Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Oxygen Minimum Zone and Organic Carbon Structure Benthic Prokaryotic Communities and Metabolism in Warm Deep-Red Sea Sediments.

Microorganisms·2026
Same author

A global map of seagrass ecosystems.

Nature·2026
Same author

Polyp size predicts metabolic rates across diverse tropical coral species.

Communications biology·2026
Same author

Site-specific variation and non-indigenous species detection in Arabian Gulf biofouling communities using DNA metabarcoding and photographic surveys.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Microbial Responses to Warming Reduce Deep Blue Carbon Storage.

Global change biology·2026
Same author

Stable bioreactor control reveals acidic pH-driven metabolic reprogramming and mitochondrial dysfunction in human lymphoblastoid cells.

Communications biology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2025

Laboratory Protocol for Genetic Gut Content Analyses of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Using Group-specific rDNA Primers
10:17

Laboratory Protocol for Genetic Gut Content Analyses of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Using Group-specific rDNA Primers

Published on: October 5, 2017

8.8K

Benthic Feeding and Diet Partitioning in Red Sea Mesopelagic Fish Resolved Through DNA Metabarcoding and ROV Footage.

Kah Kheng Lim1, Carlos Angulo-Preckler1, Christopher A Hempel1

  • 1Marine Science Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Ecology and Evolution
|March 7, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Red Sea mesopelagic fish, including lanternfish and lightfish, primarily eat copepods. DNA analysis reveals distinct diets, with one species consuming mollusks and the other gelatinous prey, impacting ocean carbon sequestration.

Keywords:
biological carbon pumpmyctophidsphosichthyidstrophic ecologywestern Indian Ocean

More Related Videos

An Aquatic Microbial Metaproteomics Workflow: From Cells to Tryptic Peptides Suitable for Tandem Mass Spectrometry-based Analysis
08:09

An Aquatic Microbial Metaproteomics Workflow: From Cells to Tryptic Peptides Suitable for Tandem Mass Spectrometry-based Analysis

Published on: September 15, 2015

8.7K
Determination of Total Lipid and Lipid Classes in Marine Samples
14:59

Determination of Total Lipid and Lipid Classes in Marine Samples

Published on: December 11, 2021

4.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 23, 2025

Laboratory Protocol for Genetic Gut Content Analyses of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Using Group-specific rDNA Primers
10:17

Laboratory Protocol for Genetic Gut Content Analyses of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Using Group-specific rDNA Primers

Published on: October 5, 2017

8.8K
An Aquatic Microbial Metaproteomics Workflow: From Cells to Tryptic Peptides Suitable for Tandem Mass Spectrometry-based Analysis
08:09

An Aquatic Microbial Metaproteomics Workflow: From Cells to Tryptic Peptides Suitable for Tandem Mass Spectrometry-based Analysis

Published on: September 15, 2015

8.7K
Determination of Total Lipid and Lipid Classes in Marine Samples
14:59

Determination of Total Lipid and Lipid Classes in Marine Samples

Published on: December 11, 2021

4.4K

Area of Science:

  • Marine Biology
  • Ecology
  • Oceanography

Background:

  • Mesopelagic fish are abundant vertebrates crucial for carbon sequestration via vertical migration.
  • Their dietary ecology in the Red Sea is poorly understood, hindering knowledge of trophic interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dietary composition of Red Sea lanternfish (Benthosema taxa) and endemic lightfish (Vinciguerria mabahiss).
  • To understand the trophic roles and ecological contributions of these key mesopelagic species.

Main Methods:

  • DNA metabarcoding of the mitochondrial COI marker was used to analyze gut contents.
  • Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) video observations supplemented dietary data.

Main Results:

  • Vinciguerria mabahiss showed higher prey diversity than Benthosema taxa, indicating a generalist feeding strategy.
  • Both species primarily consumed copepods, with Benthosema taxa also consuming mollusks, annelids, and echinoderms, while V. mabahiss consumed gelatinous zooplankton.
  • ROV footage revealed rare instances of benthic feeding on the continental slope.

Conclusions:

  • Distinct dietary niches exist between the studied mesopelagic fish species.
  • Mesopelagic fish contribute significantly to the biological carbon pump through consumption and redistribution of organic matter.
  • Further research combining DNA metabarcoding and stable isotope analysis is recommended for deeper ecological insights.