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The diet of amphioxus in subtropical Hong Kong as indicated by fatty acid and stable isotopic analyses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 July 2008

Y. Chen ,
S.G. Cheung  and
P.K.S. Shin
Y. Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
S.G. Cheung
Affiliation:
Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
P.K.S. Shin*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Centre for Coastal Pollution and Conservation, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: P.K.S. Shin, Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong email: bhpshin@cityu.edu.hk
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Abstract

Fatty acid profiles and carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope markers were used to identify the diet of amphioxus in subtropical Hong Kong waters, and to evaluate the role of co-occurring Branchiostoma belcheri and B. malayanum in trophic transfer, in coastal ecosystems. The present results showed that while amphioxus is generally regarded as a filter feeder, total particulate matter in the water column might not be the main food supply. The diet of amphioxus could be traced to comprise a wide range of food sources, from microbes and microplankton to microalgae, based on the stable isotope analysis. Results of fatty acid profile analysis also revealed contributions from dinoflagellates, zooplankton, detritus and bacteria, and minor contribution from diatoms and fungi in the diet of amphioxus in Hong Kong waters. The use of fatty acid and stable isotope analyses further proved that amphioxus can, not only capture and partition such a different size-range of food particles during their feeding, but also assimilate most of them into their body tissue. The present findings suggested that amphioxus may play an important role in marine food webs by transferring microbial production to higher trophic levels through utilizing microbes in seawater as food.

Keywords

dietamphioxoussubtropical Hong Kongfatty acid analysisstable isotopic analysis
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 88 , Issue 7 , November 2008 , pp. 1487 - 1491
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2008

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