Publication Date:
2016-12-17
Description:
Despite many similarities and intuitive links between individual dietary specialisation and behavioural inter-individual variation, these phenomena have been studied in isolation, and empirical data confirming relationships between these intraspecific variance sources are lacking. Here we use stable isotope analysis and acoustic telemetry to test the hypothesis that individual specialisation in trophic (δ 15 N) and littoral/pelagic prey reliance (δ 13 C) co-vary with inter-individual variation in movement in a group of 34 free-swimming burbot ( Lota lota ). By performing stable isotope analysis on tissues with differing isotopic turnover rates (anal fin and dorsal muscle), in 24 lethally sampled burbot, we demonstrate that temporally consistent IS in trophic niche (δ 15 N) and littoral/pelagic prey reliance (δ 13 C) occurred within the population. By performing stable isotope analysis on anal fins of a group of telemetry tagged burbot, we were able to show that interactions between trophic niche and littoral/pelagic prey reliance, explained a significant proportion of the subsequent between-individual variance in mean movement rates. These findings demonstrate an empirical connection between behavioural inter-individual variation and dietary specialisation, thus providing a substantial expansion of our understanding of the wider ecological consequences of these interesting phenomena. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Print ISSN:
0012-9658
Electronic ISSN:
1939-9170
Topics:
Biology
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