Determining diets for fishes (Actinopterygii) from a small interior British Columbia, Canada stream: a comparison of morphological and molecular approaches

Analysis of food webs is important for defining functional components of ecosystems, but dietary data are often difficult to obtain and coarsely characterised. We compared three methods of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum); Salmoniformes: Salmonidae) and prickly sculpin (Cottus asper Rich...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian entomologist 2020-10, Vol.152 (5), p.702-720
Main Authors: O’Dell, Adam D.C., Flores, Anne-Marie, Schwarzfeld, Marla D., Erasmus, Daniel J., Heath, Daniel D., Huber, Dezene P.W., Shrimpton, J. Mark
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Content analysis
Cottus asper
Creeks & streams
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Diet
DNA
Entomology
Ethanol
Fish
Food analysis
Food chains
Food webs
Freshwater fishes
Gene sequencing
Genetic testing
Identification
Insects
Invertebrates
Laboratories
Morphology
Next-generation sequencing
Oncorhynchus mykiss
Predation
Prey
Protocol
Research Papers
Salmon
Sequencing
Stomach
Stomach content
Taxonomy
Trout
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Summary:Analysis of food webs is important for defining functional components of ecosystems, but dietary data are often difficult to obtain and coarsely characterised. We compared three methods of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum); Salmoniformes: Salmonidae) and prickly sculpin (Cottus asper Richardson; Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae) gut content analysis: traditional morphological taxonomy of prey items, genetic sequencing of individual prey items, and next-generation sequencing of homogenised gut contents. Prey analysis of invertebrates by morphological identification allowed order-level classifications and produced ecologically important count and mass data. Sequencing individual specimens provided greater taxonomic resolution, while next-generation sequencing of stomach contents revealed more prey diversity in the diets of both fish species as it was possible to detect prey that were degraded beyond visual recognition. Both fish species exhibited generalist feeding characteristics; however, terrestrial Insecta were a large diet component for rainbow trout. This study demonstrates an efficient approach for prey analysis using molecular techniques that complement traditional taxonomy.
ISSN:0008-347X
1918-3240
DOI:10.4039/tce.2020.25