Details:

Journal Title:
Marine Ecology Progress Series
Personal Author:
Plumlee, JD ; Wells, RJD
Plumlee, JD ; Wells, RJD Less -
NOAA Program & Office:
OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; Sea Grant
OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; Sea Grant Less -
Sea Grant Program:
TAMU (Texas Sea Grant)
Description:
The feeding ecology of 3 coastal shark species—Atlantic sharpnose Rhizoprionodon terraenovae, bonnethead Sphyrna tiburo, and blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus shark—was examined in the northwest Gulf of Mexico (GOM). A total of 601 sharks (305 Atlantic sharpnose, 239 bonnethead, and 57 blacktip) were collected over 2 yr from recreational anglers in Galveston, TX. All individuals had stomach contents examined and a subset (50 Atlantic sharpnose, 50 bonnethead, and 36 blacktip sharks) was analyzed for stable isotopes (carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur) in muscle tissue, revealing short-term and long-term feeding strategies. Both blacktip and Atlantic sharpnose shark stomach contents consisted of teleost fishes with percent index of relative importance (%IRI) of 98.95 and 91.16, respectively, whereas bonnethead diets were dominated by crustaceans (%IRI = 87.20). Stable isotope analysis revealed bonnetheads had higher mean carbon (δ13C) and lower sulfur (δ34S) values, indicating inshore feeding and a preference for benthic invertebrates, respectively. Atlantic sharpnose and blacktip sharks were shown to feed on similar prey using stomach content analysis, yet Atlantic sharpnose sharks had a broader diet, including cephalopods and crustaceans in addition to teleost fishes. Differences were further established using nitrogen (δ15N) values, which were significantly lower for Atlantic sharpnose than blacktip sharks. Collectively, stomach contents and stable isotope analyses supported different feeding strategies of 3 common shark species. δ34S appeared to serve as a natural tracer, distinguishing benthic versus pelagic feeding patterns in elasmobranchs. This study provides important ecosystem-based feeding information of upper trophic-level predators in coastal waters of the northwestern GOM.
Keywords:
[+]
Food Chains (Ecology) Sharks
Source:
Mar Ecol Prog Ser 550:163-174
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11723
Sea Grant Document Number:
TAMU-R-16-001
Document Type:
Journal Article
Place as Subject:
Mexico, Gulf of
Rights Information:
CC BY
Compliance:
Library
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:bc0db0418b2aa2910c119fb47dc90e9f3d0170c653200fe925359cc803ea883c
Download URL:
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/40045/noaa_40045_DS1.pdf
File Type:

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