Foraging preferences of an apex marine predator revealed through stomach content and stable isotope analyses

Insights into the food habits of predators are essential for maintaining healthy predator populations and the functioning of ecosystems. Stomach content and stable isotope analyses were used to investigate the foraging habits of an apex predator, the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Global ecology and conservation 2021-01, Vol.25, p.e01396, Article e01396
Main Authors: McCluskey, S.M., Sprogis, K.R., London, J.M., Bejder, L., Loneragan, N.R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bottlenose dolphin
Diet
Foraging ecology
Predator-prey dynamics
Stable isotopes
Stomach content analyses
Trophic ecology
Tursiops aduncus
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
cited_by cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c414t-b2a588949ef535552e676a94fd7d1ccb1abfb6ad051465a050dbe8002b531e883
cites cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c414t-b2a588949ef535552e676a94fd7d1ccb1abfb6ad051465a050dbe8002b531e883
container_end_page
container_issue
container_start_page e01396
container_title Global ecology and conservation
container_volume 25
creator McCluskey, S.M.
Sprogis, K.R.
London, J.M.
Bejder, L.
Loneragan, N.R.
description Insights into the food habits of predators are essential for maintaining healthy predator populations and the functioning of ecosystems. Stomach content and stable isotope analyses were used to investigate the foraging habits of an apex predator, the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) in south-western Australia. A total of 2,594 prey items from 26 families were identified from the stomachs of 10 deceased stranded dolphins. Fish otoliths from stomach contents were used to identify fish to family or species level. Ninety-three percent of identified stomach contents were perciforme fishes, however, perciformes comprised only 30% of the catch during prey sampling. Gobiidae species, small fish generally
doi_str_mv 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01396
format article
fullrecord <record><control><sourceid>elsevier_doaj_</sourceid><recordid>TN_cdi_doaj_primary_oai_doaj_org_article_20d353e880c64619b66bd69e2d4545d7</recordid><sourceformat>XML</sourceformat><sourcesystem>PC</sourcesystem><els_id>S2351989420309379</els_id><doaj_id>oai_doaj_org_article_20d353e880c64619b66bd69e2d4545d7</doaj_id><sourcerecordid>S2351989420309379</sourcerecordid><originalsourceid>FETCH-LOGICAL-c414t-b2a588949ef535552e676a94fd7d1ccb1abfb6ad051465a050dbe8002b531e883</originalsourceid><addsrcrecordid>eNp9kM1KAzEURgdRULRP4CYv0JqfSTqzcCFitSC40XW4Se5MU6aTksRi3960FXHlKuG7nI97T1XdMjpjlKm79axHa8OMU05nSJlo1Vl1xYVk07Zp6_M__8tqktKa0oLxOWvEVTUsQoTejz3ZRuww4mgxkdARGAls8YtsIPoRD1MHOUQScYcwoCN5FcNnvyIphw3YFbFhzDjmArqSgRmQ-BRy2GKJYNgnTDfVRQdDwsnPe119LJ7eH1-mr2_Py8eH16mtWZ2nhoNsyrYtdlJIKTmquYK27tzcMWsNA9MZBY5KVisJVFJnsKGUGykYNo24rpanXhdgrbfRlyP2OoDXxyDEXkPM3g6oOXVCigJRq2rFWqOUcapF7mpZSzcvXeLUZWNIqTj67WNUH_zrtT761wf_-uS_UPcnCsuZO49RJ-sPbp2PaHPZw__LfwN_oZC3</addsrcrecordid><sourcetype>Open Website</sourcetype><iscdi>true</iscdi><recordtype>article</recordtype></control><display><type>article</type><title>Foraging preferences of an apex marine predator revealed through stomach content and stable isotope analyses</title><source>ScienceDirect</source><creator>McCluskey, S.M. ; Sprogis, K.R. ; London, J.M. ; Bejder, L. ; Loneragan, N.R.</creator><creatorcontrib>McCluskey, S.M. ; Sprogis, K.R. ; London, J.M. ; Bejder, L. ; Loneragan, N.R.</creatorcontrib><description>Insights into the food habits of predators are essential for maintaining healthy predator populations and the functioning of ecosystems. Stomach content and stable isotope analyses were used to investigate the foraging habits of an apex predator, the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) in south-western Australia. A total of 2,594 prey items from 26 families were identified from the stomachs of 10 deceased stranded dolphins. Fish otoliths from stomach contents were used to identify fish to family or species level. Ninety-three percent of identified stomach contents were perciforme fishes, however, perciformes comprised only 30% of the catch during prey sampling. Gobiidae species, small fish generally &lt;100 mm in total length, were the most prevalent family identified in dolphin stomachs, accounting for 82% of identified prey, yet Gobiidae accounted for 12.7% of the catch during prey sampling. For stable isotope analyses, tissue samples from 14 free-ranging dolphins were analyzed for nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) ratios. From stable isotope analyses and boat-based dolphin photo-identification surveys (n = 339, 2007–2011), results indicated niche differentiation between coastal and inshore (bay and estuarine habitat) dolphins. Carbon signatures showed that coastal dolphins had a more pelagic diet compared to a benthic diet observed in the inshore dolphins. Whereas, nitrogen signatures of inshore dolphins showed higher nitrogen levels than coastal dolphins, likely attributed to feeding on enriched prey typical of estuarian environments. Overall, these results indicated that bottlenose dolphins in the study area were selective foragers and that their foraging is specialized by the habitats most frequently used.</description><identifier>ISSN: 2351-9894</identifier><identifier>EISSN: 2351-9894</identifier><identifier>DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01396</identifier><language>eng</language><publisher>Elsevier B.V</publisher><subject>Bottlenose dolphin ; Diet ; Foraging ecology ; Predator-prey dynamics ; Stable isotopes ; Stomach content analyses ; Trophic ecology ; Tursiops aduncus</subject><ispartof>Global ecology and conservation, 2021-01, Vol.25, p.e01396, Article e01396</ispartof><rights>2020 The Authors</rights><lds50>peer_reviewed</lds50><oa>free_for_read</oa><woscitedreferencessubscribed>false</woscitedreferencessubscribed><citedby>FETCH-LOGICAL-c414t-b2a588949ef535552e676a94fd7d1ccb1abfb6ad051465a050dbe8002b531e883</citedby><cites>FETCH-LOGICAL-c414t-b2a588949ef535552e676a94fd7d1ccb1abfb6ad051465a050dbe8002b531e883</cites></display><links><openurl>$$Topenurl_article</openurl><openurlfulltext>$$Topenurlfull_article</openurlfulltext><thumbnail>$$Tsyndetics_thumb_exl</thumbnail><linktohtml>$$Uhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989420309379$$EHTML$$P50$$Gelsevier$$Hfree_for_read</linktohtml><link.rule.ids>314,776,780,3536,27903,27904,45759</link.rule.ids></links><search><creatorcontrib>McCluskey, S.M.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Sprogis, K.R.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>London, J.M.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Bejder, L.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Loneragan, N.R.</creatorcontrib><title>Foraging preferences of an apex marine predator revealed through stomach content and stable isotope analyses</title><title>Global ecology and conservation</title><description>Insights into the food habits of predators are essential for maintaining healthy predator populations and the functioning of ecosystems. Stomach content and stable isotope analyses were used to investigate the foraging habits of an apex predator, the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) in south-western Australia. A total of 2,594 prey items from 26 families were identified from the stomachs of 10 deceased stranded dolphins. Fish otoliths from stomach contents were used to identify fish to family or species level. Ninety-three percent of identified stomach contents were perciforme fishes, however, perciformes comprised only 30% of the catch during prey sampling. Gobiidae species, small fish generally &lt;100 mm in total length, were the most prevalent family identified in dolphin stomachs, accounting for 82% of identified prey, yet Gobiidae accounted for 12.7% of the catch during prey sampling. For stable isotope analyses, tissue samples from 14 free-ranging dolphins were analyzed for nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) ratios. From stable isotope analyses and boat-based dolphin photo-identification surveys (n = 339, 2007–2011), results indicated niche differentiation between coastal and inshore (bay and estuarine habitat) dolphins. Carbon signatures showed that coastal dolphins had a more pelagic diet compared to a benthic diet observed in the inshore dolphins. Whereas, nitrogen signatures of inshore dolphins showed higher nitrogen levels than coastal dolphins, likely attributed to feeding on enriched prey typical of estuarian environments. Overall, these results indicated that bottlenose dolphins in the study area were selective foragers and that their foraging is specialized by the habitats most frequently used.</description><subject>Bottlenose dolphin</subject><subject>Diet</subject><subject>Foraging ecology</subject><subject>Predator-prey dynamics</subject><subject>Stable isotopes</subject><subject>Stomach content analyses</subject><subject>Trophic ecology</subject><subject>Tursiops aduncus</subject><issn>2351-9894</issn><issn>2351-9894</issn><fulltext>true</fulltext><rsrctype>article</rsrctype><creationdate>2021</creationdate><recordtype>article</recordtype><sourceid>DOA</sourceid><recordid>eNp9kM1KAzEURgdRULRP4CYv0JqfSTqzcCFitSC40XW4Se5MU6aTksRi3960FXHlKuG7nI97T1XdMjpjlKm79axHa8OMU05nSJlo1Vl1xYVk07Zp6_M__8tqktKa0oLxOWvEVTUsQoTejz3ZRuww4mgxkdARGAls8YtsIPoRD1MHOUQScYcwoCN5FcNnvyIphw3YFbFhzDjmArqSgRmQ-BRy2GKJYNgnTDfVRQdDwsnPe119LJ7eH1-mr2_Py8eH16mtWZ2nhoNsyrYtdlJIKTmquYK27tzcMWsNA9MZBY5KVisJVFJnsKGUGykYNo24rpanXhdgrbfRlyP2OoDXxyDEXkPM3g6oOXVCigJRq2rFWqOUcapF7mpZSzcvXeLUZWNIqTj67WNUH_zrtT761wf_-uS_UPcnCsuZO49RJ-sPbp2PaHPZw__LfwN_oZC3</recordid><startdate>202101</startdate><enddate>202101</enddate><creator>McCluskey, S.M.</creator><creator>Sprogis, K.R.</creator><creator>London, J.M.</creator><creator>Bejder, L.</creator><creator>Loneragan, N.R.</creator><general>Elsevier B.V</general><general>Elsevier</general><scope>6I.</scope><scope>AAFTH</scope><scope>AAYXX</scope><scope>CITATION</scope><scope>DOA</scope></search><sort><creationdate>202101</creationdate><title>Foraging preferences of an apex marine predator revealed through stomach content and stable isotope analyses</title><author>McCluskey, S.M. ; Sprogis, K.R. ; London, J.M. ; Bejder, L. ; Loneragan, N.R.</author></sort><facets><frbrtype>5</frbrtype><frbrgroupid>cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c414t-b2a588949ef535552e676a94fd7d1ccb1abfb6ad051465a050dbe8002b531e883</frbrgroupid><rsrctype>articles</rsrctype><prefilter>articles</prefilter><language>eng</language><creationdate>2021</creationdate><topic>Bottlenose dolphin</topic><topic>Diet</topic><topic>Foraging ecology</topic><topic>Predator-prey dynamics</topic><topic>Stable isotopes</topic><topic>Stomach content analyses</topic><topic>Trophic ecology</topic><topic>Tursiops aduncus</topic><toplevel>peer_reviewed</toplevel><toplevel>online_resources</toplevel><creatorcontrib>McCluskey, S.M.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Sprogis, K.R.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>London, J.M.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Bejder, L.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Loneragan, N.R.</creatorcontrib><collection>ScienceDirect Open Access Titles</collection><collection>Elsevier:ScienceDirect:Open Access</collection><collection>CrossRef</collection><collection>Directory of Open Access Journals</collection><jtitle>Global ecology and conservation</jtitle></facets><delivery><delcategory>Remote Search Resource</delcategory><fulltext>fulltext</fulltext></delivery><addata><au>McCluskey, S.M.</au><au>Sprogis, K.R.</au><au>London, J.M.</au><au>Bejder, L.</au><au>Loneragan, N.R.</au><format>journal</format><genre>article</genre><ristype>JOUR</ristype><atitle>Foraging preferences of an apex marine predator revealed through stomach content and stable isotope analyses</atitle><jtitle>Global ecology and conservation</jtitle><date>2021-01</date><risdate>2021</risdate><volume>25</volume><spage>e01396</spage><pages>e01396-</pages><artnum>e01396</artnum><issn>2351-9894</issn><eissn>2351-9894</eissn><abstract>Insights into the food habits of predators are essential for maintaining healthy predator populations and the functioning of ecosystems. Stomach content and stable isotope analyses were used to investigate the foraging habits of an apex predator, the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) in south-western Australia. A total of 2,594 prey items from 26 families were identified from the stomachs of 10 deceased stranded dolphins. Fish otoliths from stomach contents were used to identify fish to family or species level. Ninety-three percent of identified stomach contents were perciforme fishes, however, perciformes comprised only 30% of the catch during prey sampling. Gobiidae species, small fish generally &lt;100 mm in total length, were the most prevalent family identified in dolphin stomachs, accounting for 82% of identified prey, yet Gobiidae accounted for 12.7% of the catch during prey sampling. For stable isotope analyses, tissue samples from 14 free-ranging dolphins were analyzed for nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) ratios. From stable isotope analyses and boat-based dolphin photo-identification surveys (n = 339, 2007–2011), results indicated niche differentiation between coastal and inshore (bay and estuarine habitat) dolphins. Carbon signatures showed that coastal dolphins had a more pelagic diet compared to a benthic diet observed in the inshore dolphins. Whereas, nitrogen signatures of inshore dolphins showed higher nitrogen levels than coastal dolphins, likely attributed to feeding on enriched prey typical of estuarian environments. Overall, these results indicated that bottlenose dolphins in the study area were selective foragers and that their foraging is specialized by the habitats most frequently used.</abstract><pub>Elsevier B.V</pub><doi>10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01396</doi><oa>free_for_read</oa></addata></record>
fulltext fulltext
identifier ISSN: 2351-9894
ispartof Global ecology and conservation, 2021-01, Vol.25, p.e01396, Article e01396
issn 2351-9894
2351-9894
language eng
recordid cdi_doaj_primary_oai_doaj_org_article_20d353e880c64619b66bd69e2d4545d7
source ScienceDirect
subjects Bottlenose dolphin
Diet
Foraging ecology
Predator-prey dynamics
Stable isotopes
Stomach content analyses
Trophic ecology
Tursiops aduncus
title Foraging preferences of an apex marine predator revealed through stomach content and stable isotope analyses
url http://sfxeu10.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/loughborough?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&ctx_tim=2025-01-27T18%3A52%3A50IST&url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_ctx_fmt=infofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rfr_id=info:sid/primo.exlibrisgroup.com:primo3-Article-elsevier_doaj_&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Foraging%20preferences%20of%20an%20apex%20marine%20predator%20revealed%20through%20stomach%20content%20and%20stable%20isotope%20analyses&rft.jtitle=Global%20ecology%20and%20conservation&rft.au=McCluskey,%20S.M.&rft.date=2021-01&rft.volume=25&rft.spage=e01396&rft.pages=e01396-&rft.artnum=e01396&rft.issn=2351-9894&rft.eissn=2351-9894&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01396&rft_dat=%3Celsevier_doaj_%3ES2351989420309379%3C/elsevier_doaj_%3E%3Cgrp_id%3Ecdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c414t-b2a588949ef535552e676a94fd7d1ccb1abfb6ad051465a050dbe8002b531e883%3C/grp_id%3E%3Coa%3E%3C/oa%3E%3Curl%3E%3C/url%3E&rft_id=info:oai/&rft_id=info:pmid/&rfr_iscdi=true