Determining the Diet of Larvae of Western Rock Lobster (Panulirus cygnus) Using High-Throughput DNA Sequencing Techniques

摘要: The Western Australian rock lobster fishery has been both a highly productive and sustainable fishery. However, recent dramatic unexplained decline in post-larval recruitment threatens this sustainability. Our lack of knowledge key processes larval ecology, such as their position the food web, limits our ability to determine what underpins decline. present study uses high-throughput amplicon sequencing approach on DNA obtained from hepatopancreas larvae discover significant prey items. Two short regions 18S rRNA gene were amplified under presence specific PNA prevent amplification improve amplification. In resulting sequences either little was recovered, indicating that gut empty, or there high number reads originating multiple zooplankton taxa. most abundant included colonial Radiolaria, Thaliacea, Actinopterygii, Hydrozoa Sagittoidea, which supports hypothesis feed groups mostly transparent gelatinous zooplankton. This prevailed it tentatively inferred physiology larvae, captive feeding trials co-occurrence situ. these have not observed traditional microscopic techniques cannot discern between items gut. High-throughput enabled us classify otherwise undetectable prey. dominance radiolarians among contents is intriguing group historically difficult quantify water column, may explain why they connected diet previously. results indicate PCR based technique very successful identify taxa natural larvae.