High-Trophic-Level Consumers

Vaudo, Jeremy J.; Heithaus, Michael R.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-374711-2.00617-3

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 302 publications

(324 reference statements)

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“…Our results also showed that the stomachs of G. poecilura and T. sinuspersici were mostly empty when collected, which suggests that they had not eaten for one to several days (Vaudo & Heithaus 2011b). The stomachs of some marine predators, like elasmobranchs, are often found to be empty or contain highly digested prey remains that are difficult to identify (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

Comparative diets of sympatric batoid elasmobranchs in the Gulf of Oman

Rastgoo¹,

Navarro²,

Valinassab³

2018

Aquat. Biol.

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Documenting the interactions and mechanisms of coexistence among predators is important for understanding their ecological roles in food webs. Here, we examined the diet and trophic relationships of 6 demersal batoids coexisting in the Gulf of Oman by analyzing stomach contents. There were significant differences in diets among the batoid species, suggesting differential preferences. Diets of Gymnura poecilura and Torpedo sinuspersici were similar and consisted mostly of teleost fishes. In contrast, Brevitrygon walga and Rhinobatos punctifer mostly ate crustaceans. The diets of Maculabatis randalli and Pastinachus sephen were diverse and included crustaceans, teleosts, polychaetes, bivalves and echinoderms. The differences in diet among these batoids may be related to morphological differences in feeding structures and to differences in behavior, which could explain their diversity and coexistence in the Gulf of Oman.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

Comparative diets of sympatric batoid elasmobranchs in the Gulf of Oman

Rastgoo¹,

Navarro²,

Valinassab³

2018

Aquat. Biol.

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“…The difference exhibited by males and females suggested their complex foraging and migratory behavior. The expansion on isotopic niche of large pelagic sharks due to the opportunistic feeding was reported by Vaudo and Heithaus (2011). Larger niche width of females across growth stages indicated their presence in higher productive areas…”

Section: Niche Width and Overlapmentioning

confidence: 71%

Retrospective stable isotopes of vertebrae reveal sexual ontogenetic patterns and trophic ecology in oceanic whitetip shark, Carcharhinus longimanus

Shen

Gong

et al. 2021

Ecology and Evolution

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There is a common phenomenon in nature whereby some animals have differences in their ontogenetic changes in dietary preferences between sexes, especially apex predators. These reflect changes in the needs of development during their lifetimes. Apex predators potentially have diverse dietary niches and a large impact on the trophic dynamics within ecosystems. However, the difference in life history between males and females often leads to increased difficulty in management and conservation. In this study, 25 oceanic whitetip sharks, Carcharhinus longimanus, were collected from the central and eastern tropical Pacific. Retrospective stable isotope analysis of vertebrae was used to evaluate the potential ontogenetic differences in feeding habits and niche width between sexes. Results showed that C. longimanus had a wide range of δ13C values (−18.1 to −12.3‰) and δ15N values (8.9–14.8‰). However, males and females had similar trophic positions with large niche overlap at similar growth stages. Both sexes had increasing δ13C values but relatively constant δ15N values along the vertebrae. These results indicated that male and female C. longimanus may share similar feeding strategies and movement patterns. The results presented in this study enhance our understanding of sexual ontogenetic patterns and ecological role of C. longimanus and highlighted the applicability of vertebrae for characterizing shark life‐history traits.

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