Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in the shallow-water cape hake, merluccius capensis (castelnau) as indicators of trophic position and diet on the west and south coasts of South Africa

• Main Author: Parkins, Colleen Ann
• Other Authors: Field, John G
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: University of Cape Town 2014
• Subjects: Zoology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6156

Bibliography: leaves 44-53. === 13C/12C and 15N/14N were used to indicate the trophic levels of the shallow-water Cape hake, Merluccius capensis (Castelnau) at three sites on the west coast of South Africa, and five sites on the south coast. Gut content analyses show only the very recent diet of hake, therefore stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were used to show the longer-term diet, integrated over the turnover time of the muscle tissue and bone collagen analysed. 13C/12C is 1-2%₀ higher in the tissues of a consumer than its diet (DeNiro and Epstein 1978), the difference in 15N/14N between a consumer and its food being 3-4%₀ (DeNiro and Epstein 1981). Both 13C/12C and 15N/14N indicate trophic enrichment between hake muscle tissue and bone collagen, and the gut contents and prey, and show that small and large hake feed at different trophic levels, large hake tissues being slightly heavier in 13C than small hake tissues, and containing 2-4%₀ more 15N than muscle tissue and bone collagen, and the gut contents and prey, and show that small and large hake feed at different trophic levels, large hake tissues being slightly heavier in 13C than small hake tissues, and containing 2-4%₀ and more 15N than muscle tissue and bone collagen of small hake.