Stable isotope signatures and trophic-step fractionation factors of fish tissues collected as non-lethal surrogates of dorsal muscle
Authors: Busst, G.M.A., Bašic, T. and Britton, J.R.
Journal: Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry
Volume: 29
Issue: 16
Pages: 1535-1544
eISSN: 1097-0231
ISSN: 0951-4198
DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7247
Abstract:Rationale Dorsal white muscle is the standard tissue analysed in fish trophic studies using stable isotope analyses. As muscle is usually collected destructively, fin tissues and scales are often used as non-lethal surrogates; we examined the utility of scales and fin tissue as muscle surrogates. Methods The muscle, fin and scale δ15N and δ13C values from 10 cyprinid fish species determined with an elemental analyser coupled with an isotope ratio mass spectrometer were compared. The fish comprised (1) samples from the wild, and (2) samples from tank aquaria, using six species held for 120 days and fed a single food resource. Relationships between muscle, fin and scale isotope ratios were examined for each species and for the entire dataset, with the efficacy of four methods of predicting muscle isotope ratios from fin and scale values being tested. The fractionation factors between the three tissues of the laboratory fishes and their food resource were then calculated and applied to Bayesian mixing models to assess their effect on fish diet predictions. Results The isotopic data of the three tissues per species were distinct, but were significantly related, enabling estimations of muscle values from the two surrogates. Species-specific equations provided the least erroneous corrections of scale and fin isotope ratios (errors < 0.6‰). The fractionation factors for δ15N values were in the range obtained for other species, but were often higher for δ13C values. Their application to data from two fish populations in the mixing models resulted in significant alterations in diet predictions. Conclusions Scales and fin tissue are strong surrogates of dorsal muscle in food web studies as they can provide estimates of muscle values within an acceptable level of error when species-specific methods are used. Their derived fractionation factors can also be applied to models predicting fish diet composition from δ15N and δ13C values.
Source: Scopus
Stable isotope signatures and trophic-step fractionation factors of fish tissues collected as non-lethal surrogates of dorsal muscle.
Authors: Busst, G.M.A., Bašić, T. and Britton, J.R.
Journal: Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom
Volume: 29
Issue: 16
Pages: 1535-1544
eISSN: 1097-0231
DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7247
Abstract:RATIONALE: Dorsal white muscle is the standard tissue analysed in fish trophic studies using stable isotope analyses. As muscle is usually collected destructively, fin tissues and scales are often used as non-lethal surrogates; we examined the utility of scales and fin tissue as muscle surrogates. METHODS: The muscle, fin and scale δ(15) N and δ(13) C values from 10 cyprinid fish species determined with an elemental analyser coupled with an isotope ratio mass spectrometer were compared. The fish comprised (1) samples from the wild, and (2) samples from tank aquaria, using six species held for 120 days and fed a single food resource. Relationships between muscle, fin and scale isotope ratios were examined for each species and for the entire dataset, with the efficacy of four methods of predicting muscle isotope ratios from fin and scale values being tested. The fractionation factors between the three tissues of the laboratory fishes and their food resource were then calculated and applied to Bayesian mixing models to assess their effect on fish diet predictions. RESULTS: The isotopic data of the three tissues per species were distinct, but were significantly related, enabling estimations of muscle values from the two surrogates. Species-specific equations provided the least erroneous corrections of scale and fin isotope ratios (errors < 0.6‰). The fractionation factors for δ(15) N values were in the range obtained for other species, but were often higher for δ(13) C values. Their application to data from two fish populations in the mixing models resulted in significant alterations in diet predictions. CONCLUSIONS: Scales and fin tissue are strong surrogates of dorsal muscle in food web studies as they can provide estimates of muscle values within an acceptable level of error when species-specific methods are used. Their derived fractionation factors can also be applied to models predicting fish diet composition from δ(15) N and δ(13) C values.
Source: PubMed
Stable isotope signatures and trophic-step fractionation factors of fish tissues collected as non-lethal surrogates of dorsal muscle
Authors: Busst, G.M.A., Basic, T. and Britton, J.R.
Journal: RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY
Volume: 29
Issue: 16
Pages: 1535-1544
eISSN: 1097-0231
ISSN: 0951-4198
DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7247
Source: Web of Science (Lite)
Stable isotope signatures and trophic-step fractionation factors of fish tissues collected as non-lethal surrogates of dorsal muscle.
Authors: Busst, G.M.A., Bašić, T. and Britton, J.R.
Journal: Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM
Volume: 29
Issue: 16
Pages: 1535-1544
eISSN: 1097-0231
ISSN: 0951-4198
DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7247
Abstract:Rationale
Dorsal white muscle is the standard tissue analysed in fish trophic studies using stable isotope analyses. As muscle is usually collected destructively, fin tissues and scales are often used as non-lethal surrogates; we examined the utility of scales and fin tissue as muscle surrogates.Methods
The muscle, fin and scale δ(15) N and δ(13) C values from 10 cyprinid fish species determined with an elemental analyser coupled with an isotope ratio mass spectrometer were compared. The fish comprised (1) samples from the wild, and (2) samples from tank aquaria, using six species held for 120 days and fed a single food resource. Relationships between muscle, fin and scale isotope ratios were examined for each species and for the entire dataset, with the efficacy of four methods of predicting muscle isotope ratios from fin and scale values being tested. The fractionation factors between the three tissues of the laboratory fishes and their food resource were then calculated and applied to Bayesian mixing models to assess their effect on fish diet predictions.Results
The isotopic data of the three tissues per species were distinct, but were significantly related, enabling estimations of muscle values from the two surrogates. Species-specific equations provided the least erroneous corrections of scale and fin isotope ratios (errors < 0.6‰). The fractionation factors for δ(15) N values were in the range obtained for other species, but were often higher for δ(13) C values. Their application to data from two fish populations in the mixing models resulted in significant alterations in diet predictions.Conclusions
Scales and fin tissue are strong surrogates of dorsal muscle in food web studies as they can provide estimates of muscle values within an acceptable level of error when species-specific methods are used. Their derived fractionation factors can also be applied to models predicting fish diet composition from δ(15) N and δ(13) C values.Source: Europe PubMed Central