Trophic niche partitioning of Mekong giant catfish Pangasianodon gigas in a tropical reservoir: evidence from stable isotope and fatty acid analyses

Abstract

Large-bodied animals, such as the Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas), may modify prey communities and affect their potential competitors for food resources by consuming large quantities of prey. The Mekong giant catfish is a key representative of freshwater megafauna and is stocked in reservoirs in Thailand for species conservation and fishery stock enhancement. However, their biological interactions with other sympatric animals remain unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the trophic niche of the Mekong giant catfish in a Thai reservoir by comparing stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N, respectively) and fatty acid (FA) composition with those of five other sympatric fish species. The δ¹³C value of the Mekong giant catfish was –24.4 ± 1.0‰ (mean ± SD), the second highest among the sympatric fish species, suggesting relatively weak reliance on phytoplankton-based food chains. The δ¹⁵N value of the Mekong giant catfish was 10.7 ± 0.4‰, intermediate between those of herbivorous and carnivorous fishes, indicating that it is not a primary consumer. The FA composition of the Mekong giant catfish significantly differed from those of the other fish species and was characterized by a large proportion of long-chain FA, including 22:6n-3, 20:5n-3, and 20:1n-9. The δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, and FA signatures suggest that the Mekong giant catfish occupy distinct trophic niches in food webs. Our results highlight that it is necessary to monitor the ecological impacts of released Mekong giant catfish on lower-level consumers through their foraging in receiving reservoirs.