caa a22 4500 606227520 CHVBK 20210128101158.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20150301xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10641-014-0317-9 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10641-014-0317-9 Habitat differences in the feeding ecology of red snapper ( Lutjanus campechanus, Poey 1860): a comparison between artificial and natural reefs in the northern Gulf of Mexico [Elektronische Daten] [Kirsten Simonsen, James Cowan Jr., Kevin Boswell] Red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus, Poey 1860) support a valuable commercial and recreational fishery in the northern Gulf of Mexico; however there is much debate as to the role of habitat, particularly reef structures, in the feeding ecology of this species. Furthermore, little information is available from fish collected on large natural reefs, such as those on the continental shelf edge, thought to be the historical center of abundance. Previous research indicates that little nutrition is derived directly from artificial reefs; rather the majority of prey comes from surrounding soft bottom habitat. The goal of this study was to determine if there are differences in the feeding ecology of red snapper between standing oil and gas platforms, toppled platforms designated as artificial reefs, and natural reefs on the continental shelf edge, using a combination of gut content and stable isotope analyses. Results indicate that fish dominated diets at all three sites, but that differences exist in the contribution of major prey items by percentage dry weight among habitats. Red snapper collected from standing platforms consumed primarily fish, squid, and shrimp, while greater amounts of crabs, shrimp, and other crustaceans were consumed at toppled platforms. On the natural reefs, diets varied the most, consisting of both fish and crustaceans. Stable isotope analyses suggest fish collected over the standing platforms are more enriched in δ15 N, indicating feeding at a higher trophic level than the other habitats. No differences were observed in mean values of δ13C or δ34S, indicating consistency in basal resources among habitats. Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht (outside the USA), 2014 Red snapper nationallicence Trophic ecology nationallicence Natural reef nationallicence Artificial reef nationallicence Gulf of Mexico nationallicence Simonsen Kirsten Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, 70803, Baton Rouge, LA, USA aut Cowan Jr. James Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, 70803, Baton Rouge, LA, USA aut Boswell Kevin Department of Biological Sciences, Marine Science Program, Florida International University, 33181, North Miami, FL, USA aut Environmental Biology of Fishes Springer Netherlands 98/3(2015-03-01), 811-824 0378-1909 98:3<811 2015 98 10641 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-014-0317-9 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-014-0317-9 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Simonsen Kirsten Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, 70803, Baton Rouge, LA, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Cowan Jr James Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, 70803, Baton Rouge, LA, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Boswell Kevin Department of Biological Sciences, Marine Science Program, Florida International University, 33181, North Miami, FL, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Environmental Biology of Fishes Springer Netherlands 98/3(2015-03-01), 811-824 0378-1909 98:3<811 2015 98 10641