Feeding habits of juvenile yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares ) in Ecuadorian waters assessed from stomach content and stable isotope analysis

Varela, José Luis; Intriago, Ketty María; Flores, Julio César Montiel; Lucas-Pilozo, Cristhian Ronald

doi:10.1016/j.fishres.2017.05.017

Cited by 18 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…The increase of δ 15 N values and increased trophic position has been correlated to increases in body mass in large fish (Lindsay et al ., ; Jennings et al ., ) and many pelagic predators display ontogenetic shifts in diet and resultant higher trophic position changes with size (Estrada et al ., ; Madigan et al ., ). Similar patterns were found in yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares (Bonnaterre 1788), with higher δ 15 N values observed at sizes >45 cm in Ecuador (Varela et al ., ) and changing diet compositions at different growth stages (Popp et al ., ). The important prey items for small M. nigricans (100–150 cm) were smaller forage prey ( M. maculata and cephalopods) and small C. hippurus , while the dominant prey items for large fish (> 200 cm) were C. hippurus and T. lepturus .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…By taking into account the error associated with these isotopic parameters, Bayesian mass‐balance mixing models can quantitatively assess the relative contribution of different prey sources to the predator of interest (Madigan et al ., ; Phillips et al ., ; Shipley et al ., ). Mixing model estimates can be strengthened by incorporating additional information, such as gut content or faecal analyses to quantitatively or qualitatively refine the estimates of prey contributions to a consumer (Layman et al ., ; Varela et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stable isotope analysis reveals ontogenetic feeding shifts in Pacific blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) off eastern Taiwan

Chang¹,

Chiang²,

Chang

et al. 2019

Journal of Fish Biology

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To gain a better understanding of the trophic ecology of Pacific blue marlin Makaira nigricans off eastern Taiwan, nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes (δ15N and δ13C) and Bayesian mixing models were used to explore trophic dynamics and potential ontogenetic feeding shifts across M. nigricans of different size classes. Makaira nigricans samples from east of Taiwan (n = 213) and Palau (n = 37), as well as their prey (n = 70), were collected during 2012 and 2013. Results indicated increases in δ15N with size, with values of larger size classes (> 200 cm eye‐to‐fork length; LEF) significantly higher than those < 200 cm LEF. Values of δ13C were negatively correlated with size. Makaira nigricans > 200 cm LEF had the highest estimated trophic position (4.44) and also exhibited ontogenetic changes in trophic position. Large M. nigricans fed more on dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus and hairtail Trichiurus lepturus, while smaller M. nigricans consumed smaller forage fish (e.g., moonfish Mene maculata) and cephalopods. These changes may relate to greater swimming speeds and vertical habitat use in larger M. nigricans, allowing capture and consumption of larger prey items at higher trophic positions. The high trophic level of M. nigricans east of Taiwan confirms its important role as an apex predator in marine food webs and how ecological role changes with size.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stable isotope analysis reveals ontogenetic feeding shifts in Pacific blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) off eastern Taiwan

Chang¹,

Chiang²,

Chang

et al. 2019

Journal of Fish Biology

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“…This finding is consistent with earlier studies carried out in the region (Lasso and Zapata 1999; Comparing dolphinfish diet with that of other large pelagic fishes co-occurring in the region may be useful to infer trophic relationships. Assuming that interspecific food competition occurs when the presence of a food item is more than 25% in two or more predators (Johnson 1977), we found that niche partitioning occurs between dolphinfish and yellowfin tuna, swordfish (Xiphias gladius), and striped marlin (Kajikia audax) in the southeastern Pacific Ocean (see previous studies for yellowfin tuna, striped marlin and swordfish; Alverson 1963;Baque-Menoscal et al 2012;Rosas-Luis et al 2016;Varela et al 2017b;Loor-Andrade et al 2017;Zambrano-Zambrano et al, 2019). Off eastern Australia, Young et al (2010) reported that these predators feed on different 13.0 ± 22.1 5.7 ± 1.4 3.7 ± 0.7…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

Spatial- and size-related shifts in feeding habits of the common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) in the Southeast Pacific Ocean

Pincay-Espinoza

Varela

2022

Environ Biol Fish

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Feeding habits of common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) were investigated in the Southeast Pacific Ocean using stomach content analysis. Stomachs were collected from 1506 individuals ranging between 18 and 187 cm in fork length. The fish were caught by longliner boats in 2009–2017. Based on percentage of wet weight (%Wi), percentage of number (%Ni), and frequency of occurrence (%Oi), flyingfishes were the predominant prey, followed by the cephalopods jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) and argonaut (Argonauta spp.). Permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) detected significant differences between zones (p < 0.001). PERMANOVA also revealed two size-related shifts in feeding habits to occur at FL ~ 80 cm and FL ~ 110 cm (p < 0.001). Cumulative prey curves did not reach an asymptote in any of the zones and size classes, which may be attributed to the fine taxonomic resolution used. Spatial variations in daily meal ranged between 296.3 and 438.9 g day−1, corresponding to daily ration of 6.1–8.2% body mass BM day−1. Otherwise, size-related variations in both DM and DR were observed. Thus, while daily food intake increased with size from 177.3 for the smallest fish (LF < 80 cm) to 496.7 g day−1 for the largest ones (LF ≥ 110 cm), DR decreased from 13.0 ± 22.1 to 3.7 ± 0.7 BM day−1. The present results contribute to improve the understanding of dolphinfish feeding habits in the Southeast Pacific Ocean.

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“…However, there are no studies focusing on YFT foraging migrations relative to the distribution of their potential prey at a basin-wide scale. Elucidating the role of prey distribution on migration patterns can be challenging since YFT is a generalist predator that feeds on a wide array of prey [ 103 – 105 ]. Nevertheless, more research is necessary to understand what drives the movement patterns within the GM, especially in the central and southern gulf.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) foraging habitat and trophic position in the Gulf of Mexico based on intrinsic isotope tracers

Le-Alvarado¹,

Romo-Curiel²,

Hernández-Sánchez³

et al. 2021

PLoS ONE

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Yellowfin tuna (YFT, Thunnus albacares) is a commercially important species targeted by fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico (GM). Previous studies suggest a high degree of residency in the northern GM, although part of the population performs movements to southern Mexican waters. Whether YFT caught in southern waters also exhibit residency or migrate to the northern gulf is currently uncertain, and little is known regarding their trophic ecology. The isotopic composition (bulk & amino acids) of YFT muscle and liver tissues were compared to a zooplankton-based synoptic isoscape from the entire GM to infer feeding areas and estimate Trophic Position (TP). The spatial distribution of δ15Nbulk and δ15NPhe values of zooplankton indicated two distinct isotopic baselines: one with higher values in the northern GM likely driven by denitrification over the continental shelf, and another in the central-southern gulf, where nitrogen fixation predominates. Based on the contribution of the two regional isotopic baselines to YFT tissues, broad feeding areas were inferred, with a greater contribution of the northern GM (over a one-year time scale by muscle), and to a lesser extent in the central-southern GM (over the ca. 6-month scale by liver). This was corroborated by similarities in δ15NPhe values between YFT and the northern GM. TP estimates were calculated based on stable isotope analysis of bulk (SIA) and compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA-AA) of the canonical source and trophic amino acids. Mean TP based on SIA was 4.9 ± 1.0 and mean TP based on CSIA-A was 3.9 ± 0.2. YFT caught within the Mexican region seem to feed in northern and in central and southern GM, while feeding in the northern GM has a temporal component. Thus, management strategies need to consider that YFT caught in US and Mexican waters are a shared binational resource that exhibit feeding migrations within the GM.

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Feeding habits of juvenile yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares ) in Ecuadorian waters assessed from stomach content and stable isotope analysis

Cited by 18 publications

References 56 publications

Stable isotope analysis reveals ontogenetic feeding shifts in Pacific blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) off eastern Taiwan

Stable isotope analysis reveals ontogenetic feeding shifts in Pacific blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) off eastern Taiwan

Spatial- and size-related shifts in feeding habits of the common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) in the Southeast Pacific Ocean

Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) foraging habitat and trophic position in the Gulf of Mexico based on intrinsic isotope tracers

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