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Isotopic Ratios Reveal Mixed Seasonal Variation Among Fishes from Two Subtropical Estuarine Systems

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Abstract

Characterizing dietary resources and species interactions in estuaries is challenging, particularly when considering the dynamic nature of these ecosystems, the ranges in body sizes of species, and the potential for trophic roles to vary with ontogeny. We examined the influence of season and location on relationships between body size and δ15N, δ13C, and δ34S values across a range of fishes from two subtropical estuaries. The results suggest that isotopic values of estuarine fishes are independent of body size. However, seasonal variation propagated throughout the assemblage as the majority of fishes integrated different δ15N, δ13C, or δ34S values. The absence of δ15N–, δ13C–, and δ34S–body size relationships suggests that either (1) dietary preference of these fishes do not shift within the range of body sizes sampled, (2) these fishes shift to an alternate diet that is not isotopically distinct, or (3) that spatial and temporal variation in isotopic signatures of prey negate any size-based relationships. Seasonal variability in the isotopic values of these fishes suggests either movement to an alternative habitat or a shift in organic matter source associated with the transition of dry to wet seasons. Moreover, variance distributions of the best-fit models indicate that seasonal dietary preferences of conspecifics do not vary over moderate spatial scales. Seasonal variability among fishes in these estuaries suggests plasticity in feeding strategies that may afford greater adaptive flexibility to these species in response to changes in food availability resulting from variable environmental conditions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the staff of Mote Marine Laboratory’s Center for Shark Research and of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s, Charlotte Harbor Field Laboratory, especially Michelle Heupel, Colin Simpfendorfer, Beau Yeiser, Tonya Wiley, Gregg Poulakis, Philip Stevens, and Amy Timmers for their assistance with sample collection and logistics. We are grateful to William Mark and Richard Doucette for their assistance with sulfur isotope processing and to Alice Grgicak-Mannion for her advice with ArcGIS. This research was funded through University of Windsor scholarships to J.A. Olin and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada Discovery grant funds to A.T. Fisk.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, N9B 3P4

    Jill A. Olin, Scott A. Rush & Aaron T. Fisk

  2. Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3 Townsville MC, Townsville, Queensland, 4810, Australia

    M. Aaron MacNeil

Authors
  1. Jill A. Olin
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  2. Scott A. Rush
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  3. M. Aaron MacNeil
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  4. Aaron T. Fisk
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Correspondence to Jill A. Olin.

Electronic Supplementary Material

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Table S.1

Model results for δ15N values of each fish species pooled across both estuaries (DOC 62 kb)

Table S.2

Model results for δ13C values of each fish species pooled across both estuaries (DOC 63 kb)

Table S.3

Model results for δ34S values of each fish species pooled across both estuaries (DOC 61 kb)

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Olin, J.A., Rush, S.A., MacNeil, M.A. et al. Isotopic Ratios Reveal Mixed Seasonal Variation Among Fishes from Two Subtropical Estuarine Systems. Estuaries and Coasts 35, 811–820 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-011-9467-6

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