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Timmerman CA, Giraldo C, Cresson P, Ernande B, Travers-Trolet M, Rouquette M, Denamiel M, Lefebvre S. Plasticity of trophic interactions in fish assemblages results in temporal stability of benthic-pelagic couplings. Mar Environ Res 2021; 170:105412. [PMID: 34273864 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study addresses the temporal variability of couplings between pelagic and benthic habitats for fish assemblages at five periods in a shallow epicontinental sea, the Eastern English Channel (EEC). Organic matter fluxes fueling fish assemblages and the relative contribution of their different sources were assessed using stable isotope analysis and associated isotopic functional metrics. Couplings between benthic and pelagic realms appeared to be a permanent feature in the EEC, potentially favored by shallow depth and driven by the combination of two trophic processes. First, trophic interactions exhibited plasticity and revealed resource partitioning. Second, changes in the composition of fish assemblages did not impact benthic-pelagic couplings, as most dominant species were generalists during at least one time period, allowing complete use of available resources. Examining both unweighted and biomass-weighted indices was complementary and permitted a better understanding of trophic interactions and energy fluxes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carolina Giraldo
- Ifremer, HMMN, Centre Manche - Mer du Nord, BP 669, F-62 321, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | - Pierre Cresson
- Ifremer, HMMN, Centre Manche - Mer du Nord, BP 669, F-62 321, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France.
| | - Bruno Ernande
- MARBEC, Univ. Montpellier, IFREMER, CNRS, IRD, F-34 090, Montpellier, France; IIASA, Evolution and Ecology Program, Schloßplatz 1, A-2361, Laxenburg, Austria
| | | | - Manuel Rouquette
- Ifremer, LERBN, Station Ifremer de Dinard, BP 70134, F-35 801, Dinard, France
| | - Margaux Denamiel
- Ifremer, HMMN, Centre Manche - Mer du Nord, BP 669, F-62 321, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | - Sébastien Lefebvre
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, UMR 8187, LOG, Laboratoire d'Océanologie et de Géosciences, station marine de Wimereux, F-59000, Lille, France
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Rault J, Le Bris H, Robert M, Pawlowski L, Denamiel M, Kopp D. Diets and trophic niches of the main commercial fish species from the Celtic Sea. J Fish Biol 2017; 91:1449-1474. [PMID: 29110303 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The characterization and quantification of diets of nine commercially important Celtic Sea fish species (black-bellied angler Lophius budegassa, blue whiting Micromesistius poutassou, Atlantic cod Gadus morhua, haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus, European hake Merluccius merluccius, megrim Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis, European plaice Pleuronectes platessa, common sole Solea solea and whiting Merlangius merlangus) was undertaken November 2014 and November 2015 to gain a better understanding of fish feeding strategies, prey preferences, competition for resources and, more generally, increases knowledge of marine ecosystem functioning. Prey were classified into 39 taxonomic groups. A feeding overlap index and multivariate analyses were used to classify the fishes into four main trophic groups where interspecific competition for resources may be important: piscivorous species, omnivorous species, planktivorous species and invertebrate benthic feeders. Ontogenetic changes in diet were also considered for L. budegassa, G. morhua, M. aeglefinus, M. merluccius and M. merlangus through partitioning into size classes. This revealed an important shift in the diet of M. merluccius from omnivory to piscivory, whereas M. aeglefinus exhibited no significant ontogenetic change in diet, remaining an invertebrate benthic feeder. Feeding strategies of these species were also investigated using the Shannon niche-breadth index and other descriptors, such as the total number of taxonomic groups of prey and the mean number of prey in gut contents.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Rault
- Ifremer, Unité de Sciences et Technologies halieutiques, Laboratoire de Technologie et Biologie Halieutique, 8 rue François Toullec, F-56325, Lorient Cedex, France
| | - H Le Bris
- ESE, Ecology and Ecosystem Health, Agrocampus Ouest, INRA, 35042, Rennes, France
| | - M Robert
- Ifremer, Unité de Sciences et Technologies halieutiques, Laboratoire de Technologie et Biologie Halieutique, 8 rue François Toullec, F-56325, Lorient Cedex, France
| | - L Pawlowski
- Ifremer, Unité de Sciences et Technologies halieutiques, Laboratoire de Technologie et Biologie Halieutique, 8 rue François Toullec, F-56325, Lorient Cedex, France
| | - M Denamiel
- Ifremer, Laboratoire Ressources Halieutiques, F-62321, Boulogne-Sur-Mer, France
| | - D Kopp
- Ifremer, Unité de Sciences et Technologies halieutiques, Laboratoire de Technologie et Biologie Halieutique, 8 rue François Toullec, F-56325, Lorient Cedex, France
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