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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 61(3)

Stable isotopes reveal post-release trophodynamic and ontogenetic changes in a released finfish, mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus)

Matthew D. Taylor A B D and Debashish Mazumder C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Building 22, Chowder Bay Road, Mosman, NSW 2088, Australia.

B Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia.

C Institute for Environmental Research, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia.

D Corresponding author. Email: mattytaylor@unsw.edu.au

Marine and Freshwater Research 61(3) 302-308 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF09014
Submitted: 23 January 2009  Accepted: 6 August 2009   Published: 29 March 2010

Abstract

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios were analysed for hatchery-reared, recaptured and wild mulloway, Argyrosomus japonicus, to investigate temporal and growth-related changes in isotopic composition for stocked fish after release, and to evaluate changes in isotopic composition in terms of ontogenetic dietary switches. δ13C and δ15N values decreased and increased, respectively, after release. The isotope composition of released fish was distinct from wild fish until 200 days after release, but after 200 days post-release fish did not differ significantly from wild fish of similar or greater sizes. Abrupt dietary transitions from crustaceans to teleost fish (>50 cm total length (TL)) were evident in a rapid δ13C and δ15N change in wild mulloway, and δ15N was significantly greater in wild fish >65 cm TL compared with wild fish <50 cm TL. Multivariate carbon and nitrogen isotopic data were suitable for separating stocked and wild fish for up to 200 days after release, but did not separate wild fish grouped according to dietary composition. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition closely reflected dietary transitions and rapid adaptation by stocked mulloway to wild diets, which was evident in a high tissue turnover rate of up to 0.017 day–1. Stable isotopes are a useful tool for examining the integration of released fish into stocked ecosystems and can be used to describe convergence in the diets of wild and released fish.

Additional keywords: back calculation, diet, ontogeny, otolith growth, Sciaenidae.


Acknowledgements

We wish to thank I. Suthers, S. Fielder, H. El Hassan and Sydney recreational anglers for help and cooperation during the study. We also wish to thank two anonymous reviewers and A. Boulton for their valuable and constructive comments on this manuscript. This project was undertaken using funds provided the New South Wales Recreational Saltwater Fishing Trust and the Australian Research Council. Animals were collected under a NSW Department of Primary Industries Scientific Collection Permit (P03/0086) and handled under Animal Care and Ethics approval from the University of New South Wales (approval # 02/115). This manuscript was prepared while M. Taylor was a visiting scientist to the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Cronulla Fisheries Research Centre of Excellence. This manuscript is contribution number 0022 from the Sydney Institute of Marine Science.


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