Trophic positions and predator–prey mass ratio of the pelagic food web in the East China Sea and Sea of Japan

Abstract

Size-based food webs analysis is essential for understanding food web structure and evaluating the effects of human exploitation on food webs. We estimated the predator–prey mass ratio (PPMR) of the pelagic food web in the East China Sea and Sea of Japan by using the relationships between body mass and trophic position. Trophic position was calculated by additive and scaled models based on nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ15N). The PPMRs based on additive and scaled models were 5032 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2066–15506) and 3430 (95% CI 1463–10083) respectively. The comparatively high PPMRs could reflect low ecosystem transfer efficiency and high metabolic rate.