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Identifying trophic relationships within the high Arctic benthic community: how much can fatty acids tell?

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Abstract

Multivariate analysis of fatty acids (FA) profiles proved to be a useful tool for demonstrating feeding preferences of Arctic invertebrates belonging to several taxonomic groups collected during summer and winter seasons in the Spitsbergen fjords (Arctic). Within phytodetrivorous taxa, the enhanced proportions of 16:1n-7, C16 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and 20:5n-3 in crustaceans clearly reflected selective ingestion of diatoms, while high amounts of 22:6n-3 and C18 FAs found in molluscs indicated flagellate-based nutrition. High levels of C20 PUFA and 16:1n-7 together with the typical bacterial FAs were found in winter specimens of deposit-feeding polychaetes showing their reliance on highly reworked organic matter during this season. Our results suggest that 18:1n-9 may not be a reliable marker of carnivory feeding within benthic taxa. Lipid signatures of omnivores and carnivores/detrivores usually originated from a variety of dietary sources, of which few possess highly characteristic FA features. Still, elevated levels of Calanus markers (20:1 and 22:1 moieties) characterized species linked to the pelagic food chains, while 20:4n-6 proved to be a useful indicator of foraminiferan consumption. We highlight the need for a multimethod approach, since complexity of benthic food webs along with general lack of unambiguous FA trophic markers prevents tracking of trophic relationships with use of FA analysis alone. Based on their FA composition, we showed that benthic species represent a source of essential PUFA and could play a fundamental role in the Arctic food webs transferring energy derived from variable pelagic and benthic resources to upper trophic levels.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this study came from European Centre for Arctic Environmental Research (ARCFAC) (grant: ARCFAC-026129-2009-28) and Polish Ministry of Science (grants: 1033/ARCFAC/2009/7 and 0252/B/P01/2009/36). This research would not have been possible without the support and great company of Wojtek Moskal, Józef Wiktor and Agata Zaborska. Three anonymous reviewers and prof. Maria Włodarska-Kowalczuk provided excellent comments, which have greatly improved the quality of this paper.

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  1. Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712, Sopot, Poland

    Joanna Legeżyńska, Monika Kędra & Wojciech Walkusz

  2. Department of Fisheries and Oceans, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N6, Canada

    Wojciech Walkusz

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  1. Joanna Legeżyńska
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  2. Monika Kędra
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  3. Wojciech Walkusz
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Correspondence to Joanna Legeżyńska.

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Communicated by U. Sommer.

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Legeżyńska, J., Kędra, M. & Walkusz, W. Identifying trophic relationships within the high Arctic benthic community: how much can fatty acids tell?. Mar Biol 161, 821–836 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2380-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2380-8

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