This paper presents the results of the first analysis of the natural diet of Hippocampus reidi, one of the most sought after seahorse species in the international aquarium trade. Its main goals were to investigate food items and prey categories consumed by the species, and to discuss feeding strategy and inter and intra-individual components of niche breadth. Data were gathered from October 2005 to September 2006 at the Mamanguape estuary, State of Paraíba, NE Brazil. Food items from seahorses anaesthetized with clove oil were obtained by using a modified version of the flushing method, and were counted and identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level. Specimens were marked and had their height, sex, life and reproductive stage recorded, and then returned to the same place where they were found for the further assessment of anaesthetization/gut flushing on seahorses. Food items were analyzed using frequency of occurrence, relative abundance, index of preponderance and prey-specific abundance using the points method. The graphic method of Amundsen et al. (1996) was used to interpret the feeding strategy and contribution to niche breadth. Nematodes and crustaceans were the most important items found, the latter item usually being the most commonly found in the gut contents of syngnathids. No significant differences in diet composition were found between reproductive stages, however, a higher proportion of large items were consumed by the larger seahorses. The feeding strategy and niche breadth analysis suggests that H. reidi has a generalist feeding strategy, with high variation between phenotypes. Our results suggest that the anaesthetization-flushing technique has the potential to be a useful tool in seahorse research.Este artigo apresenta os resultados do primeiro estudo sobre a alimentação natural de Hippocampus reidi, uma das espécies de cavalos-marinhos mais intensamente comercializadas pelo mercado aquarista. Seus principais objetivos foram descrever os itens alimentares e categorias de presas consumidos pela espécie e fornecer informações acerca da estratégia alimentar e dos componentes inter e intra-individuais para a largura de nicho. As amostragens foram realizadas mensalmente por meio de busca intensiva, entre outubro de 2005 e setembro de 2006, no estuário do rio Mamanguape, Paraíba, onde os cavalos marinhos foram marcados, anestesiados com óleo de cravo e submetidos à técnica da lavagem estomacal. Para cada cavalo-marinho registrouse a altura, sexo, estágio de vida e estado reprodutivo. Após a coleta de dados, todos os cavalos-marinhos foram devolvidos ao mesmo local onde haviam sido encontrados e o material obtido através da lavagem foi identificado, em laboratório, até o menor nível taxonômico possível, com o auxílio de especialistas. Os itens alimentares foram descritos através de freqüência de ocorrência, abundância relativa, índice de preponderância e abundância específica; já a estratégia alimentar e contribuição para a largura de nicho foram descritos através do método de Amundsen. Os pri...
Studies were carried out on structure and dynamics of fish assemblages in the Baguaçu tidal creek, Paranaguá Bay, Brazil. A total of 30,104 fish were captured, comprising 21 families and 47 species. Both in weight and in number, the species Anchoa parva prevailed. Monthly captures in number and weight were largest in the autumn and part of the winter. No seasonal tendency was observed in the indexes of community structure. The dendrogram produced by the classification of the samples separated the 12 months of collection into three groups, reflecting differences in the qualitative and quantitative occurrences of the most important taxa. Some ecological likeness, not only seasonal patterns of abundance, seemed evident in the seasonality of the groupings of species revealed through the cluster analysis. The principal component analysis reflected mainly the periods of rain and drought
As amostras foram obtidas mensalmente na baixa-mar de quadratura na Gamboa do Baguaçu, Baía de Paranaguá, Brasil, com uma rede tipo picaré, com malha de 1mm, 30 m de comprimento e 3 m de altura. Foram capturados 30104 peixes pertencentes a 21 famílias e 47 espécies. A espécie Anchoa parva foi a mais abundante, tanto em número como em peso. As capturas em número e peso foram maiores no outono e parte do inverno. Nenhuma tendência sazonal foi observada nos índices da estrutura da comunidade. O agrupamento dos meses definidos pela análise de cluster normal refletiram diferenças na ocorrência qualitativa e quantitativa dos taxa mais importantes. Algumas afinidades ecológicas, e não somente os padrões sazonais de abundância, parecem evidentes na sazonalidade dos agrupamentos de espécies revelados através da análise de cluster. A análise de componentes principais reflete principalmente os períodos de chuva e seca
Paulo de Tarso da Cunha Chaves 2 Ana Lúcia Vendei 3 ABSTRACT. REPRODUCTlON OF STELLlFER RASTRlFER (JORDAN) (TELEOSTEI, SClAE-NlDAE) AT mE GUARATUBA BAY, PARANÁ, BRAZIL. A total of 1312 individuaIs of S. rastrifer were sampled ITom March 1994 to September 1996 at the Guaratuba Bay, Southem Brazilian coast. This species is a permanently inhabitant of the mangrove area throughout the year. The weightJlength relationship of the species in the region is "In TW =-12.35 + 3,22 In TL", and the individuaIs may reach 172mm oftotallength. The analyses of gonadal morphology and gonadossomatic index indicate that S. rastrifer is a multiple spawner species, that reproduces at the mangrove area during a long period of the year. The reproductive activity is more intense during the winter and mainly the spring, when the value ofCondition Factor declines and empty foHicles are found in the ovaries. KEY WOROS. Teleostei, Sciaenidae, Stellifer rastrifer, fish reproduction, Guaratuba Bay, Brazil 1) Contribuição número 964 do Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná. Realizado parcialmente com verbas com verbas do CNPq e FUNPAR.
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