Trophic plasticity among spring vs. cave populations of Gammarus minus: examining functional niches using stable isotopes and C/N ratios

In some environments, species may exhibit trophic plasticity, which allows them to extend beyond their assigned functional group. For Gammarus minus, a freshwater amphipod classified as a shredder or detritivore, cave populations have been observed consuming heterotrophs as well as shredding leaves, and therefore may be exhibiting trophic plasticity. To test this possibility, we examined the C and N stable isotope and C/N ratios for cave and spring populations of G. minus. A 15-day feeding experiment using leaves and G. minus from a spring population established that the diet-tissue discrimination factor was 3.2 ‰ for δ15N. Cave G. minus were 8 ‰ higher in δ15N relative to cave leaves, indicating they did not derive nitrogen from leaves, whereas field collected spring populations were 2–3 ‰ higher than spring leaves, indicating that they did. Cave G. minus were 2.6 ‰ higher in δ15N than the cave isopod, Caecidotea holsingeri. Relative to spring populations, Organ Cave G. minus were 15N enriched by 6 ‰, suggesting they occupied a different trophic level, or incorporated an isotopically distinct N source. While stable isotopes cannot tell what the cave G. minus are eating, the isotopes certainly show that G. minus are not eating leaves and are trophically distinct form the surface populations. Differences in C/N ratios were observed, but reflect the size of the G. minus examined and not feeding group or habitat. The isotope data strongly support the hypothesis that cave populations of G. minus have become generalist or omnivorous by including animal protein in their diet.