Abstract
The giant Antarctic Octopus Megaleledone setebos is the largest Southern Ocean octopod whose ecology is poorly known. Here, we study ontogenetic shifts of habitat and trophic ecology of M. setebos throughout its life cycle by stable isotopic analysis of δ13C and δ15N on its beaks collected from the diet of Antarctic toothfish in Amundsen and Ross Seas (Antarctica). Values of δ13C (from − 24.3 to − 19.4‰) differed between beaks of individuals from different capture locations, thus reflecting the ability of M. setebos living in different habitats. Despite sequential sampling along beaks showed a small (< 2.3‰), but significant variation in lower beak’s δ13C values, a relation with δ15N values suggests that such differences are related to changes in the diet with M. setebos inhabiting the same area its entire life. Values of δ15N differed between beaks of individuals from different capture locations, suggesting that different habitats of M. setebos are associated with different diets. Serial sampling along the beaks (from + 4.2 to + 10.7‰) suggests an ontogenetic change of, at least, one trophic level from juvenile to adult. We also report a capture of two large intact specimens from Dumont D’Urville Sea (Antarctica): a male with 1150 mm of total length and 18,300 g of mass and a female with 1030 mm of total length and 10,061 g of mass. The beaks of these both specimens, confirmed to be of M. setebos through genetic analysis, were also used to confirm the identification of M. setebos collected from Antarctic toothfish stomachs.
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The data sets during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
Authors would like to give a special thanks to the crew of the FV Antarctic Discovery, Antarctic toothfish fishing season 2016/2017, for keeping the two M. setebos specimens onboard for JQ, allowing the amazing discovery of these large animals. We would also like to thank the crew and observers on board of the FV Janas for collecting the Antarctic toothfish stomachs. Thanks to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) scientists and staff especially Heather Braid for working in the genetic analysis, Sarah Allen for helping with the permits, Diana Macpherson, and all the team from NIWA’s Invertebrate Collection for the help in storing both specimens and Bruce Marshall from Te Papa (National Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa). Thanks to Dave Allen for the M. setebos photo. This project was financially supported by NHK Japan. This work is an international collaboration under the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) associated programs, expert and action groups, namely SCAR AnT-ERA (Antarctic Thresholds—Ecosystems Resilience and Adaptation), SCAR EGBAMM (Expert Group in Birds and Marine Mammals), and ICED (Integrating Climate and Ecosystems Dynamics). JQ would like to thank Australian Longline for allowing his presence onboard of FV Antarctic Discovery. JQ was supported by FCT/MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC), Portuguese Polar Program PROPOLAR, and SCAR AnT-ERA. This study benefited from the strategic program of MARE (Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre), financed by FCT [Foundation for Science and Technology (UIDB/04292/2020)]. Authors would like to thank to both reviewers that helped to improve the quality of the manuscript.
Funding
NHK Japan financed this study allowing the boarding of JQ in the FV Antarctic Discovery. JQ was supported by FCT/MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC), Portuguese Polar Program PROPOLAR. JQ was supported by SCAR AnT-ERA scholarship. The study benefited from the strategic program of MARE (Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre), financed by FCT [Foundation for Science and Technology (UIDB/04292/2020)].
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Queirós, J.P., Fenwick, M., Stevens, D.W. et al. Ontogenetic changes in habitat and trophic ecology of the giant Antarctic octopus Megaleledone setebos inferred from stable isotope analyses in beaks. Mar Biol 167, 56 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-020-3666-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-020-3666-2