Spatio-temporal changes in the diet, niche breadth and niche overlap of two species of Characidium from three different sites along a Neotropical coastal stream were studied during a dry and rainy season. Seasonal changes were restricted to the occurrence of plant items in the stomach contents. The relative importance of food items in the diet of both species varied across sites, but Diptera, Ephemeroptera, Simuliidae, Trichoptera and Coleoptera larvae were always the main prey items. Contrary to the expected pattern, values of the niche breadth were higher at the site where Characidium species co-existed and niche overlapped at this site indicated 52% (p = 0.52) of feeding overlap.Keywords: neotropical characidae, coastal stream, close related species. Ampliação do nicho como consequência da co-existência: um estudo de caso ResumoVariações espaço-temporal na dieta, na amplitude e na sobreposição de nicho foram estudadas para duas espécies de Characidium de três localidades distintas de um riacho costeiro da região Neotropical, considerando-se as estações seca e chuvosa. As alterações sazonais na dieta foram restritas à presença/ausência de itens vegetais nos conteúdos estomacais. A importância relativa dos itens alimentares, de ambas as espécies, variou entre as localidades de estudo; porém, as larvas de Diptera, Ephemeroptera, Simuliidae, Trichoptera e Coleoptera foram sempre as presas mais consumidas. Em oposição ao padrão esperado, os valores de amplitude de nicho foram maiores na localidade em que as duas espécies de Characidium ocorreram em sintopia e a sobreposição de nicho, nessa localidade, indicou 52% (p = 0,52) de sobreposição alimentar.Palavras-chave: characidae neotropical, riachos costeiros, espécies relacionadas.
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