Exploring Feeding Ecology and Trophic Relationships in Marine Predators Using Lipid Profiling

Year 2025, Volume: 10 Issue: 1, 219 - 230, 01.04.2025

Shashikant Patil , R. Asha Rajiv Varun Kumar Sharma Dhruv Kumar

https://doi.org/10.28978/nesciences.1643508

Abstract

Ecosystem managers have practical difficulties in gaining suitable nutrition data for many shark with chimera species due to the huge sample volumes needed for stomach content research. For conservation and ecosystem to be successful, it is crucial to comprehend the feeding ecology of these species. This research investigates the diet composition of six species: Indian Oceanic Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus), Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias), Mako Shark (Isurusoxyrinchus), Giant Trevally (Caranx ignobilis), Tuna (Thunnus spp.), and Barracuda (Sphyraena spp.) using Lipid Profile (LA) analysis. In general, the LPs of chondrichthyan and possible prey species match information on stomach content. The results indicate that the Indian oceanic blacktip shark primarily feeds on smaller fish and invertebrates, while the great white shark targets larger marine mammals and other vertebrates. The Mako Shark preys on pelagic fish and squid, and the Giant Trevally mainly consume smaller fish and squid. Tuna predominantly hunt pelagic fish, including squid, and Barracuda primarily target smaller fish. These findings demonstrate that LP analysis is a valuable tool for analyzing the diets of sharks and large predatory fish. It provides insights into interspecific differences in resource consumption patterns, dietary specializations and the partitioning of ecological niches. Because sample sizes are frequently constrained, this approach works well for researching vulnerable and deep-sea species.

Keywords

Shark and chimaera species , lipid profile analysis , predatory fish , stomach content analysis , marine mammals

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