Diets of tadpoles from a temporary pond in southeastern Brazil (Amphibia, Anura)

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The diet of tadpoles of 13 anuran species was determined to verify whether food resource partitioning occurs and whether the degree of diet similarity is related to taxonomic affinity. Tadpoles of all species studied were mainly herbivorous, except for these of Leptodactylus fuscus (Schneider, 1799) which were mycophagous. Although some species had exclusive items in their diet, most tadpole species ingested the same items, but differed in the amount of each item consumed. Two guilds were found: tadpoles that feed on diatoms on the pond bottom, and tadpoles that feed on Oedogonium Link, 1820 algae in midwater. Diet similarity was related to the taxonomic relationship, microhabitat and feeding behavior of tadpoles indicating that the community organization is complex and resulting from the interaction of several parameters. KEY WORDS. Community ecology, food partitioning, microalgae.RESUMO. Dieta dos girinos de um açude temporário no sudeste do Brasil (Amphibia, Anura). Determinou-se a dieta dos girinos de 13 espécies de anuros, com o objetivo de verificar se ocorre partilha de recursos alimentares e se o grau de similaridade na dieta é relacionado ao parentesco, inferido pela proximidade taxonômica. Os girinos de todas as espécies estudadas foram preponderantemente herbívoros, exceto os de Leptodactylus fuscus (Schneider, 1799) que foram micófagos. Embora algumas espécies tenham apresentado itens exclusivos em sua dieta, os girinos da maioria das espécies ingeriram os mesmos itens, diferindo na quantidade consumida de cada item. Duas guildas foram encontradas: girinos que se alimentam de diatomáceas no fundo do corpo d'água e girinos que se alimentam de algas do gênero Oedogonium Link, 1820 à meia-água. A similaridade na dieta foi relacionada à proximidade taxonômica, ao microhabitat e ao comportamento de alimentação, indicando que a organização desta comunidade é complexa e resultante da interação entre vários fatores. PALAVRAS CHAVE. Ecologia de comunidade, partilha de alimento, microalgas, sudeste do Brasil.

The diet of Scinax angrensis (Lutz) tadpoles in an area of the Atlantic Forest (Mangaratiba, Rio de Janeiro) (Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae)

“…In addition, the slightly darker coloration of the stage 27 would allow a better protection against the dark bottom, while the lack of light lunulas in the stage 37 would make these individuals less conspicuous in the water. As found by WARKENTIN (1992) and ROSSA-FERES et al (2004), these results demonstrate that the partitioning of feeding resources is related not only to the occupation of diverse microhabitats, but also the feeding behavior of tadpoles.…”

“…Both filamentous algae as well as diatoms are considered important sources of nutrients since the periphytic community, where they occur in abundance, is well explored by the aquatic fauna both invertebrates and vertebrates. The importance of diatoms as a food source has also been seen in other anuran genera such as Lithobates, Dendropsophus, Eupemphix and other species of Scinax (HENDRICKS 1973, KUPFERBERG 1997b, ROSSA-FERES et al 2004. Diatoms can be richer in calories, mainly as a form of lipids, than the clorophytes and they are more easily accessible for consumption than filamentous algae (KUPFERBERG et al 1994).…”

“…Zooplankton items were also verified in tadpole diets from the species Scinax fuscovarius (Lutz, 1925), S. similis (Cochran, 1925), and S. fuscomarginatus (Lutz, 1925) (ROSSA-FERES et al 2004) and Scinax machadoi (Bokermann & Sazima, 1973) (DUTRA & CALLISTO 2005). According to the first authors, the presence of ciliates as well as other soft-bodied animals, such as testacean amoebae and rotifers could be an important finding, because they could be a valid source of nutrients for tadpoles.…”

Characterization and taxonomic key for tadpoles (Amphibia: Anura) from the northwestern region of São Paulo State, Brazil

“…In this manner, considering the extension of the sampled area, the severity of the dry season and the predominance of temporary ponds, the morphological diversity found among tadpoles can be considered great. Even under the influence of these restrictive conditions, the tadpoles explore the different types of available resources in the ponds, using different microhabitats or food resources, or presenting different feeding behaviors (Rossa-Feres et al 2004). Despite the absence of historical records for the herpetofauna from this region, the occurrence of only five (Table 2) from 39 reproductive modes (Haddad & Prado 2005) can be explained by climate severity and impacts due to extensive land use.…”

Diet and food resource partition among benthic tadpoles of three anuran species in Atlantic Forest tropical streams

“…Each ecomorphotype is associated with a specific microhabitat and utilizes different food resources, which are also associated, therefore, with the respective microhabitat (Rossa-Feres et al 2004).…”