Isotopic Determination of Terrestrial Food Sources for a Brackish Water Clam Corbicula japonica PRIME in an Estuarine System of Youngil Bay, Korea

The importance of terrestrial organic matter as a food source for a brackish water clam Corbicula japonica was evaluated using stable carbon isotope ratios (${\delta}^{13}$C) in its tissues and potential food resources in an estuarine system of Youngil Bay, Korea. Suspended particulate organic matter (POM) had distinct ${\delta}^{13}$C values from riverine (-31.8 to -27.2%$_o$) to marine waters (-21.0 to -16.6%$_o$). Estuarine macroalgae had a wide ${\delta}^{13}$C range of -22.8 to -15.0%$_o$. The ${\delta}^{13}$C values of riverine POM were more negative than that of riverine phytoplankton (-26.5 to -24.2%$_o$) but similar to that of freshmarsh plant species (-29.1 to -27.5%$_o$ for Phragmites communis and -28.5 to -27.0%$_o$ for Salix gracilistyla), These ${\delta}^{13}$C values suggest that the POM transported by the Hyungsan River is predominantly of terrestrial origin rather than riverine autochthonous sources. The ${\delta}^{13}$C values of Corbicula japonica tissues (-28.7 to -27.2%$_o$) were most similar to values for riverine POM and freshmarsh plants. There was no significant difference in the isotopic composition of the clam individuals. The results indicate a predominant contribution of organic carbon derived from terrestrial and fresmarsh plant detritus to the diet of Corbicula japonica. Our results also confirm previous suggestion that terrestrial organic matter can be incorporated into estuarine food webs although its role is confined to the upper estuarine reaches.