High fidelity: isotopic relationship between stream invertebrates and their gut contents
Author(s)
Jardine, TD
Curry, RA
Heard, KS
Cunjak, RA
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2005
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Benthic macroinvertebrate families were sampled along 3 rivers in New Brunswick, Canada. Stable isotopes of C and N were compared between body tissue and gut contents of individuals. d13C and d15N of body tissue and gut contents were strongly correlated (r 5 0.94 and 0.93, respectively) over a wide range of d values. In nonpredators, only minor fractionation of d13C and d15N was observed. In predators, diet-tissue fractionation of 13C was minor, but 15N fractionation that may have been related to diet quality (N content) was observed. The influence of diet quality on N-isotope fractionation was inconsistent in direction and ...
View more >Benthic macroinvertebrate families were sampled along 3 rivers in New Brunswick, Canada. Stable isotopes of C and N were compared between body tissue and gut contents of individuals. d13C and d15N of body tissue and gut contents were strongly correlated (r 5 0.94 and 0.93, respectively) over a wide range of d values. In nonpredators, only minor fractionation of d13C and d15N was observed. In predators, diet-tissue fractionation of 13C was minor, but 15N fractionation that may have been related to diet quality (N content) was observed. The influence of diet quality on N-isotope fractionation was inconsistent in direction and strength among families. Our results suggest that subjecting primary consumers to gut clearance prior to processing for stable-isotope analysis is unnecessary, but the guts of predators should be removed before processing.
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View more >Benthic macroinvertebrate families were sampled along 3 rivers in New Brunswick, Canada. Stable isotopes of C and N were compared between body tissue and gut contents of individuals. d13C and d15N of body tissue and gut contents were strongly correlated (r 5 0.94 and 0.93, respectively) over a wide range of d values. In nonpredators, only minor fractionation of d13C and d15N was observed. In predators, diet-tissue fractionation of 13C was minor, but 15N fractionation that may have been related to diet quality (N content) was observed. The influence of diet quality on N-isotope fractionation was inconsistent in direction and strength among families. Our results suggest that subjecting primary consumers to gut clearance prior to processing for stable-isotope analysis is unnecessary, but the guts of predators should be removed before processing.
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Journal Title
The North American Benthological Society
Volume
24
Issue
2
Subject
Ecology
Ecology not elsewhere classified
Fisheries sciences
Fisheries sciences not elsewhere classified