title: Trophic interactions between indigenous and non-indigenous species in Lampedusa Island, Mediterranean Sea.
abstract: Using stable isotope analysis, we investigated trophic interactions between indigenous benthic taxa and the non-indigenous species (NIS): the green alga Caulerpa cylindracea, the red alga Asparagopsis taxiformis, the crab Percnon gibbesi and the sea hare Aplysia dactylomela. The study was conducted on Lampedusa Island, Mediterranean Sea. We evaluated the trophic positions and isotopic niches of consumers. Using Bayesian mixing models, we quantified the food source contribution to diets of indigenous and non-indigenous herbivores. Isotopic niche of NIS showed no overlap with the ones of indigenous macroinvertebrates and fish. Caulerpa cylindracea provided the largest contribution to the diet of P. gibbesi (0.431-1), while the dietary contribution estimates overlapped considerably for all sources of A. dactylomela and indigenous herbivores. From these results, we conclude that the invasion of C. cylindracea is increasing the diversity of available prey and might facilitate the expansion of other NIS.
authors: Klaipeda University, Marine Science and Technology Centre, H. Manto 84, 92294, Klaipeda, Lithuania. Electronic address: martina.maric87@gmail.com.
authors: Martina
authors: M
authors: Marić
authors: Ghent University, Department of Biology, Marine Biology, Krijgslaan 281-S8, B9000, Gent, Belgium.
authors: Marleen
authors: M
authors: De Troch
authors: University of Pavia, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Via S. Epifanio 14, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Occhipinti-Ambrogi
authors: Klaipeda University, Marine Science and Technology Centre, H. Manto 84, 92294, Klaipeda, Lithuania.
authors: Sergej
authors: S
authors: Olenin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D046068:Caulerpa; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005399:Fishes / Q000502:physiology*; D020387:Food Chain; D060434:Herbivory; D058865:Introduced Species; D062312:Islands; D008522:Mediterranean Sea
keywords: Aplysia dactylomela; Asparagopsis taxiformis; Biological invasion; Caulerpa cylindracea; Ecosystem functioning; Marine parks; Percnon gibbesi; Stable isotopes