Feeding ecology of electric eel Electrophorus varii (Gymnotiformes: Gymnotidae) in the Curiaú River Basin, Eastern Amazon

Mendes-Júnior, Raimundo Nonato Gomes; Sá-Oliveira, Júlio César; Vasconcelos, Huann Carllo Gentil; Costa-Campos, Carlos Eduardo; Araújo, Andréa Soares de

doi:10.1590/1982-0224-2019-0132

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 52 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Very specific pre-ingestion phase is for example the forming of the so-called "hydrodynamic tongue" in mudskippers (Michel et al, 2015). Some specialized fish species may immobilize their prey by using electric current (Catania, 2014(Catania, , 2019Mendes-Júnior et al, 2020), or may use their rostrums to confuse, hurt or kill prey before ingestion (Wisner, 1958;Scott and Tibbo, 1968;Stillwell and Kohler, 1985;Shimose et al, 2006). The "scooping" behavior, typical for some frog species like Xenopus leviae (Carreño and Nishikawa, 2010), Pipa pipa (O' Reilly et al, 2002;Carreño and Nishikawa, 2010;Cundall et al, 2017), and Pelophylax ridibundus (Yordanova et al, 2017) involves the forelimbs in prey capture.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ontogenetic Changes of the Aquatic Food Uptake Mode in the Danube Crested Newt (Triturus dobrogicus Kiritzescu 1903)

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The study of the feeding mechanisms in vertebrates requires an integrative approach since the feeding event consists of a chain of behaviors. In the present study we investigated the food uptake behavior in different ontogenetic stages in the Danube crested newt (Triturus dobrogicus). We focused on the coordination in the kinematics of the elements of the locomotor and the feeding systems at the transition between the approach of the newt to the prey and the food uptake start. In the feeding strategy of the larvae of T. dobrogicus, the phase of food search is replaced by an initial “food detection phase.” In both larvae and adult specimens, the animals approached the food to a close distance by a precise positioning of the snout besides the food item. The larvae were able to reach food items offered at over 80° relative to the longitudinal midline of the head. When the food was offered at a large distance or laterally, the food uptake was either not successful or the coordination chain at the transition between food approach and food uptake was interrupted. In young larvae we detected an abrupt change in the activity of the locomotor system and the feeding system. The larvae approached the food by tail undulation and after reaching the final position of attack, no further activity of the locomotor apparatus was detectable. The larvae used a pure form of inertial suction to ingest food. In pre-metamorphic larvae and adults we registered an integrated activation of the locomotor apparatus (both limbs and tail) and the feeding apparatus during prey capture in the form of compensatory suction. The drastic change in the feeding mode of the pre-metamorphotic larvae and the adults compared to the younger larvae in T. dobrogicus may indicate the evolutionary development of a defined relation in the activity of the locomotor system and the control of the feeding apparatus. We propose that in newts, the interaction between the control execution in both systems switched from successive (body movement – feeding) into integrated (body movement – body movement and feeding) during the ontogeny. The main trigger for such a switch (at least in T. dobrogicus) is the formation of functional limbs during the late larval development.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ontogenetic Changes of the Aquatic Food Uptake Mode in the Danube Crested Newt (Triturus dobrogicus Kiritzescu 1903)

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Trophic Fish Structure Along the Beaches of The Brazilian Amazon River

Claro Júnior,

Zuanon,

Ferreira

et al. 2024

RGSA

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose: This study analyzes fish communities' diet and trophic structure on beaches along the Amazon River. Methods: 41 beaches were studied, and fish were collected with 12x3m trawl nets and 5mm mesh between nodes. The stomachs were analyzed using the frequency of occurrence and points method. The dietary index was calculated using the preponderance index (PI). Using IP values, the following trophic categories were established: detritivore, hematophagous, herbivorous, benthic invertivore, pelagic invertivore, terrestrial invertivore, scavenger, and piscivore. Species richness and abundance of fish in trophic categories were related to the longitudinal variation of the sampled sites through linear regression 1,166 stomachs from 119 species were analyzed. Results and discussion: The abundance and richness of detritivore species and the richness of scavengers showed a negative relationship throughout the floodplain, while the number of aquatic invertivore species showed a positive relationship. Implications of the research: The existing differences in beach water quality create a longitudinal conductivity gradient, transparency, and suspended material, gradually altering the environment and composition of the ichthyofauna and the trophic structure along the Amazon River. Originality/value: Ecological studies relating the trophic structure of fish to a large-scale longitudinal gradient are scarce in the Amazon River floodplain, which makes this article an essential piece for better understanding Amazonian systems by characterizing the trophic structure of fish from beaches in a longitudinal gradient of the Amazon River in Brazilian territory.

show abstract

Feeding ecology of electric eel Electrophorus varii (Gymnotiformes: Gymnotidae) in the Curiaú River Basin, Eastern Amazon

Cited by 2 publications

References 52 publications

Ontogenetic Changes of the Aquatic Food Uptake Mode in the Danube Crested Newt (Triturus dobrogicus Kiritzescu 1903)

Ontogenetic Changes of the Aquatic Food Uptake Mode in the Danube Crested Newt (Triturus dobrogicus Kiritzescu 1903)

Trophic Fish Structure Along the Beaches of The Brazilian Amazon River

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About