Schwamborn, R, Ekau, Werner ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4844-9654, Voss, M and Saint-Paul, Ulrich (2002) How important are mangroves as a carbon source for decapod crustacean larvae in a tropical estuary?. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 229 . pp. 195-205. DOI https://doi.org/10.3354/meps229195.

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Abstract

In order to evaluate the importance of mangrove leaf detritus as a food source for decapod crustacean larvae, stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) were measured in the tissueof these larvae and other selected organisms. Decapod crustacean larvae and planktonic adult decapods, Lucifer faxoni and Acetes americanus, were sampled in the Itamaracá estuarine system, Brazil. For comparison with stableisotope values in the estuary, plankton and POM samples were also taken on the adjacent continental shelf. In the Itamaracá estuarine system, δ13C of decapod larvae and the holoplanktonic decapods L.faxoni and A. americanus ranged from about -17 to -23‰ (mean: -19.8 ± 1.5‰). This indicates that the contribution of mangrove carbon (δ13C: -26.8‰) to larvalnutrition was generally negligible. Among decapod larvae, porcellanid zoeae showed relatively low δ13C values, while penaeid shrimp postlarvae showed the highest δ13C. Porcellanidzoeae were thus the only decapod larvae with a considerable percentage (13 to 40%) of mangrove carbon in their tissue. However, these low values may also be due to a negative isotope shift that occurs during embryogenesis. Feeding experiments with zoeaeof Petrolisthes armatus (Anomura:Porcellanidae)and Sesarma rectum (Brachyura: Grapsidae) showed assimilatory shifts of up to 1.0 ± 0.2‰ for 13C and up to 1.4 ± 0.6‰ for 15N. Analysis ofembryonic isotope fractionation for 5 decapod crustacean species, P. armatus, S. rectum, Aratus pisonii, Uca thayeri,and U. maracoani, showed that larval tissue was 13C-depleted by up to 3.8‰ and15N-depleted by up to 2.3‰ in relation to parental tissue.

Document Type:	Article
Programme Area:	PA Not Applicable
Research affiliation:	Ecology > Mangrove Ecology Ecology > Fisheries Biology
Refereed:	Yes
Open Access Journal?:	No
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.3354/meps229195
ISSN:	0171-8630
Date Deposited:	05 Nov 2025 12:12
Last Modified:	05 Nov 2025 12:12
URI:	https://cris.leibniz-zmt.de/id/eprint/5956

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