Trophic relationships of a subtidal fish assemblage in the Francisco Coloane coastal marine protected area, southern chilean patagonia
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Date
2018-02-27
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Group
Abstract
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.
Description
Keywords
Ciencia, Notothenioidei, Exotic salmonid, Trophic level, Sub antarctic, Magellan region
Citation
Polar Research, 37:1, 1435107, DOI: 10.1080/17518369.2018.1435107