Coexisting small fish species in lotic neotropical environments: evidence of trophic niche differentiation

Silva, Jislaine Cristina da; Gubiani, Éder André; Neves, Mayara Pereira; Delariva, Rosilene Luciana

doi:10.1007/s10452-017-9616-5

Cited by 27 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 89 publications

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“…Characid species, especially Astyanax, exhibit a high diversity of feeding tactics and exploit several compartments of the habitat, besides foraging in the water column and on the water surface and some are also classified as nectobenthic (Barros et al, 2017, Bonato et al, 2017. Thus, this feeding tactic may favour the consumption of resources that fall into the water from the surrounding environment (Quirino et al, 2015;Silva et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some authors have used a permutational analysis of multivariate dispersions (PERMDISP; Anderson, 2006) to verify individual intraspecific variability (Quirino et al, 2015(Quirino et al, , 2017 and to assess differences in intra and interspecific niche breadth, between hydrological periods (Correa & Winemiller, 2014;Silva et al, 2017). In our study however, we used the PERMDISP for both situations.…”

Section: Individual Intraspecific Variability and Niche Breadthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Second, to measure the niche breadth through the dispersion of the diet in space. The assumption was that differences in distance between species indicate that some species have more restricted or broader diets than others (Silva et al, 2017). In this case, distance of the centroid (D) corresponds to niche breadth.…”

Section: Individual Intraspecific Variability and Niche Breadthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this scenario of the background of fundamentally opposing premises, there is a growing body of empirical and theoretical literature that relates traits variation within and among populations, community and ecosystem processes (Correa & Winemiller, 2014;Leibold & McPeeK, 2006;Silva et al, 2017). This eco-evolutionary synthesis has garnered substantial attention in recent years, based in large part on increasing evidence that the individual variation of many populations is essential for species coexistence and community diversity, corroborating the premises of the niche theory (Barros et al, 2017;Bolnick et al, 2011;Chase & Leibold, 2003;Hielscher et al, 2015;Silva et al, 2017). According to Ross (1986), species segregate into three main dimensions of the niche: space, time and food.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dietary segregation has been highlighted as the most important and is considered a key factor for the coexistence of fish species and assemblage structure (Gerking, 1994;Ross, 1986;Schoener, 1974;Winemiller & Pianka, 1990). Hence, knowledge of food resource sharing by species, especially among those with similar morphological traits and close phylogenetic relationships, allow inferences about the processes in the dynamic context of ecosystems (Corrêa et al, 2011;Juncos et al, 2015;Quirino et al, 2015;Silva et al, 2017). In this sense, species may exhibit a greater intraspecific variation and, consequently, a greater trophic breadth, which may lead to increased interspecific competition, or less intraspecific variation, but with the risk of increasing intraspecific competition (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Is resource partitioning the key? The role of intra‐interspecific variation in coexistence among five small endemic fish species (Characidae) in subtropical rivers

Neves

Silva

Baumgartner

et al. 2018

Journal of Fish Biology

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This study focused on intra and interspecific variations in the diet of small species in the Pelotas River, upper Uruguay River ecoregion. We tested the hypothesis that five small characids coexist via resource partitioning. Samplings were performed quarterly between August 2013 and May 2014 at 14 sites in the Pelotas River basin, using gillnets of different mesh sizes, seines, cast nets and electrofishing. In this study, the contents of 1,253 stomachs were analysed from Astyanax dissensus, A. paris, A. saguazu, A. xiru and Bryconamericus patriciae. The main food resources consumed were aquatic insects, leaves, seeds and detritus. There were significant seasonal intra and interspecific variations in the use of food resources by the five species. Permutational analysis of multivariate dispersions results indicated significant differences in individual intraspecific variability between the sampled periods, with the highest values found in November and February because of an increase in allochthonous resources (leaves and seeds). Besides this, significant differences in the proportions of consumption of allochthonous and autochthonous were observed. The trophic niche breadth was significantly different among the species, such that in August, the species had narrower niche breadths. In the other periods, the highest niche breadth values were due to an increase in the consumption of allochthonous items. Diet overlap was low (< 0.4) between 62% of the species pairs. The small characid species showed pronounced changes in resource use and intra and interspecific variations indicating resource partitioning. These factors appear to be essential in species interactions and for coexistence.

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