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Trophic relationships between a Patagonian gastropod and its epibiotic anemone revealed by using stable isotopes and direct observations

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Abstract

The carnivorous snail Adelomelon ancilla usually carries, attached to its shell, the anemone Antholoba achates, which also lives attached to hard substrates in the same area. Interaction between both species was studied by stable isotopes analyses (SIA), direct observations, and analysis of gut contents. Results did not show evidences of dietary overlap between anemones and snails. A. ancilla consumed mainly bivalves and secondarily gastropods. The diet of A. achates involved sea urchins and echiurids as main prey. The trophic niches of anemones and snails did not overlap; the species had similar δ15N values but differences in their δ13C values. Sessile and epibiotic anemones also showed differences in their δ13C means, revealing access to different resources. Whereas SIA provided information on trophic relationships and structure, observation of feeding events provided details of prey utilization patterns. Combining direct and indirect approaches helps to overtake method weaknesses and greatly improve dietary descriptions.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by PICTR 01869, PICT 0323, PIP 051 (to G.B.), PICT 01272 and PIP 112-200801-00174 (o O.I.), and a grant from PADI FOUNDATION and a Doctoral Fellowship by CONICET to S.Z. We thank J. Rua, N. Ortiz, R. Vera, and F. Quiroga for field assistance and Dr. Greg Herbert for providing literature and helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Reproducción y Biología Integrativa de Invertebrados Marinos (LARBIM), Centro Nacional Patagónico, CONICET (U9120ACD), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

    Soledad Zabala, Gregorio Bigatti & David E. Galván

  2. Laboratorio de Ecología, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), UNMDP-CONICET, CC 573 Correo Central, B7600WAG, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Florencia Botto & Oscar O. Iribarne

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  1. Soledad Zabala
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  2. Gregorio Bigatti
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  3. Florencia Botto
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  4. Oscar O. Iribarne
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  5. David E. Galván
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Correspondence to David E. Galván.

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Communicated by P. Kraufvelin.

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Zabala, S., Bigatti, G., Botto, F. et al. Trophic relationships between a Patagonian gastropod and its epibiotic anemone revealed by using stable isotopes and direct observations. Mar Biol 160, 909–919 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-012-2143-y

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