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Feeding habits and trophic niche of rainbow runner Elagatis bipinnulata in the western and central Pacific Ocean

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Abstract

Possible changes in the feeding habits and trophic niche width of rainbow runner, Elagatis bipinnulata, were investigated using stomach content analysis (SCA) and stable isotope analysis (SIA). A total of 380 samples were collected as bycatch from tuna purse seine in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) from 2010 to 2015. The results indicated that the prey groups of E. bipinnulata were composed of fish (74.8%, % by frequency of occurrence), crustaceans (7.0%), cephalopods (2.8%), and digestive mucous with prey wreckage (15.4%). The main species found in the stomach was Decapterus macarellus. There was no obvious variation in the nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ15N) among fork length (FL) classes when the smallest size group was not considered. In contrast, there was a significant shift in the carbon stable isotope ratios (δ13C) between individuals < 55 cm FL and > 55 cm FL (p < 0.01). Additionally, the trophic niche width of E. bipinnulata represented by the corrected standard ellipse area (SEAc) indicated that the trophic niches of E. bipinnulata may behave differently in different size classes because of the variance in feeding ecology or prey preferences at 55–65 cm FL.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Xu Guoqiang and the seaman in the tuna purse seiners Jinhui No.7 and Jinhui No.9 for their assistance with sample collection at sea. We also thank Yang Qingyuan, Zhang Haiting, Liu Wei, and Dr. Zhou Cheng for their assistance with preparatory isotope analysis and stomach content analysis. We would like to acknowledge Dr. Lin Dongming, Dr. Han Dongyan, and Dr. Gong Yi for their great help in revising the manuscript. The stable isotope composition was measured at the Key Laboratory of Sustainable Exploitation of Oceanic Fisheries Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University.

Funding

This research was funded by the National Key R&D Programs of China (Grant No. 2019YFD0901404).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Marine Sciences of Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China

    Shaoqin Wang, Xuefang Wang, Liuxiong Xu & Siquan Tian

  2. Engineering Research Center for Oceanic Fisheries, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China

    Shaoqin Wang, Xuefang Wang, Liuxiong Xu & Siquan Tian

  3. The Key Laboratory of Sustainable Exploitation of Oceanic Fisheries Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 201306, China

    Shaoqin Wang, Xuefang Wang, Liuxiong Xu & Siquan Tian

  4. Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Oceanic Fishery Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai, 201306, China

    Xuefang Wang & Siquan Tian

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  1. Shaoqin Wang
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Contributions

Conceptualization: S.W. and X.W.

Methodology: L.X. and S.T.

Software: S.W. and X.W.

Validation: S.W. and X.W.

Formal analysis: S.W.

Investigation: X.W.

Resources: L.X.

Data curation: S.W.

Writing—original draft preparation: S.W.

Writing—review and editing: X.W and L.X.

Visualization: X.W.

Supervision: X.W. and S.T.

Project administration: L.X.

Funding acquisition: L.X. and S. T.

All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xuefang Wang.

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Specimens were not alive after being caught, and then the scientific observers collected samples for this study. The specimens were analyzed in laboratory using methods that are in line with current Chinese national standards, namely Laboratory animals-General requirements for animal experiment (GB/T 35823–2018).

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Wang, S., Wang, X., Xu, L. et al. Feeding habits and trophic niche of rainbow runner Elagatis bipinnulata in the western and central Pacific Ocean. Environ Biol Fish 105, 139–149 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-021-01200-w

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