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Geographical variations in the trophic ecology of Japanese anchovy, Engraulis japonicus, inferred from carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios

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Abstract

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) and their stomach contents were examined and compared among various regions around Japan. Geographical variations in the isotope ratios were found between inshore and Pacific offshore regions. While most of the anchovy samples had isotope ratios around −17.6‰ for δ13C and 10.0‰ for δ15N as median values, higher (more enriched) isotope values were found in the anchovy sampled from inshore regions. On the contrary, lower (more depleted) values were found mostly in the anchovy from the Pacific offshore region including the Kuroshio Extension and Kuroshio-Oyashio transition zones. Higher carbon isotope ratios in the inshore regions may reflect a carbon source from benthic primary producers in addition to phytoplankton possibly through the consumption of the larvae of benthic organisms such as bivalves or decapods, which were found in the stomach contents of the inshore anchovy. Variations in the nitrogen isotope ratio may reflect not only differences in the trophic level of prey species, but also variations in the baseline level of food webs. Stable isotope ratios are potentially a useful tool for understanding the stock/population structure and migration of anchovy. The present findings indicate the potential importance of the “inshore–offshore” variations in the biology of Japanese anchovy populations in the northwestern Pacific waters.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to I. Mitani, Y. Wada, O. Funaki, S. Katayama and H. Watanabe for their help with the field sampling. T. Yamakawa gave us useful comments on the preliminary study. The authors also appreciate the kind co-operation during the sampling by the captain and crew of R/V Hakuho-maru, Yoko-maru and Shunyo-maru. Cruise of Shunyo-maru was conducted as a part the Japanese Whale Research Program under Special Permit in the western North Pacific Phase II. All samplings and experiments conducted in this study complied with the current Japanese laws. Finally, the manuscript was improved with the comments of three anonymous reviewers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aquatic Bioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan

    Hiroshige Tanaka & Ichiro Aoki

  2. Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, Fisheries Research Agency, 1551-8 Taira, Nagasaki, 851-2213, Japan

    Hiroshige Tanaka & Seiji Ohshimo

  3. National Research Institute of Fisheries Science, Fisheries Research Agency, 2-12-4 Fukuura, Kanazawa, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-8648, Japan

    Akinori Takasuka

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  1. Hiroshige Tanaka
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  4. Seiji Ohshimo
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Correspondence to Hiroshige Tanaka.

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Communicated by K. Yin.

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Tanaka, H., Takasuka, A., Aoki, I. et al. Geographical variations in the trophic ecology of Japanese anchovy, Engraulis japonicus, inferred from carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios. Mar Biol 154, 557–568 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-008-0949-4

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