Abstract
We provide preliminary carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope assessment of the Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) diet in Cumberland Sound, with focus on two possible prey sources: pelagic represented by capelin (Mallotus villosus) and epibenthic represented by shrimp (Lebbeus polaris). The δ13C for the Greenland halibut stock indicated a pelagic carbon source in Cumberland Sound while stable isotope mixing models, IsoSource and MixSIR, indicated a 99% dietary composition of capelin relative to the shrimp. The δ15N did not vary across Greenland halibut size ranges and placed them at a fourth trophic position relative to a primary herbivore. This study provides the starting point for more elaborate Cumberland Sound research on the local Greenland halibut feeding ecology by confirming pelagic feeding and establishing relative trophic position as well as identifying stable isotopes as a useful tool for the study of diet in cold water fish species.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Government of Canada International Polar Year Project CC144 for funding this project and to thank the fishermen of Pangnirtung (Joe Akpalialuk and Jesse Eesemaile) and the Pangnirtung Hunters and Trappers Association for their provision of gear and aid in collecting samples. The authors would also like to thank Jaclyn Brush and Sandra Ellis for help with processing samples. This work was approved by the University of Windsor Animal Care Committee and is in compliance with the Canadian Council on Animal Care and the Ontario Animal for Research Act.
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Dennard, S.T., McMeans, B.C. & Fisk, A.T. Preliminary assessment of Greenland halibut diet in Cumberland Sound using stable isotopes. Polar Biol 32, 941–945 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-009-0624-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-009-0624-3