Comparison of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen stable isotope ratios and mercury concentrations in muscle tissues of five beaked whale species and sperm whales stranded in Hokkaido, Japan

ABSTRACT

We studied δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O values, and total mercury (THg) concentrations in muscle samples from deep-sea predators – five beaked whale species and sperm whales – stranded along the coast of Hokkaido, in the north of Japan in 2010 and 2019. The δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O values, THg concentrations, and body length (BL) of Stejneger’s beaked whales were similar to those of Hubbs’ beaked whales, which belong to the same genus. In contrast, δ¹³C values, THg concentrations, and BL of Sato’s beaked whales were markedly different from those of Baird’s beaked whales, which belong to the same genus. Stejneger’s and Hubbs’ beaked whales living around Hokkaido may compete in their ecological niches, whereas Sato’s and Baird’s beaked whales may segregate their ecological niches. Although Cuvier’s beaked whales and sperm whales belong to different genera and their BLs were significantly different, their δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values were similar, probably because they can dive and stay in deeper waters than other beaked whale species. The δ¹³C values in combined samples from all whales increased with increasing BL, probably owing to the larger whale species’ dietary preference for squid. The δ¹³C values in combined samples from all whales were positively correlated with THg concentrations, whereas the δ¹⁵N values in the combined samples were negatively correlated. The δ¹⁸O values in combined samples from most whales tended to be positively correlated with THg concentrations. These correlations may be explained by a higher THg load from deep-sea feeding than from pelagic feeding and by a feeding shift towards lower trophic levels.

KEWORDS:

• Carbon-13
• nitrogen-15
• oxygen-18
• marine ecology
• total mercury
• whales

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Stranding Network Hokkaido (SNH) for providing samples and information on the stranded whales studied in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (grant number 20K12188, K.H.)