Importance of the macrofauna for the feeding of young fish species from infralittoral of Arrozal: Cananeia lagoon estuarine region (25º02'S-47º56'W) - Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this study was to establish the importance of the macrofauna as food for young fish species that inhabit the infralittoral adjacent to the lower marsh. The sampling site is located at Arrozal, Cananéia lagoon estuarine region (25º02'S and 47º56'W) and the collectings were realized monthly, during a year. The results suggest that the studied area could be considered as a nursery ground for young fish species. The local macrofauna is composed mainly by several groups of crustaceans and has a marked temporal variation. Mysids were dominant in Spring, copepods in Summer, mysids and bivalves were co-dominants in the Autumn and amphipods in Winter. Mysids, copepods, ostracods, tan aids and other epifaunal crustaceans were more consumed than other items. According to the trophic habits, the twelve fish species could be divided into three groups: the first and the third as mysids and copepods eaters respectively, and the second group with a balanced diet reflecting more than the other groups the seasonal variation of the macrofauna collected by the dredge. Benthonic and benthopelagic organisms were considered the major food source, being consumed by 75% of the analysed fish species, in Cananéia infralittoral.

Feeding habits of the congeneric species Stellifer rastrifer and Stellifer brasiliensis (Acanthopterygii: Sciaenidae) co-occurring in the coast of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil

“…A similar result was found by Rodrigues and Meira (1988), with the presence of the seabob shrimp in only 22 of the 77 analyzed stomachs of S. rastrifer and 2 of the 36 analyzed stomachs of S. basiliensis. It is known that penaeid shrimps are benthic and burry themselves in the sediment (Castilho et al, 2008;Simões et al, 2012), and therefore are available in a smaller scale for benthopelagic consumers, such as S. rastrifer and S. brasiliensis (Wakabara et al, 1993). Even if juveniles of X. kroyeri, are available in the pelagic zones for these fishes, they may be choosing to consume shrimp from the genus Acetes not only for their abundance in the studied environment, but for their short and blunt rostrum, that are of easier consumption than the sea-bob's rostrum with five teeth near the base and slightly curved upwards.…”

Composition and seasonality of an Amphipod community assoiated to the algae Bryocladia trysigera

“…The role of fish predation on amphipod populations varies with time and space. For southeastern Brazil the more important predators of amphipods have their maximum abundance in winter while declining in summer (Wakabara et al, 1993 so that lower mean densities in winter could be explained by a higher predation pressure. Diferences in abundance of the three most abundant species H. nigra, C. penantis and C. danileviskii, were clearly due to differences in reproductions peaks.…”

Ingestion and selection of suprabenthic crustaceans by small-sized fishes in a lower saltmarsh system

“…occanogr., 44(2), 1996 According to Sibert (1981), suprabenthic populations are composed of surface dwelling benthic and planktonic species presenting upward and downward movements rcspectively. Components of both origins are found in the diet of small fish inhabiting the infralittoral adjacent to the lower marsh at Arrozal, Cananéia lagoon estuarine region, and suprabenthic crustaceans comprises more than 70% of the diet of ali fishes considered (Wakabara et al, 1993).…”