1. Correlation between δ13C and δ15N in flying fish (Exocoetus volitans) muscle and scales from the South China Sea.
- Author
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Libin Wu, Liqiang Xu, Jing Sun, Xueying Wang, Yangyang Wei, Yeling Li, and Xiaodong Liu
- Subjects
FLYINGFISHES ,SCALES (Fishes) ,STABLE isotopes ,OCEANOGRAPHY - Abstract
We collected flying fish (Exocoetus volitans) from the South China Sea to determine whether fish scale isotope values correlate with those from muscle, and discuss relevant eco-environmental implications. A significant positive correlation was determined between fish scales and muscle δ
13 C and δ15 N, rendering a fish scale an alternative to muscle tissue for stable isotope analysis. However, muscle and scale isotopic offsets should be fully considered when using δ13 C and δ15 N to analyze the actual trophic level of fish and their food source. The average offsets of δ13 C and δ15 N between muscles and scales are -2.1 ± 0.5‰ and 2.3 ± 0.6‰, respectively, though these values vary slightly with fish mass. Weak correlations were found between δ13 C and δ15 N, both in the flying fish muscle and scales, suggesting that other factors are influencing δ13 C and δ15 N. Fish δ15 N also correlates with the size of individuals, while δ13 C reflects the marine habitat. Based on our data, it appears that more eco-environmental processes can be revealed from modern or ancient flying fish scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2017
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