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Li L, Yin X, Wan Q, Rusitanmu D, Han J. Diet Diversity of the Fluviatile Masu Salmon, Oncorhynchus masou (Brevoort 1856) Revealed via Gastrointestinal Environmental DNA Metabarcoding and Morphological Identification of Contents. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:129. [PMID: 38392347 PMCID: PMC10887057 DOI: 10.3390/biology13020129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Masu salmon, Oncorhynchus masou (Brevoort 1856), a commercially important fish species endemic to the North Pacific Ocean, attained national second-level protected animal status in China in 2021. Despite this recognition, knowledge about the trophic ecology of this fish remains limited. This study investigated the diet diversity of fluviatile Masu salmon in the Mijiang River, China, utilizing the gastrointestinal tract environmental DNA (GITeDNA) metabarcoding and morphological identification. The results revealed a diverse prey composition, ranging from terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates to small fishes. The fluviatile Masu salmon in general consumed noteworthily more aquatic prey than terrestrial prey. There were much more prey taxa and a higher diet diversity detected by GITeDNA metabarcoding than by morphological identification. GITeDNA metabarcoding showed that larger and older Masu salmon consumed significantly more terrestrial insects than aquatic prey species did, with 7366 verses 5012 sequences in the group of ≥20 cm, 9098 verses 4743 sequences in the group of ≥100 g and 11,540 verses 729 sequences in the group of age 3+. GITeDNA metabarcoding also showed size- and age-related diet diversity, indicating that the dietary niche breadth and trophic diversity of larger and older Masu salmon increased with food resources expanding to more terrestrial prey. Terrestrial invertebrates of riparian habitats play a vital role in the diet of fluviatile Masu salmon, especially larger individuals, highlighting their importance in connecting aquatic and terrestrial food webs. Conservation plans should prioritize the protection and restoration of riparian habitats. This study advocates the combined use of GITeDNA metabarcoding and morphological observation for a comprehensive understanding of fish diet diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xin Jie Kou Wai Avenue, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xuwang Yin
- Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory for Hydrobiology, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, No. 52 Hei Shi Jiao Avenue, Dalian 116000, China
| | - Qianruo Wan
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xin Jie Kou Wai Avenue, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Dilina Rusitanmu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xin Jie Kou Wai Avenue, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jie Han
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, No. 19 Xin Jie Kou Wai Avenue, Beijing 100875, China
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Liang D, Luo H, Huang C, Ye Z, Sun S, Dong J, Liang M, Lin S, Yang Y. High-throughput sequencing reveals omnivorous and preferential diets of the rotifer Polyarthra in situ. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1048619. [PMID: 36620053 PMCID: PMC9810806 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1048619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of in situ diet of widespread rotifers is crucial for accurately understanding the trophic position, ecological function, and adaptability to environmental changes in aquatic ecosystems. However, it is challenging to achieve the in situ diet information due to the lack of efficient and comprehensive methods. Here, we investigated the diet composition of Polyarthra in a subtropical lake using high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of a rRNA metabarcode for Polyarthra and ambient water samples. After eliminating Polyarthra sequences, a total of 159 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from taxa in 15 phyla were detected from Polyarthra gut content samples. Most of the OTUs belong to Chlorophyta, followed by unclassified Fungi, Chrysophyta, Dinoflagellata, Ciliophora, Bacillariophyta, Cryptophyta, Arthropoda, Cercozoa, Mollusca, Apicomplexa, Haptophyta, Amoebozoa, Chordata and other eukaryotes. Our results showed that Polyarthra mainly grazed on Chlorophyta, which may result from the high relative abundance of Chlorophyta in ambient waters. In contrast, Chrysophyceae and Synurophyceae were enriched in Polyarthra's gut, indicating that this rotifer prefers these taxa as food. Moreover, correlation analysis showed that total nitrogen, transparency, depth, Chlorophyll-a and total phosphorus were key factors for the variation of the eukaryotic community in the Polyarthra gut contents. When the concentration of nutrients in the water environment decreased, Polyarthra shifted from herbivorous feeding to more carnivorous feeding. Thus, Polyarthra is generally omnivorous but preference for Chrysophytes and Synurophytes, and it responds to the environmental changes by adopting a flexible feeding strategy. This could partly explain why the widespread rotifers have apparently wide tolerance toward spatial and environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diwen Liang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Urban Ecological Simulation and Protection, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, MEE, Guangzhou, China,Institute of Hydrobiology and Research Center of Low Carbon Economy for Guangzhou Region, Jinan University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangzhou, China,Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, United States
| | - Hailin Luo
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Urban Ecological Simulation and Protection, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, MEE, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunrong Huang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Urban Ecological Simulation and Protection, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, MEE, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhen Ye
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Urban Ecological Simulation and Protection, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, MEE, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuangshuang Sun
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Urban Ecological Simulation and Protection, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, MEE, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiahua Dong
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Urban Ecological Simulation and Protection, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, MEE, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mingyi Liang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Urban Ecological Simulation and Protection, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, MEE, Guangzhou, China
| | - Senjie Lin
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, United States,*Correspondence: Senjie Lin,
| | - Yufeng Yang
- Institute of Hydrobiology and Research Center of Low Carbon Economy for Guangzhou Region, Jinan University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Guangzhou, China,Yufeng Yang,
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Hou J, Li L, Wang Y, Wang W, Zhan H, Dai N, Lu P. Influences of submerged plant collapse on diet composition, breadth, and overlap among four crane species at Poyang Lake, China. Front Zool 2021; 18:24. [PMID: 34001190 PMCID: PMC8130136 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-021-00411-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Interannual variation in resource abundance has become more unpredictable, and food shortages have increasingly occurred in the recent decades. However, compared to seasonal fluctuations in resource abundance, the influences of interannual variation in resource abundance on the dietary niches of consumers remain poorly understood. Poyang Lake, China, is a very important wintering ground for the globally endangered Siberian Crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus), White-naped Crane (Grus vipio), and Hooded Crane (G. monacha), as well as the non-endangered Eurasian Crane (G. grus). Tubers of Vallisneria spp., the dominant submerged macrophytes at Poyang Lake, is an important food for cranes. Nevertheless, submerged macrophytes have experienced serious degradation recently. In this study, we used metabarcoding technology to explore the consequences of Vallisneria tuber collapse on the diet compositions, breadths, and overlaps of the four crane species based on fecal samples collected in winter 2017 (a year with tuber collapse) and winter 2018 (a year with high tuber abundance). Results Compared to previous studies, our study elucidates crane diets in an unprecedented level of detail. Vallisneria tubers was confirmed as an important food source of cranes. Surprisingly, the grassland plant Polygonum criopolitanum was also found to be an important food source in the feces of cranes. Agricultural fields were important foraging sites for Siberian Cranes, White-naped Cranes, and Hooded Cranes, providing foods that allowed them to survive in winters with natural food shortages. However, the three crane species preferred natural wetlands to agricultural fields when the abundance of natural foods was high. The abundance of Vallisneria tubers, and probably P. criopolitanum, greatly influenced the dietary compositions, breadths and overlap of cranes. During periods of preferred resource shortage, White-naped Cranes and Hooded Cranes widened their dietary niches, while Siberian Cranes maintained a stable niche width. The dietary niche overlap among crane species increased substantially under conditions of plentiful preferred food resources. Conclusions Our study emphasizes the superior quality of natural wetlands compared to agricultural fields as foraging habitats for cranes. To provide safer and better foraging areas for cranes, it is urgent to restore the submerged plants at Poyang Lake. While high dietary niche overlap is often interpreted as intense interspecific competition, our study highlights the importance of taking food abundance into account. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12983-021-00411-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinjin Hou
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecosystem Change and Biodiversity, Center for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Lei Li
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecosystem Change and Biodiversity, Center for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.,Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China.,Jiangxi Poyang Lake Wetland Conservation and Restoration National Permanent Scientific Research Base, National Ecosystem Research Station of Jiangxi Poyang Lake Wetland, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Yafang Wang
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecosystem Change and Biodiversity, Center for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China
| | - Wenjuan Wang
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecosystem Change and Biodiversity, Center for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science and School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China. .,Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China. .,Jiangxi Poyang Lake Wetland Conservation and Restoration National Permanent Scientific Research Base, National Ecosystem Research Station of Jiangxi Poyang Lake Wetland, Nanchang, 330031, China.
| | - Huiying Zhan
- Jiangxi Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve Authority, Nanchang, 330038, China
| | - Nianhua Dai
- The Institute of Biology and Resources, Jiangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanchang, 330096, China
| | - Ping Lu
- The Institute of Biology and Resources, Jiangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanchang, 330096, China
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