Fatty Acids as Tracer of Trophic Relationships in a Subtropical Mangrove Wetland

To elucidate the trophic relationships within a subtropical wetland, the profile of fatty acids in producers, consumers and sediments of the mangrove forest and intertidal mudflat was studied. Results indicated a close relationship in fatty acid profiles between the mangrove plants Aegiceras corniculatum and Avicennia marina and the sesarmid crab Sesarma bidens, and between the fiddler crab Uca arcuata and diatoms. The fatty acid profile of the mudskippers Boleophthalmus pectinirostris and Periophthalmus cantonensis, however, showed a mixed diet of diatoms, macroalgae, protozoa and crabs. Seasonal changes in fatty acid profiles in mangrove plants, sediments and sesarmid crabs were noted. The implication of using fatty acids as tracer of trophic relationships was discussed.