytobenthos and, hence, food quality for aquatic consumers. These findings indicate a potential link between physical factors, such as substrate availability and land management, and the quality of basal food resources available to primary consumers in aquatic food webs.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Dalu, Tatenda , Galloway, Aaron W E , Richoux, Nicole B , Froneman, P William
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/68002 , vital:29179 , https://doi.org/10.1086/688698
- Description: Publisher version , Aquatic and riparian habitats increasingly are affected by anthropogenic stressors, but the effects of these stressors on the nutritional quality of primary producers are often unknown. We compared essential fatty acids (EFAs) in the phytobenthos (benthic algae) growing on different substrate types (bricks, clay tiles, rocks, macrophytes, and sediments) at 2 river sites subject to differing anthropogenic stressors (using nutrient concentration as a proxy) in a temperate southern hemisphere location. We hypothesized that the fatty acid (FA) content of phytobenthos changes in response to shifts in local nutrient availability but not substrate type. EFA content (18∶2ω6, 18∶3ω3, 20∶4ω6, 20∶5ω3, and 22∶6ω3) in the phytobenthos differed overall among substrates, sites, and seasons and was generally greater in summer than in autumn and winter. EFA content was significantly greater on artificial than natural substrates and was greater at the nutrient-enriched downstream site than at the upstream site. The response of EFA content at the downstream site suggests that land use affected the synthesis of EFAs by phytobenthos and, hence, food quality for aquatic consumers. These findings indicate a potential link between physical factors, such as substrate availability and land management, and the quality of basal food resources available to primary consumers in aquatic food webs.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2016
Nature and source of suspended particulate matter and detritus along an austral temperate river–estuary continuum, assessed using stable isotope analysis
- Dalu, Tatenda, Richoux, Nicole B, Froneman, P William
- Authors: Dalu, Tatenda , Richoux, Nicole B , Froneman, P William
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/68012 , vital:29181 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2480-1
- Description: Publisher version , Ecologists are interested in the factors that control, and the variability in, the contributions of different sources to mixed organic materials travelling through lotic systems. We hypothesized that the source matter fuelling mixed organic pools in a river–estuary continuum varies over space and time. Samples of the mixed organic pools were collected along a small temperate river (Kowie River) in southern Africa during early and late spring, summer and winter. The C:N ratios of suspended particulate matter (SPM) collected during summer and winter indicated that the lower reaches of the system had similar organic matter contributions. Stable isotope analysis in R revealed that aquatic macrophytes were significant contributors to SPM in the upper reaches. Bulk detritus had large allochthonous matter components in the lower reaches, and contributions of aquatic macrophytes and benthic algae were high (>50%) in the upper to middle reaches. The evaluation of organic matter contributions to SPM and detritus along the river–estuary continuum provided a baseline assessment of the nature and sources of potential food for consumers inhabiting different locations during different seasons. Incorporating SPM and detritus spatio-temporal variations in food web studies will improve our understanding of carbon flow in aquatic systems.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Dalu, Tatenda , Richoux, Nicole B , Froneman, P William
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/68012 , vital:29181 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2480-1
- Description: Publisher version , Ecologists are interested in the factors that control, and the variability in, the contributions of different sources to mixed organic materials travelling through lotic systems. We hypothesized that the source matter fuelling mixed organic pools in a river–estuary continuum varies over space and time. Samples of the mixed organic pools were collected along a small temperate river (Kowie River) in southern Africa during early and late spring, summer and winter. The C:N ratios of suspended particulate matter (SPM) collected during summer and winter indicated that the lower reaches of the system had similar organic matter contributions. Stable isotope analysis in R revealed that aquatic macrophytes were significant contributors to SPM in the upper reaches. Bulk detritus had large allochthonous matter components in the lower reaches, and contributions of aquatic macrophytes and benthic algae were high (>50%) in the upper to middle reaches. The evaluation of organic matter contributions to SPM and detritus along the river–estuary continuum provided a baseline assessment of the nature and sources of potential food for consumers inhabiting different locations during different seasons. Incorporating SPM and detritus spatio-temporal variations in food web studies will improve our understanding of carbon flow in aquatic systems.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2016
Tide-induced variations in the fatty acid composition of estuarine particulate organic matter
- Antonio, Emily S, Richoux, Nicole B
- Authors: Antonio, Emily S , Richoux, Nicole B
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/456336 , vital:75504 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-015-0049-x"
- Description: The particulate organic matter (POM) in hydrodynamically variable habitats such as the lower reaches of estuaries can change in its content and quality on very short time scales (example, hourly), and these changes can potentially influence higher-level consumers in river-estuary-marine systems. Estuarine water samples were collected hourly for 12 h downstream in a small river to evaluate the fatty acid composition of POM over a tidal cycle. Fatty acid constituents of POM collected during the flood tide were dominated by the saturated, higher plant and bacterial fatty acids, whereas unsaturated, polyunsaturated, essential, and diatom-associated fatty acids dominated the POM collected during the ebb tide. Elevated algal biomass (as indicated by high chlorophyll a concentrations), diatom, and freshness indices in the POM indicated enhanced fresh autochthonous-origin materials that dominated the mixed organic pool during the ebb tide compared to more degraded detritus during the flood tide. Tidal retention of organic matter and algal primary production were the most influential factors that differentiated the fatty acid composition of estuarine POM over the short time scale. The results of this study have important implications on the quality of POM at the time of sampling, especially in estuaries where mixed organic pools have multiple inputs and are strongly influenced by tidal cycles.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Antonio, Emily S , Richoux, Nicole B
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/456336 , vital:75504 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-015-0049-x"
- Description: The particulate organic matter (POM) in hydrodynamically variable habitats such as the lower reaches of estuaries can change in its content and quality on very short time scales (example, hourly), and these changes can potentially influence higher-level consumers in river-estuary-marine systems. Estuarine water samples were collected hourly for 12 h downstream in a small river to evaluate the fatty acid composition of POM over a tidal cycle. Fatty acid constituents of POM collected during the flood tide were dominated by the saturated, higher plant and bacterial fatty acids, whereas unsaturated, polyunsaturated, essential, and diatom-associated fatty acids dominated the POM collected during the ebb tide. Elevated algal biomass (as indicated by high chlorophyll a concentrations), diatom, and freshness indices in the POM indicated enhanced fresh autochthonous-origin materials that dominated the mixed organic pool during the ebb tide compared to more degraded detritus during the flood tide. Tidal retention of organic matter and algal primary production were the most influential factors that differentiated the fatty acid composition of estuarine POM over the short time scale. The results of this study have important implications on the quality of POM at the time of sampling, especially in estuaries where mixed organic pools have multiple inputs and are strongly influenced by tidal cycles.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Trophic dynamics of the cape stumpnose (Rhabdosargus holubi, Sparidae) across three adjacent aquatic habitats
- Carassou, Laure, Whitfield, Alan K, Bergamino, Leandro, Moyo, Sydney, Richoux, Nicole B
- Authors: Carassou, Laure , Whitfield, Alan K , Bergamino, Leandro , Moyo, Sydney , Richoux, Nicole B
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/456362 , vital:75506 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-016-0075-3"
- Description: Migratory fish species are major vectors of connectivity among aquatic habitats. In this study, conventional stomach contents and stable isotope methods (δ13C and δ15N) were combined to understand how fish of different sizes feed across contrasting aquatic habitats. The Cape stumpnose Rhabdosargus holubi (Sparidae, Perciformes) was selected as an abundant estuarine-dependent species in the permanently open Kowie system, South Africa. Three different habitats were sampled in the region, namely, river, estuary, and sea. Fish entered the estuary as post-larvae from the marine environment, resided in the estuary and lower part of the river as juveniles, and then returned to the sea as sub-adults. The diet varied among habitats, seasons, and fish sizes. “Stable Isotope Analysis with R” (SIAR) Bayesian mixing models mostly supported the results from the stomach content analyses, but also revealed the importance of some prey (e.g., insects) that were underestimated in the consumed diet. Rhabdosargus holubi δ13C values indicated a clear spatial gradient in the origin of food sources assimilated across the habitats, with increasing δ13C along the freshwater-marine continuum. The δ13C ranges of sources and fish also overlapped within each habitat along this continuum, thus illustrating the fidelity of R. holubi to specific habitats at different life stages. By consuming prey in a particular habitat before migrating, either permanently or temporarily to another habitat, R. holubi participates in allochthonous fluxes among riverine, estuarine, and coastal marine environments, with approximately 7 tonnes of Cape stumpnose productivity being exported from the 142-ha Kowie Estuary to the sea each year.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Carassou, Laure , Whitfield, Alan K , Bergamino, Leandro , Moyo, Sydney , Richoux, Nicole B
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/456362 , vital:75506 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-016-0075-3"
- Description: Migratory fish species are major vectors of connectivity among aquatic habitats. In this study, conventional stomach contents and stable isotope methods (δ13C and δ15N) were combined to understand how fish of different sizes feed across contrasting aquatic habitats. The Cape stumpnose Rhabdosargus holubi (Sparidae, Perciformes) was selected as an abundant estuarine-dependent species in the permanently open Kowie system, South Africa. Three different habitats were sampled in the region, namely, river, estuary, and sea. Fish entered the estuary as post-larvae from the marine environment, resided in the estuary and lower part of the river as juveniles, and then returned to the sea as sub-adults. The diet varied among habitats, seasons, and fish sizes. “Stable Isotope Analysis with R” (SIAR) Bayesian mixing models mostly supported the results from the stomach content analyses, but also revealed the importance of some prey (e.g., insects) that were underestimated in the consumed diet. Rhabdosargus holubi δ13C values indicated a clear spatial gradient in the origin of food sources assimilated across the habitats, with increasing δ13C along the freshwater-marine continuum. The δ13C ranges of sources and fish also overlapped within each habitat along this continuum, thus illustrating the fidelity of R. holubi to specific habitats at different life stages. By consuming prey in a particular habitat before migrating, either permanently or temporarily to another habitat, R. holubi participates in allochthonous fluxes among riverine, estuarine, and coastal marine environments, with approximately 7 tonnes of Cape stumpnose productivity being exported from the 142-ha Kowie Estuary to the sea each year.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- «
- ‹
- 1
- ›
- »