Environmental Biology of Fishes

, Volume 76, Issue 2–4, pp 177–189 | Cite as

Tissue-specific response of δ15N in adult Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) following an isotopic shift in diet

Original Paper
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Abstract

The objective of this study was to measure the tissue-specific response of isotope δ15N to changes in isotopic signature of diet in an adult Pacific herring, Clupea pallasi, and to examine the importance of growth and metabolism in this shift. This was accomplished by placing wild adult Pacific herring in captivity and monitoring isotopic shift in tissues with a corresponding isotopic shift in diet, and the application of a metabolism/growth mixing model. Tissues examined were blood, eye, heart, liver, and white muscle. One group of herring was given a δ15N diet depleted by approximately 5.4‰, and another given a 15N-enriched diet labeled with 98 atom% l-phenylalanine. This study showed that (i) isotopic response of individual tissues following an isotopic shift in diet varied in both rate of change and fractionation level, (ii) most of this isotopic shift is due to growth, and (iii) white muscle and liver tissue appeared the most responsive to isotopic shift in diet, reaching isotopic equilibrium with diet in a matter of months (not years). For trophic studies using δ15N, these results indicate that field measurement of Pacific herring should be done after much of summer growth has occurred.

Keywords

Enriched Growth Physiology Stable isotope Tissue turnover 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

I thank R. Brodeur, S. MacAvoy, R. Emmett, and one anonymous reviewer for review of this manuscript, and B. Balgoolyen, R. Brodeur, J. Chapman, E. Daly, A. Emmett, and H. Li for technical and laboratory support. Special thanks to E. Law and the crew of F/V Ms. Law for collection of fish. Research was supported by Mamie Markham Research Award and through Oregon State University Cooperative Institute of Marine Resources Studies.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2006

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Hatfield Marine Science CenterOregon State UniversityNewportUSA

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