Abstract
In the present study, we evaluated the trophic role of Octopus insularis Leite and Haimovici 2008 in the food web of Rocas Atoll, a preserved insular territory in the Southwest Atlantic. Using stable isotope analysis of C and N, we showed that the local trophic web comprises at least four trophic levels, where the octopus occupies a trophic position (TP) between the second and third trophic levels (mean ± SD TPadditive = 3.08 ± 0.36; TPBayesian = 3.12 ± 0.17). Among other benthic/reef-associated consumers, this cephalopod stood out for its much wider isotopic niche, pointing to a diet diversified in carbon sources, but focussed on prey in lower TPs. This finding was in accordance with the time-minimizing feeding strategy described for the species, which seemed almost permanent throughout the life cycle of the octopus, given the great niche overlap between octopuses in different maturity stages and their very similar trophic positions. Also, as a prey, octopuses composed up to almost 23% of the diet of some benthic/demersal predators. Overall, O. insularis represented an important mesopredator for the local food web, principally for bottom-associated organisms, while also serving as a substantial energy input to the next trophic levels.
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The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—CAPES (Ciências do Mar II–23038.004807/2014-01, Brazil) for funding this research and granting one of the authors with a MSc scholarship. We thank the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio-MMA) and Maurizélia Brito for allowing us to collect the samples and conduct our study at Rocas Atoll Biological Reserve (Authorization No.10706-10) and for giving the necessary support. We also thank Sylvia Lima, Lucas Werner and Danielle Domingos for their priceless assistance in the field; Rodrigo Bastos for helping with several aspects of stable isotope data and reviewing the original dissertation; Ronaldo Angelini for reviewing the complete work as well; Herval Dantas and Weslley Almeida for their support with graphics and image editing; Ricardo Junqueira for the statistical assistance; the anonymous reviewers for their relevant contributions; Bianca Possamai and all the team from Ichthyology Lab (FURG) for the tips regarding the methodological steps of SIA. Finally, we thank the team of the Laboratory of Benthos and Cephalopods (UFRN) for the valuable exchange of ideas and experiences.
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This research is part of a master’s dissertation and was funded by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by RJSD, TSL and CQA. The first draft of the manuscript was written by RJSD and all authors commented and contributed on the later versions of the manuscript.
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Fieldwork was performed at a no-take marine protected area (Rocas Atoll Biological Reserve) in accordance with ethical international standards for the care and use of wild animals and under the supervision of Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio−MMA), SISBio research permit No. 10706−10. Also, as Brazil has no legislation on the welfare of cephalopods and methods for their humane killing, octopuses were euthanized following Directive 2010/63/EU (see Fiorito et al. 2015 for the complete guidelines).
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Dantas, R.J.S., Leite, T.S. & de Albuquerque, C.Q. The trophic interactions of Octopus insularis in the food web of a pristine tropical atoll: a baseline for management and monitoring under environmental changes. Aquat Ecol 56, 269–284 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-021-09917-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-021-09917-7