Spatial segregation between Chalceus guaporensis and Chalceus epakros (Osteichthyes: Characiformes) in the Madeira River, Amazon Basin

Abstract

Chalceus guaporensis is an endemic fish to the upper Madeira River whereas C. epakros is widespread in many rivers of the central and lower portions of the Amazon Basin, middle and upper Orinoco River Basin, the Essequibo River in Guyana and in the Nanay River in northern Peru. According to literature, both species do not occur in syntopy. We carried out ichthyological surveys along the Madeira River Basin and its rapids, and data on abundance, diet and habitat use were obtained for both species. Chalceus guaporensis and C. epakros are morphologically similar, occupying floodplain habitats and exploiting similar food resources. The former predominated upstream from the Jirau Fall, whereas the latter had most of its abundance bellow the last fall of the Madeira River; both species cooccurred along part of the rapids stretch and in the Machado River, but with strongly uneven abundances. This pattern may have developed in the past by speciation regarding the presence of the falls, while co-occurrence of the two species seems to be regulated by competitive interactions or maintained by slight differences in environmental requirements nowadays. The recent disruption of the Madeira River by two run-of-river dams built in cascade submerged a large portion of the rapids stretch and substituted it by semi-lenthic habitats created by the dam reservoirs, together with the construction of a fish passage. These environmental changes may allow the invasion of the upper reaches of the Madeira River by C. epakros, and disturb the population of endemic C. guaporensis. KEYWORDS:Alestidae; coexistence; biology; geographical barrier; muddy water Segregação espacial entre Chalceus guaporensis e Chalceus epakros (Osteichthyes: Characiformes) no rio Madeira, Bacia Amazônica RESUMOChalceus guaporensis é descrita como uma espécie endêmica do alto rio Madeira, enquanto C. epakros está amplamente distribuída em rios das porções central e inferior da bacia Amazônica, no médio e alto rio Orinoco, e nos rios Essequibo, na Guiana, e Nanay, no norte do Peru. A literatura não registra essas espécies como sintópicas. Expedições ictiológicas realizadas ao longo do rio Madeira e suas corredeiras nos deram a oportunidade de registrar a presença, abundância, habitat e dieta utilizadas por essas espécies. Chalceus guaporensis e C. epakros são muito similares morfologicamente, ocupam habitats inundáveis e apresentam espectro alimentar semelhante. A primeira espécie predominou a montante da cachoeira Jirau, enquanto que a segunda teve a maior parte de sua abundância registrada à jusante das cachoeiras do rio Madeira. Ambas espécies coocorreram ao longo de parte do trecho de corredeiras e no rio Machado, mas com abundâncias muito desiguais. Esse padrão pode ter se desenvolvido no passado, por especiação, em função da presença das corredeiras, enquanto a coocorrência das duas espécies parece ser regulada por interações competitivas ou mantida por diferenças sutis em requisitos ecológicos no tempo atual. O recente barramento do rio Madeira por dua...

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