Stable isotope composition of walleye:: 15N accumulation with age and area-specific differences in δ13C

Stable nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios were measured for walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) collected across Lake Champlain, Vermont, to determine relationships between isotopic composition and diet, location of capture, length, weight, and age. Variation in delta C-13 values reflected area-specific differences in isotopic composition of organisms collected across the lake. A critical assumption in the application of isotope techniques is that a predictable relationship exists between the diet and isotopic composition of an organism. Our results indicate that isotopic fractionation factors may not be independent of age as has largely been assumed. By combining stable nitrogen and carbon isotope analysis with conventional stomach content analysis, we documented significant age effects in the delta N-15 composition of adult walleye that were not attributable to observed changes in diet. Age accounted for 81% of the variation in delta N-15 values of walleye (ages 2-27, N = 65, delta N-15 range = 15.3-19.2 parts per thousand), providing evidence supporting N-15 accumulation over the life span of walleye. Therefore, the risk of making faulty inferences of trophic position and food web interactions based on delta N-15 values may be increased when age is unknown. Our results indicate that metabolic effects associated with age require greater consideration in applications of stable isotope analysis.