Spatio‐temporal isotopic signatures (δ13C and δ15N) reveal that two sympatric West African mullet species do not feed on the same basal production sources |
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| Authors: | F Le Loc'h J ‐D Durand K Diop J Panfili |
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| Institution: | 1. UMR 212 EME, IRD‐IFREMER‐UMII, Centre de Recherche Halieutique Méditerranéenne et Tropicale, Avenue Jean Monnet, 34203 Sète, France;2. UMR 6539 LEMAR, CNRS‐UBO‐IRD‐IFREMER, Rue Dumont d'Urville, Pointe du Diable, Technopole Brest Iroise, 29280 Plouzané, France;3. UMR 5119 ECOSYM, UM2‐CNRS‐IRD‐IFREMER‐UM1, Université Montpellier 2, cc093, Place E. Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05, France;4. IRD, UMR 5119 ECOSYM, LABEP‐AO, B. P. 1386, 18524 Dakar, Senegal |
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| Abstract: | Potential trophic competition between two sympatric mullet species, Mugil cephalus and Mugil curema, was explored in the hypersaline estuary of the Saloum Delta (Senegal) using δ13C and δ15N composition of muscle tissues. Between species, δ15N compositions were similar, suggesting a similar trophic level, while the difference in δ13C compositions indicated that these species did not feed from exactly the same basal production sources or at least not in the same proportions. This result provides the first evidence of isotopic niche segregation between two limno‐benthophageous species belonging to the geographically widespread, and often locally abundant, Mugilidae family. |
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| Keywords: | carbon isotopes fish diet Mugilidae nitrogen isotopes trophic level |
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