Scholarlink

<p>We used DNA metabarcoding of fecal residue to investigate variation in juvenile bull shark (<i>Carcharhinus leucas</i>) diets across two adjacent bays that vary in impacts from human modification to freshwater flow and the presence of a potential competitor (juvenile <i>Negaprion brevirostris)</i>. Specifically, we (1) assessed how the diet composition of juvenile bull sharks varied with location, season, age class, and sex, and (2) the degree of dietary overlap between bull and lemon sharks in the bay where they co-occur. A total of 32 unique taxa from 23 families were detected from 75 cloacal swabs of bull and lemons sharks. Mugilidae was detected in the most individuals (<i>n</i> = 58), followed by Ariidae (<i>n</i> = 40), and Elopidae (<i>n</i> = 13). Diet composition of bull sharks varied between locations and sexes. Bull sharks in the bay with less freshwater input were more likely to consume jacks and ladyfish, while those in a bay with enhanced freshwater input were more likely to consume mullet and <i>Ariopsis felis</i>. Female bull sharks were more likely to have consumed larger, more active prey (i.e., catfish and jacks) compared to male bull sharks which consumed gobies more frequently. In the freshwater-deprived bay where bull sharks and lemon sharks are sympatric, we found that although they shared some prey taxa, there were small but significant differences. While this pattern could be due to bull sharks modifying their diets in the presence of lemon sharks, further studies are needed to fully resolve the drivers of inter-and intraspecific resource partitioning.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Variation in juvenile bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) diets across environmental gradients using fecal DNA metabarcoding from cloacal swabs

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月16日

查看全文
  • Kristine Zikmanis,
  • Maurits P. M. van Zinnicq Bergmann,
  • Judith Bakker,
  • Sara Casareto,
  • Patrick O’Donnell,
  • Michael R. Heithaus

摘要

We used DNA metabarcoding of fecal residue to investigate variation in juvenile bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) diets across two adjacent bays that vary in impacts from human modification to freshwater flow and the presence of a potential competitor (juvenile Negaprion brevirostris). Specifically, we (1) assessed how the diet composition of juvenile bull sharks varied with location, season, age class, and sex, and (2) the degree of dietary overlap between bull and lemon sharks in the bay where they co-occur. A total of 32 unique taxa from 23 families were detected from 75 cloacal swabs of bull and lemons sharks. Mugilidae was detected in the most individuals (n = 58), followed by Ariidae (n = 40), and Elopidae (n = 13). Diet composition of bull sharks varied between locations and sexes. Bull sharks in the bay with less freshwater input were more likely to consume jacks and ladyfish, while those in a bay with enhanced freshwater input were more likely to consume mullet and Ariopsis felis. Female bull sharks were more likely to have consumed larger, more active prey (i.e., catfish and jacks) compared to male bull sharks which consumed gobies more frequently. In the freshwater-deprived bay where bull sharks and lemon sharks are sympatric, we found that although they shared some prey taxa, there were small but significant differences. While this pattern could be due to bull sharks modifying their diets in the presence of lemon sharks, further studies are needed to fully resolve the drivers of inter-and intraspecific resource partitioning.