Linking trophic ecology with element concentrations in a coastal fish community of the Bijagós Archipelago, West Africa

Correia, Edna; Granadeiro, José Pedro; Vale, Carlos; Catry, Teresa

Linking trophic ecology with element concentrations in a coastal fish community of the Bijagós Archipelago, West Africa

2022

Correia, Edna | Granadeiro, José Pedro | Vale, Carlos | Catry, Teresa

We report the concentration of 13 elements in the muscle and liver of 17 coastal fish species of the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau, and link element concentrations to trophic ecology as assessed by carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) stable isotopes. We found higher concentrations of Hg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Se and As in liver as compared to muscle tissue, and the opposite pattern for Sr and Ca in all fish species. The concentration of Hg and Se in muscle samples increased significantly with δ¹⁵N, suggesting a biomagnification of these elements in this food chain. The concentrations of Ca and Sr, Fe and Cr, Ca and Mn, and Fe and Mn were positively correlated to each other in more than 50% of the studied species. Fish constitute the most important animal protein source for people in Guinea-Bissau, and thus assessing the concentrations of potentially toxic elements is relevant for human health.

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