Abstract
Capelin (Mallotus villosus), a sub-Arctic forage fish, has become abundant in the Canadian Arctic in recent decades, with consistent spawning documented; however, the trophic role of capelin in these systems is unknown. We investigated the diets of small, immature (70–129 mm), medium, mature (130–174 mm), and large, mature (175–219 mm) capelin in Pangnirtung Fjord, Nunavut during and prior to spawning in June–July, 2015–2016 using stomach contents and stable isotopes, respectively. Ontogenetic niche shifts were observed in both cases. Small, immature capelin consumed predominantly small copepods (primarily Clausocalanidae) and had a narrow isotopic niche (SEAC: 0.11 ‰2). In contrast, medium-sized, mature capelin consumed a mix of Calanus copepods, amphipods, and mysids and had a broad isotopic niche (SEAC range: 0.23–0.51 ‰2), while large, mature capelin consumed higher proportions of large prey types (primarily Calanus hyperboreus and amphipods) and had a narrower isotopic niche (SEAC range: 0.09–0.26 ‰2). A higher percentage (by dry biomass) of capelin eggs (73–100%) were consumed by mature capelin in 2016, when ice cover in the fjord delayed the initiation of sampling by ~ 10 days after spawning had begun, relative to 2015 (0–9%). Non-egg prey types primarily consisted of amphipods (77–100% by dry biomass, mostly ice-associated Apherusa glacialis) in 2016 and primarily pelagic Calanus copepods (64–99%) in 2015. As capelin diet was broadly similar to other Arctic forage fishes, such as polar cod (Boreogadus saida), high dietary overlap may occur. Findings provide baseline data to examine future changes in capelin diet as well as their trophic interactions in the Canadian Arctic.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Hunters and Trappers Organization in Pangnirtung, Steven Maniapik for the use of his boat and assistance with capelin sampling, and community members for their advice and help with sampling. Thanks also to Wojciech Walkusz for assistance with capelin prey identification. We gratefully acknowledge Justine Hudson, Tera Edkins, and Mikala Epp for help in the lab, and Gabrielle Grenier and Kevin Crook for help with capelin collection. We thank Bruno Rosenburg for stable isotope analysis at the Freshwater Institute (Winnipeg, MB). We also thank Frances Mowbray and two anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback. Funding for this research was provided by ArcticNet, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Discovery Grants (GKD and SHF).
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Ogloff, W.R., Ferguson, S.H., Tallman, R.F. et al. Diet of capelin (Mallotus villosus) in the Eastern Canadian Arctic inferred from stomach contents and stable isotopes. Polar Biol 43, 1273–1285 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-020-02707-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-020-02707-1