Showing papers by "Molly Lutcavage published in 2003"
TL;DR: No statistical differences were found between TP estimations and those derived from published stomach contents analyses, indicating that stable isotope data may be used to estimate the trophic status of sharks.
Abstract: Trophic positions (TP) were estimated for the blue shark (Prionace glauca), short¢n mako (Isurus oxyrinchus), thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus), and basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) using stable isotope ratios of carbon (d 13 C) and nitrogen (d 15 N). The basking shark had the lowest TP (3.1) and d 15 Nv alue (10.4%), whereas the thresher shark had the highest values (4.5, 15.2%). Mako sharks showed considerable variation in TP and isotopic values, possibly due to foraging from both inshore and oishore waters. Thresher sharks were signi¢cantly more enriched in d 15 N than blue sharks and mako sharks, suggesting a diierent prey base. The d 13 C values of thresher sharks and mako sharks varied signi¢cantly, but neither was signi¢cantly diierent from that of blue sharks. No statistical diierences were found between our TP estimations and those derived from published stomach contents analyses, indicating that stable isotope data may be used to estimate the trophic status of sharks.
165 citations