DHA and EPA levels in a piscivorous fish changed by preying upon stocked salmon fry

DHA and EPA levels in a piscivorous fish changed by preying upon stocked salmon fry

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Abstract Increases in prey population size can affect the physiology and ecology of upper-trophic level organisms.This phenomenon is known as a bottom-up effect.For example, the increased abundance of prey resources can trigger physiological (internal) changes in predators, such as improvements in nutritional status.However, these physiological aspects of bottom-up effects have not feline 1-hcpch vaccine been considered.

In this study, we tested the hypothesis that white-spotted charr Salvelinus leucomaenis, a salmonid fish, increases body stores of omega-3 fatty acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), by preying upon stocked hatchery-reared masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou fry in streams.The dynamics of fatty socialstudiesscholar.com acid contents in charr inhabiting salmon-stocked and unstocked streams clearly support this hypothesis: fatty acid contents (DHA, EPA, and total fatty acid) increased after stocking in stocked streams, but not in unstocked streams.In addition, DHA increased with increasing body size of white-spotted charr and vice versa for EPA.The impacts of human activities, such as fish stocking, on freshwater ecosystems are a matter of serious concern for conservation.

Future attempts to gain a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of fish stocking should consider not only community ecology but also physiology.