Application of stable isotope analysis for detecting filial cannibalism

• Published in: Behavioural processes Vol. 140; pp. 16 - 18
• Main Authors: Sogabe, Atsushi, Hamaoka, Hideki, Fukuta, Atsushi, Shibata, Jun-ya, Shoji, Jun, Omori, Koji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.07.2017; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Animal behavior; Animals; Cannibalism; Eggs; Embryos; Epithelium; Female; filial cannibalism; Fish; Isotope Labeling - methods; Isotopes; Liver; Liver - chemistry; Male; Nutrients; nutrition source; paternal care; Seaweeds; Sex differences; Smegmamorpha - physiology; stable isotopes; Syngnathidae; stable isotopes; paternal care; nutrition source; filial cannibalism; Syngnathidae
• ISSN: 0376-6357; 1872-8308
• DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.03.019

•An unusual mode of filial cannibalism is known in male pipefish, in which the eggs are absorbed through the brood pouch epithelium.•We applied stable isotope analysis for detecting filial cannibalism in a pipefish.•There is no substantial difference in food items between sexes.•The higher δ15N values in the liver of males compared to females indicates occurrence of paternal uptake of embryonic nutrients. A novel type of filial cannibalism has been reported in pipefishes, in which the eggs are absorbed through the male’s brood-pouch epithelium. The present study explored the applicability of stable isotope analysis for the detection of paternal brood cannibalism in the seaweed pipefish Syngnathus schlegeli. As expected, the δ15N values for liver, which conveys short-term dietary information about the recent reproductive season, were higher in males than in females. In contrast, the δ15N values for muscle, which reflects longer-term feeding habits that span both the reproductive and non-reproductive seasons, did not significantly differ between the sexes. This finding indicates that males occupy a higher trophic position than females only during the reproductive season, and it is probable that this difference is a result of paternal uptake of nutrients from embryos in the brood pouch.