18S rRNA metabarcoding diet analysis of a predatory fish community across seasonal changes in prey availability
Abstract Predator–prey relationships are important ecological interactions, affecting biotic community composition and energy flow through a system, and are of interest to ecologists and managers. Morphological diet analysis has been the primary method used to quantify the diets of predators, but em...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2019-02-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4857 |
| _version_ | 1819176815807168512 |
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| author | Justin M. Waraniak Terence L. Marsh Kim T. Scribner |
| author_facet | Justin M. Waraniak Terence L. Marsh Kim T. Scribner |
| author_sort | Justin M. Waraniak |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Predator–prey relationships are important ecological interactions, affecting biotic community composition and energy flow through a system, and are of interest to ecologists and managers. Morphological diet analysis has been the primary method used to quantify the diets of predators, but emerging molecular techniques using genetic data can provide more accurate estimates of relative diet composition. This study used sequences from the 18S V9 rRNA barcoding region to identify prey items in the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of predatory fishes. Predator GI samples were taken from the Black River, Cheboygan Co., MI, USA (n = 367 samples, 12 predator species) during periods of high prey availability, including the larval stage of regionally threatened lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque 1817) in late May/early June of 2015 and of relatively lower prey availability in early July of 2015. DNA was extracted and sequenced from 355 samples (96.7%), and prey DNA was identified in 286 of the 355 samples (80.6%). Prey were grouped into 33 ecologically significant taxonomic groups based on the lowest taxonomic level sequences that could be identified using sequences available on GenBank. Changes in the makeup of diet composition, dietary overlap, and predator preference were analyzed comparing the periods of high and low prey abundance. Some predator species exhibited significant seasonal changes in diet composition. Dietary overlap was slightly but significantly higher during the period of high prey abundance; however, there was little change in predator preference. This suggests that change in prey availability was the driving factor in changing predator diet composition and dietary overlap. This study demonstrates the utility of molecular diet analysis and how temporal variability in community composition adds complexity to predator–prey interactions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T21:16:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d423483e0e574fb88e8a08334b23a6fc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T21:16:46Z |
| publishDate | 2019-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-d423483e0e574fb88e8a08334b23a6fc2022-12-21T18:12:20ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582019-02-01931410143010.1002/ece3.485718S rRNA metabarcoding diet analysis of a predatory fish community across seasonal changes in prey availabilityJustin M. Waraniak0Terence L. Marsh1Kim T. Scribner2Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Michigan State University East Lansing MichiganDepartment of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Michigan State University East Lansing MichiganDepartment of Fisheries and Wildlife Michigan State University East Lansing MichiganAbstract Predator–prey relationships are important ecological interactions, affecting biotic community composition and energy flow through a system, and are of interest to ecologists and managers. Morphological diet analysis has been the primary method used to quantify the diets of predators, but emerging molecular techniques using genetic data can provide more accurate estimates of relative diet composition. This study used sequences from the 18S V9 rRNA barcoding region to identify prey items in the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of predatory fishes. Predator GI samples were taken from the Black River, Cheboygan Co., MI, USA (n = 367 samples, 12 predator species) during periods of high prey availability, including the larval stage of regionally threatened lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque 1817) in late May/early June of 2015 and of relatively lower prey availability in early July of 2015. DNA was extracted and sequenced from 355 samples (96.7%), and prey DNA was identified in 286 of the 355 samples (80.6%). Prey were grouped into 33 ecologically significant taxonomic groups based on the lowest taxonomic level sequences that could be identified using sequences available on GenBank. Changes in the makeup of diet composition, dietary overlap, and predator preference were analyzed comparing the periods of high and low prey abundance. Some predator species exhibited significant seasonal changes in diet composition. Dietary overlap was slightly but significantly higher during the period of high prey abundance; however, there was little change in predator preference. This suggests that change in prey availability was the driving factor in changing predator diet composition and dietary overlap. This study demonstrates the utility of molecular diet analysis and how temporal variability in community composition adds complexity to predator–prey interactions.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4857diet compositiondietary overlapfreshwater fishlarval fishesmacroinvertebratestemporal variability |
| spellingShingle | Justin M. Waraniak Terence L. Marsh Kim T. Scribner 18S rRNA metabarcoding diet analysis of a predatory fish community across seasonal changes in prey availability Ecology and Evolution diet composition dietary overlap freshwater fish larval fishes macroinvertebrates temporal variability |
| title | 18S rRNA metabarcoding diet analysis of a predatory fish community across seasonal changes in prey availability |
| title_full | 18S rRNA metabarcoding diet analysis of a predatory fish community across seasonal changes in prey availability |
| title_fullStr | 18S rRNA metabarcoding diet analysis of a predatory fish community across seasonal changes in prey availability |
| title_full_unstemmed | 18S rRNA metabarcoding diet analysis of a predatory fish community across seasonal changes in prey availability |
| title_short | 18S rRNA metabarcoding diet analysis of a predatory fish community across seasonal changes in prey availability |
| title_sort | 18s rrna metabarcoding diet analysis of a predatory fish community across seasonal changes in prey availability |
| topic | diet composition dietary overlap freshwater fish larval fishes macroinvertebrates temporal variability |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4857 |
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