We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Stable isotope analysis in two sympatric populations of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus: evidence of resource partitioning?
- Authors
Fernández, Ruth; García-Tiscar, Susana; Santos, M. Begoña; López, Alfredo; Martínez-Cedeira, Jose A.; Newton, Jason; Pierce, Graham J.
- Abstract
Skin and muscle from 43 bottlenose dolphins (38 juveniles/adults, 5 calves) stranded in NW Spain were analysed to determine whether stable isotope ratios (δC and δN) could be used to assess dietary variation, habitat segregation and population substructure. Results were compared with published stomach contents data. Stable isotope ratios from 17 known prey species were also determined. Isotope ratios of the main prey (blue whiting, hake) varied significantly in relation to fish body size. Dolphin calves showed significant heavy isotope enrichments compared to adult females. Excluding calves, δN decreased with increasing dolphin body size, probably related to an ontogenetic shift in diet towards species at lower trophic levels, e.g. on blue whiting as suggested by stomach content results. Bottlenose dolphins were divided into two putative populations (North, South) based on previous genetic studies, and values of δC and δN differed significantly between these two groups, confirming the existence of population structuring.
- Subjects
ISOTOPES; BOTTLENOSE dolphin; RESOURCE partitioning (Ecology); GENETICS; BLUE whiting
- Publication
Marine Biology, 2011, Vol 158, Issue 5, p1043
- ISSN
0025-3162
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s00227-011-1629-3