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Advances in the aquatic sciences
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Prey amino acid composition affects rates of protein synthesis and N wastage of a freshwater carnivore

Georgia K. Dwyer A B E , Rick J. Stoffels C D , Ewen Silvester B and Gavin N. Rees https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5270-8559 C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, Vic. 3220, Australia.

B Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, PO Box 821, Wodonga, Vic. 3690, Australia.

C CSIRO Land and Water, PO Box 821, Wodonga, Vic. 3690, Australia.

D National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, PO Box 8602, Riccarton, Christchurch, 8440, New Zealand.

E Corresponding author. Email: g.dwyer@deakin.edu.au

Marine and Freshwater Research 71(2) 229-237 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF18410
Submitted: 17 August 2018  Accepted: 29 July 2019   Published: 23 October 2019

Abstract

Humans modify prey communities and hence alter the availability of nutrients to wild carnivores. Such changes in amino acid ‘landscapes’ are likely to affect the growth of individuals, and potentially the success of populations. This study aimed to determine whether amino acid composition of animal prey alone affects protein synthesis efficiency and N wastage of a freshwater carnivore. River blackfish (Gadopsis marmoratus) were fed two diets differing only in amino acid composition: the first diet was formulated to match the composition of the fish themselves, representing a balanced ‘ideal protein’, whereas the second diet was produced to match the composition of a prey item, namely the shrimp Macrobrachium australiense. By measuring the postprandial increase in metabolic rate (specific dynamic action) and ammonia excretion, it was found that the amino acid composition of the fish diet was associated with an increase in protein synthesis, whereas the shrimp diet doubled the amount of dietary amino acids directed to pathways of catabolic energy production and N wastage. This study adds to the stoichiometric ecology literature by showing that changes in the amino acid composition of food webs could affect carnivore growth and nutrient cycling.

Additional keywords: diet, digestive energetics, energetic cost, metabolic rate, nutrient cycling, postprandial metabolism, specific dynamic action.


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