@article{PAR00014813,
  title = {{T}rophic relationships between the farmed pearl oyster {P}inctada margaritifera and its epibionts revealed by stable isotopes and feeding experiments},
  author = {{L}acoste, {E}. and {R}aimbault, {P}. and {H}armelin-{V}ivien, {M}. and {G}aertner-{M}azouni, {N}abila},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ivalve cultures support a host of epibionts, mainly suspension feeders, which can compete for food resources with the cultivated bivalves. {H}owever, the magnitude of interspecific competition for food in bivalve aquaculture settings remains inconclusive, especially in tropical areas. {W}e investigated the interactions for food between the farmed pearl oyster {P}inctada margaritifera and its epibionts, using stable isotope analysis and feeding experiments. {I}nter-and intraspecific variations of delta {C}-13 and delta {N}-15 stable isotope ratios ({SIR}s) were determined for oysters in the presence or absence of epibionts. {T}he diet of the most abundant epibionts, {H}erdmania momus and {D}idemnum sp., was specified using isotope measurements and flow cytometry during feeding experiments, to determine the main phytoplankton groups consumed by these ascidians in natural conditions. {T}he absence of intraspecific variation in {SIR}s among oysters with or without epibionts suggested that the diet of {P}. margaritifera was not affected by the presence of epibionts, indicating a reduced diet overlap and no food limitation. {T}he delta {C}-13 signature of ascidians (-21 parts per thousand) was lower than that of oysters (-18 parts per thousand), indicating a difference in organic matter sources ingested by these filter feeders despite receiving the same food mixture. {W}hile the main carbon source of oysters came from large particulate organic matter ({POM}) > 20 mu m, our results showed that the diet of ascidians mainly came from smaller particles ({POM} < 20 mu m) and reflects the composition of ambient water (mainly picophytoplankton < 2 mu m), which confirmed their lack of food selectivity. {I}n the studied conditions, food competition between oysters and epibionts, specifically ascidians, was not a limiting factor, in spite of a diet overlap for nanophytoplankton.},
  keywords = {{A}scidian ; {B}iofouling ; {T}rophic interactions ; {S}table isotope ; {F}low cytometry ; {POLYNESIE} {FRANCAISE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{A}quaculture {E}nvironment {I}nteractions},
  volume = {8},
  numero = {},
  pages = {55--66},
  ISSN = {1869-215{X}},
  year = {2016},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/{PAR}00014813},
}