Trophic Ecology of the Pyjama Shark Poroderma africanum (Gmelin, 1789) Elucidated by Stable Isotopes.

ABSTRACT: Sharks may occupy both intermediate and upper levels of marine food webs. They are overfished worldwide and constitute one of the largest portions of the bycatch. The removal of top-predator species has negative cascading effects on the entire food web, causing the "mesopredator release" phenomenon, which leads to an increase in mesopredators with consequent changes in the ecosystem's energetic balance. Despite their important ecological role, information on their trophic ecology is limited. This essential information can be obtained through the analysis of stomach contents and, more recently, by using less invasive techniques, such as the stable isotope analysis of muscle tissue, obtained through biopsies. Here, we analysed the trophic ecology of the pyjama shark or striped catshark Po

SUBMITTER: Caracausi L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11394248 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature