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Variation in fatty acid composition among nine forage species from a southeastern US estuarine and nearshore coastal ecosystem

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry volume 34, pages 275–287 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

The fatty acid (FA) composition of nine potentially important forage species was determined (n = 330): red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), spot (Leiostomus xanthurus), spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), striped mullet (Mugil cephalus), pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides), Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), star drum (Stellifer lanceolatus), striped anchovy (Anchoa hepsetus), and brief squid (Lolliguncula brevis). Samples were collected from estuarine and nearshore coastal waters around Charleston, South Carolina, USA, from March 2002–February 2003. Twenty-nine of 125 identified FAs were included in multivariate analyses of FA profiles. Despite existing intraspecific variation, the PRIMER routine analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) indicated each species was distinct, and discriminant function analysis correctly classified 99.5% of the training data set samples (n = 221) and 98.2% of the validation samples (n = 109). Most species could be characterized by distinctive levels of a suite of FAs. Our results indicated FA profiles can be used to reliably distinguish even closely related forage species in this southeastern US estuarine ecosystem. The information gained from this study not only provides insight into the biochemical composition of these important species but also provides fundamental information to support studies on the feeding ecology of local higher-level predators.

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Fig. 1
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Abbreviations

ANOSIM:

analysis of similarity

CV:

canonical variable

DFA:

discriminant function analysis

FA:

fatty acid

FID:

flame ionization detection

GC:

gas–liquid chromatography

MDS:

multidimensional scaling

MS:

mass selective detector

PUFA:

polyunsaturated fatty acid

SIMPER:

similarity of percentages

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Acknowledgements

The lead author thanks her major advisor P.A. Fair and her graduate committee G.T. Seaborn, W.A. Roumillat, and W. McFee for their support and assistance with this research. The authors also gratefully acknowledge T. Brown, J. Wade, and M.A. Holbrook for assistance with laboratory analyses and W.A. Roumillat, P. Webster, J. Archambault ,and the others with the SCDNR for collection of samples and associated data. We thank P.A. Fair, M.A. Holbrook, W.A. Roumillat, L.H. Schwacke, and two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on earlier versions of this manuscript. Salary support was provided to lead author by College of Charleston teaching assistantships and the Joanna Fellowship Deep Water Fund. Access to the PRIMER software package was provided by Grice Marine Laboratory, College of Charleston. Sample collection was approved by the College of Charleston Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (permit #IACUC-02-017; W.A. Roumillat, Principal Investigator).

This publication does not constitute an endorsement of any commercial product or intend to be an opinion beyond scientific or other results obtained by NOAA. No reference shall be made to NOAA, or this publication furnished by NOAA, to any advertising or sales promotion that would indicate or imply that NOAA recommends or endorses any proprietary product mentioned herein, or which has as its purpose an interest to cause the advertised product to be used or purchased because of this publication. This is contribution number 315 from the Grice Marine Biological Laboratory, College of Charleston.

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  1. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Ocean Service/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science/Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, 219 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC, 29412, USA

    Melissa A. Recks & Gloria T. Seaborn

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  1. Melissa A. Recks
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  2. Gloria T. Seaborn
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Correspondence to Melissa A. Recks.

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Recks, M.A., Seaborn, G.T. Variation in fatty acid composition among nine forage species from a southeastern US estuarine and nearshore coastal ecosystem. Fish Physiol Biochem 34, 275–287 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-007-9186-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-007-9186-x

Keywords

  • Diet
  • Fish
  • Interspecific variation
  • Intraspecific variation
  • Lipid content
  • Squid

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