The Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Compositions of Larvae of Burrowing Shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda: Gebiidea and Axiidea) from Vostok Bay, Sea of Japan

Abstract

Larvae of eight burrowing shrimp species from Vostok Bay, Sea of Japan, were analyzed for their carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope composition. In zoeae I of these species, the δ13C values varied in a range characteristic of planktotrophic organisms, with the average values for larvae of gebiids being lower than for larvae of axiids. The highest δ15N values, comparable to those reported for omnivorous zooplankton, were recorded from larvae of Leonardsaxius amurensis and Boasaxius princeps. The dominance of phytoplankton in the diet of zoeae I of Nihonotrypaea makarovi was indicated by the low δ15N values close to the nitrogen isotope ratio of particulate organic matter. According to the nitrogen isotope composition, the larvae of three Upogebia species and two Nihonotrypaea species held an intermediate position (with δ15N values ranging from 6.2 to 6.4‰). It was found that the diet of the studied burrowing shrimp larvae does not depend on the taxonomic position, and food preferences differ markedly even in zoeae of congener species, which should be taken into account when cultivating decapod larvae under laboratory conditions.