Stable Isotope Studies Reveal the Colossal Squid's High Trophic Level

Chemical signatures locked inside squid tissue expose its place near the top of the Antarctic food chain.

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Isotope analysis can reconstruct dietary patterns long after soft tissues have degraded.

By analyzing nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios in Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni tissue, scientists determine its feeding position relative to other Southern Ocean organisms.

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Elevated nitrogen isotope values indicate predation on large fish and other high-level prey rather than small planktonic organisms.

Stable isotope techniques provide rare ecological insights into species that are seldom directly observed in the wild.

Source

Frontiers in Marine Science

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