In a tropical floodplain lake in central Amazon (L. Camaleao), we investigated seasonal shifts in primary carbon sources for commercially important fish species over an hydrological cycle. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope and stomach content analyses were conducted to investigate the feeding preferences of six species with different feeding habits: Cichla monoculus (piscivorous species), Schizodon fasciatus (herbivorous), Prochilodus nigricans (detritivorous), and the omnivorous species Triportheus angulatus, Colossoma macropomum and Mylossoma duriventre. Stomach content and isotopic analyses exhibited a high seasonal variation for four out of the six species. The dominant food items were fruits and seeds, plant material, zooplankton and aquatic and terrestrial insects. Over the hydrological cycle, C-3 plants were the major carbon source for all fish species. In addition, seston and aquatic C-4 macrophytes were very important carbon sources for most species. Our findings underpin the complex trophic linkages between floodplain lakes and the aquatic terrestrial transition zone as postulated by the Flood Pulse Concept

Stomach content and stable isotopes of tambaqui, Colossoma macropomum (Cuvier), were use to determine seasonality of energy sources in a floodplain lake in the central Amazon. The turnover time of carbon in young tambaqui was fast enough to detect a broad seasonal variation both in stomach content and tissue isotopic signal of carbon and nitrogen. The relative importance of food items varied with water level. C 3 plants (seeds and fruits) contributed between 55% and 95% of the biomass fraction of tambaqui. Zooplankton contributed a minimum of 26% of the nitrogen fraction during periods of flooding, and a maximum of 67% in the dry season. C 4 plants (macrophyte leaves and roots) contributed a maximum of 26% of the biomass fraction and 13% of the N fraction mainly during the flooding period. The feeding habits and behaviour of tambaqui are complex and linked to the flood pulse. K E Y W O R D S : Amazon floodplain lakes, feeding habits, fish, stable isotopes.

RESUMOO co-manejo dos recursos pesqueiros que vem sendo desenvolvido pelos ribeirinhos da Amazônia têm a preocupação de assegurar ambientes adequados para a conservação dos estoques. Esta estratégia de co-manejo é baseada em regras de acesso e uso dos recursos pesqueiros. Nesse estudo, foi investigada a influência do tipo de uso de lagos (preservados e manejados para subsistência) e a sua distância do rio (próximos e distantes) na estrutura das assembleias de peixes associadas aos bancos de macrófitas aquáticas em lagos de várzea, Amazônia Central. Os peixes foram capturados na cheia com rede de cerco em seis lagos com distância do rio variando de 0,87 a 10,9 km. Nas macrófitas aquáticas e capins flutuantes dos lagos foram capturados um total de 623 exemplares de peixes, distribuídos em 56 espécies. A análise de covariância (ANCOVA) indica que o co-manejo dos lagos e distância não influenciaram significativamente nos atributos ecológicos das assembleias (abundância, riqueza, peso total, diversidade de Shannon-Weaver, diversidade Berger-Parker, equitabilidade e dominância). A análise de similaridade (ANOSIM) também mostrou que não existe diferença na composição de espécies entre os tipos de lago. Estes resultados sugerem outros fatores, como o pouco tempo de manejo efetivo, a agricultura como sendo a principal atividade econômica de subsistência, inexistência de pescarias em larga escala que produzam alterações ambientais significativas e a existência de um fator ecológico de grande intensidade, o pulso de inundação, sobrepondo a outros de menor intensidade. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Rio Amazonas, ictiofauna, lago de preservação, lago de subsistência. Fish assemblage associated with aquatic macrophytes bank in mananged lakes of Central Amazon, Amazonas, Brazil ABSTRACTThe co-management of fishery resources developed by Amazonian riverine people is concerned with the maintenance of suitable environments for fish stock conservation. This type of co-management strategy is based on rules of access and use for fishery resources. In this research we investigated the influence of using lakes (preserved and managed for subsistence) and its distance from the river (near and far) in the structure of the fish assemblages associated with floating meadows bank in floodplain lakes, Central Amazonian. Fish were caught during flood period using seine nets in six lakes in a distance ranging from 0.87 to 10.9 km from the river. In floating meadows bank were captured a total of 623 specimens of fish, over 56 species. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) indicates that the co-management of lakes and distance did not influence significantly the ecological attributes of fish assemblages (abundance, richness, total weight, Shannon-Weaver and Berger-Parker diversity, evenness and dominance). According to analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) there was no difference in species composition among the lakes. These results suggest other factors, such as: short time of effective management, the agriculture as the most important economic activity of subsistenc...

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Estimation of the apparent digestibility coefficient ADC(%) of C3 and C4 plants in experimental diets for fingerlings of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum, Cuvier, 1818) was calculated by applying chromic oxide (Cr2O3) external marker methodology and by a proposed mathematical expression based on the isotopic composition (δ13C). A total of 240 tambaqui fingerlings each weighing ±48.2 g and measuring ±9.8 cm were maintained in eight 500‐L aquariums specially designed for faeces collection. The ADC(%) of the C3 and C4 diets did not differ significantly between the two methods, producing results of 75.6%; 76.2% and 74.4%; 72.8%, respectively. The ADC(%) results obtained by isotopic method presented less variation than by chromic oxide. The proposed mathematical expression for calculating the ADC(%) based on δ13C values offers an alternative methodology, which can reduce errors and diminish the effort required to collect biological material. However, it is important to note that this method is limited to analysis of diets or food items with distinct isotopic signals.