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Trophic spectrum of fishery species from the Pearl River Estuary by stable isotope analysis.

ZENG Yan-yi1, LAI Zi-ni1*, YANG Wan-ling1, LI Hai-yan1, PENG Song-yao1, LI Jie1, DAI Shou-hui2   

  1. (1Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, 510380, China; 2South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510380, China).
  • Online:2018-01-10 Published:2018-01-10

Abstract:

Totaling 39 major fishery species including 30 species of fish, 5 species of shrimps and 4 species of mollusks were collected in the Pearl River Estuary in August 2015. The stable carbon and nitrogen composition (δ13C and δ15N) of the organisms were analyzed using StableIsotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry. The results showed that fishery community in east and west parts of the Pearl River Estuary had statistically different stable isotopes values (δ13C: P<0.001, δ15N:P=0.036). The δ13C values of fishery community ranged from -31.92‰ to -19.34‰ (with an average of -23.65‰) in the east estuary and from -26.75‰ to -16.36‰ (with anaverage of -21.19‰) in the west estuary. The δ15N values of fishery community ranged from9.57‰ to17.14‰ (with an average of 13.48‰) in the east estuary and from 9.01‰ to 16.49‰ (with an average of 12.72‰) in the west estuary. Trophic levels of fishery organisms in the east and west estuary were calculated based on different baseline organisms; the trophic levels of communities in the two areas were similar, with a range of approximately 2.0 to 4.7, including herbivores, omnivorous, low, middle and high classes of carnivores. Among the organisms, a smallamount of species were at the bottom and top trophic positions, while large amount of species were at the medium trophic positions. The average trophic levels of about 43% of fish species were within the record ranges, 33% of fish species were lower than the low threshold, and 23% of fish species higher than the high threshold when compared with the trophic level of the same fish from the Fishbase. By preliminarily establishing trophic spectrum of primary fishery species in the Pearl River Estuary, this study provides a basis for utilization and management of the fishery resources in the study region.
 

Key words: stomata, nitrogen metabolism., nitrogen deposition, atmospheric nitrogen dioxide