Abstract
Biomarker analysis, especially fatty acids (FA) and stable isotopes (SI), has become a useful tool to elucidate the flow of energy and trophic interactions in an ecosystem and to analyse the diet of species that are hard to observe whilst feeding. Herein we compare FA profiles and SI composition (nitrogen, δ15N and carbon, δ13C) of muscle tissue from two sympatric Antarctic fish species—Notothenia rossii and N. coriiceps—that are key components in the inshore ecosystem of the South Shetland Islands. For both nototheniids, potential benthic food sources (algae, amphipods, polychaetes and gastropods) were screened in order to re-evaluate their trophic position (TP) and the energy flow. Significant differences in FA and SI composition between the two fish species were found. Notothenia rossii showed a higher total FA concentration, with high levels of polyunsaturated FA. Conversely, the potential food sources tested showed low concentrations of these FAs. This could indicate that both nototheniids are feeding mainly on another food source or that FA bioconversion takes place. While the FA results might suggest a possible trophic niche segregation between N. rossii and N. coriiceps, both species occupy a similar trophic position. Furthermore, we found a 50-times higher total concentration of monounsaturated FA in N. rossii than in N. coriiceps that can be related to the higher buoyancy capacity of the former. Trophic biomarkers did not elucidate the main prey item as lipid source for N. rossii and N. coriiceps, suggesting that other food sources and potential fatty acid bioconversion should be further investigated.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Carlos Bellisio and Dirk Van Gansbeke for their technical support. We gratefully acknowledge Dr. Emilio Riginella as well as two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on the manuscript. The research leading to results presented in this publication was carried out with infrastructure funded by EMBRC Belgium—FWO agreement 20151029-03, Hercules agreement 20140910-03. The present manuscript also presents an outcome of the EU research network IMCONet funded by the Marie Curie Action International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (FP7 IRSES, Action No. 319718). This study also was supported by grants from Dirección Nacional del Antártico, Instituto Antártico Argentino (PICTA 0100), PIP 2017-2019 GI 11220170100219CO Resolution 2018-8-APN-DIR#CONICET and PICT 2018-03310, Resolution 401/19. Likewise, the project was partially supported by Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund: AWR Project 12.
Funding
This work was supported by grants from Dirección Nacional del Antártico, Instituto Antártico Argentino [Grant number PICTA 0100], Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas [Grant number PIP2017-2019: 11220170100219CO, Resolution 2018–8-APN-DIR#CONICET] and Fondo para la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica [Grant number PICT 2018:03310, Resolution 401/19], Marie Curie Action International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (FP7 IRSES, Action No. 319718) and Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund: AWR Project 12.
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EM, EBO and MDT conceived the project and secured funding for the study. EM conducted fieldwork and carried out laboratory work. EM, MN and GA performed statistical analyses. EM, EBO and MN led the writing of the manuscript with contributions from MDT, KM and GA. Each author contributed significantly to the edition of the final manuscript.
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Moreira, E., Novillo, M., Mintenbeck, K. et al. New insights into the autecology of the two sympatric fish species Notothenia coriiceps and N. rossii from western Antarctic Peninsula: A trophic biomarkers approach. Polar Biol 44, 1591–1603 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-021-02903-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-021-02903-7