Estupiñán-Montaño, C., D.J., Villalobos-Ramírez, F., Galván-Magaña, F.R., Elorriaga-Verplancken, M.J., Zetina-Rejón, A., Sánchez-González, C.J., Polo-Silva & A., Delgado-Huertas (2025). Ontogenetic feeding ecology of the silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) in the Colombian eastern tropical Pacific. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 1-27. DOI: 10.1007/s10641-025-01747-y.
Colombo Estupiñán-Montaño 1, Daniel J. Villalobos-Ramírez 2, Felipe Galván-Magaña 3, Fernando R. Elorriaga-Verplancken 3, Manuel J. Zetina-Rejón 3, Alberto Sánchez-González 3, Carlos J. Polo-Silva 4 y Antonio Delgado-Huertas 5
The study of the feeding ontogeny of large predators is complex due to their high mobility, which leaves a part of their life cycle poorly understood (spatio-temporal variation). This study describes the ontogenetic feeding of the silky shark Carcharhinus falciformis in the Colombian Pacific. Vertebrae from 12 specimens were analyzed, obtaining 61 vertebral collagen samples grouped into four maturity stages and eight age groups. The d13C and d15N values indicate that C. falciformis uses both coastal and oceanic zones and suggest that this species can occupies different trophic levels throughout their life cycle. The isotopic value obtained for C. falciformis revealed subtle yet ecologically meaningful ontogenetic shifts in foraging habitat and prey consumption related to age and sex. Additionally, C. falciformis exhibited a spectrum of isotopic niches breadths between categories, with high trophic interaction among groups. C. falciformis demonstrates a marked preference for oceanic areas, indicating that oceanic islands of the southeastern Pacific may be important feeding sites, while Colombia’s north-central zones could be used as potential nursery areas. The analysis reveals ontogenetic changes in foraging habitat and prey consumption, which suggests that the species occupies different trophic positions and changes its feeding habits depending on size, as well as having two distinct sex-related migratory patterns.
Palabras clave: feeding habits; Maturity; ontogeny; stable isotopes; trophic level; vertebrae
Para obtener una copia del documento contacta la personal de la biblioteca a través del correo bibliocicimar{a}ipn.mx