Regional patterns of δ 13 C and δ 15 N for European common cuttlefish ( Sepia officinalis ) throughout the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Stable isotope compositions of carbon and nitrogen (expressed as δ 13 C and δ 15 N) from the European common cuttlefish ( Sepia officinalis ) were measured in order to evaluate the utility of using these natural tracers throughout the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea (NEAO-MS). Mantle tissue was obtained from S. officinalis collected from 11 sampling locations spanning a wide geographical coverage in the NEAO-MS. Significant differences of both δ 13 C and δ 15 N values were found among S. officinalis samples relative to sampling location. δ 13 C values did not show any discernable spatial trends; however, a distinct pattern of lower δ 15 N values in the Mediterranean Sea relative to the NEAO existed. Mean δ 15 N values of S. officinalis in the Mediterranean Sea averaged 2.5‰ lower than conspecifics collected in the NEAO and showed a decreasing eastward trend within the Mediterranean Sea with the lowest values in the most eastern sampling locations. Results suggest δ 15 N may serve as a useful natural tracer for studies on the population structure of S. officinalis as well as other marine organisms throughout the NEAO-MS.

published proceedings

  • R Soc Open Sci

altmetric score

  • 6.8

author list (cited authors)

  • David Wells, R. J., Rooker, J. R., Addis, P., Arrizabalaga, H., Baptista, M., Bearzi, G., ... Villanueva, R.

citation count

  • 0

complete list of authors

  • David Wells, RJ||Rooker, Jay R||Addis, Piero||Arrizabalaga, Haritz||Baptista, Miguel||Bearzi, Giovanni||Fraile, Igaratza||Lacoue-Labarthe, Thomas||Meese, Emily N||Megalofonou, Persefoni||Rosa, Rui||Sobrino, Ignacio||Sykes, Antonio V||Villanueva, Roger

publication date

  • September 2021