1. Diets of spiny lobsters from Mahé Island reefs, Seychelles reefs inferred by trophic tracers
- Author
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Paco Bustamante, Kettyna Gabriel, Fany Sardenne, Nathalie Bodin, Magali A. Sabino, Antoine Bideau, Leo Barret, Laura K. Blamey, François Le Loc'h, Fabienne Le Grand, David Rowat, Rosabella Mangroo, Jean-Marie Munaron, Rodney Govinden, Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin (LEMAR) (LEMAR), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer (IUEM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) (SFA), Université des Seychelles, Marine Conservation Society Seychelles, LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Ministère de l'Education nationale, de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche (M.E.N.E.S.R.), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés - UMRi 7266 (LIENSs), and Université de La Rochelle (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,animal structures ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Panulirus ,ved/biology.organism_classification_rank.species ,Zoology ,Panulirus longipes ,Bayesian mixing model ,Aquatic Science ,01 natural sciences ,14. Life underwater ,Fatty acids ,Reef ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Trophic level ,Stable isotopes ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Ecology ,biology ,ved/biology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,fungi ,Detritivore ,Panulirus spp ,Interspecific competition ,biology.organism_classification ,Crustacean ,Tropical reef habitats ,nervous system ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Western Indian Ocean ,[SDV.TOX.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology/Ecotoxicology ,Spiny lobster - Abstract
International audience; Spiny lobsters (Panulirus longipes, P. penicillatus and P. versicolor) are an important resource in Seychelles, where they inhabit coastal carbonate and granite reefs that have been impacted by multiple coral bleaching events over the past two decades. Little is known about their biology and ecology in this region. Interspecific competition for food resources was previously suggested, but no quantitative data on the diet of spiny lobsters were available. Using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope compositions and fatty acid profiles of three spiny lobster species and their potential prey, a Bayesian mixing model for diet estimation was applied to compare the diet proportions of spiny lobsters among species and between reef types (carbonate and granite reefs). Model outputs suggested the three lobster species consume mainly crustaceans (Anomoura hermit crabs; half of the diet), then Echinoidea (sea urchins), algae and molluscs. P. versicolor was found to consume slightly more molluscs and algae than the two other studied species, which was consistent with its lower trophic level (2.4 vs 2.8 for the two other species). Trophic level did not increase with carapace length of spiny lobsters, but large individuals had higher carbon isotopic values suggesting that they might feed closer to the coast or more on detritus feeders than their smaller congeners. Diets of spiny lobsters were fairly similar between carbonateand granite reefs, except that lobster inhabiting granite reefs consumed more sea urchins. While our overall findings were consistent with gut contents of Panulirus spp. from other world regions, they should be confirmed, as the discrimination of several prey based on trophic tracers was low, which increased mixing model uncertainty.
- Published
- 2021
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