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Dual isotope study of food sources of a fish assemblage in the Red River mangrove ecosystem, Vietnam

  • BIODIVERSITY IN ASIAN COASTAL WATERS
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Abstract

The food source utilization and trophic relationship of the fish assemblage in the Red River mangrove ecosystem, Vietnam were examined using dual isotope analysis. The carbon and nitrogen stable isotope signatures of 23 fish species ranged from −24.0 to −15.7‰ and from 8.8 to 15.5‰, respectively. Cluster analysis based on the δ13C and δ15N signatures clearly separated the mangrove fish into five feeding groups, representing detritivores, omnivores, piscivores, zoobenthivores, and zooplanktivores, which concurred with the dietary information. The results suggested that mangrove carbon contributed a small proportion in the diets of the mangrove fish, with dominant food sources coming from benthic invertebrates, including ocypodid and grapsid crabs, penaeid shrimps, bivalves, gastropods, and polychaetes. The δ15N values showed that the food web structure may be divided into different trophic levels (TLs). The lowest TLs associated with Liza macrolepis, Mugil cephalus, and Periophthalmus modestus; 18 fish species had TLs between 3.0 and 3.8; and Pennahia argentata had the highest TL (c. 4.0).

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to staff of VNU University of Science, and the Xuan Thuy National Park and the Tien Hai Nature Reserve, Vietnam for their help with sampling. We express our sincere thanks to anonymous reviewers—Prof. Tokeshi and Dr. Todd W. Miller for their critical reviews and comments which significantly improved the manuscript. This work was partially supported by the “Global COE Program” from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan and the Vietnam’s National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) (No 105.09.82.09). The Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research for Postdoctoral Fellows by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (No. 24-02386 for NTT) is also acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Japan

    Nguyen Tai Tue

  2. Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, 790-8577, Japan

    Nguyen Tai Tue, Hideki Hamaoka & Koji Omori

  3. Faculty of Geology, VNU University of Science, 334 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Tran Dang Quy & Mai Trong Nhuan

  4. Research Center for Marine Biology, Asamushi, Tohoku University, 9 Sakamoto, Asamushi, Aomori, 039-3501, Japan

    Atsushi Sogabe

  5. Faculty of Biology, VNU University of Science, 334 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Nguyen Thanh Nam

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  1. Nguyen Tai Tue
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  2. Hideki Hamaoka
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  3. Tran Dang Quy
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  4. Mai Trong Nhuan
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  5. Atsushi Sogabe
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  6. Nguyen Thanh Nam
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  7. Koji Omori
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Correspondence to Nguyen Tai Tue.

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Guest editors: M. Tokeshi & H. T. Yap / Biodiversity in Changing Coastal Waters of Tropical and Subtropical Asia

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Tue, N.T., Hamaoka, H., Quy, T.D. et al. Dual isotope study of food sources of a fish assemblage in the Red River mangrove ecosystem, Vietnam. Hydrobiologia 733, 71–83 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1737-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1737-9

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