Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T19:15:15.328Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Feeding and spatial distribution of two estuarine puffer fish in a tropical estuary, north-eastern Brazil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 November 2016

Priscila Rocha Vasconcelos Araújo ,
Silvia Yasmin Lustosa Costa ,
Maria Rita Nascimento Duarte  and
André Luiz Machado Pessanha
Priscila Rocha Vasconcelos Araújo
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Dinâmica de Populações Marinhas, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Dois Irmãos, Recife, PE, Brazil
Silvia Yasmin Lustosa Costa
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Av. das Baraúnas, 351, Bodocongó, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil
Maria Rita Nascimento Duarte
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Av. das Baraúnas, 351, Bodocongó, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil
André Luiz Machado Pessanha*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Av. das Baraúnas, 351, Bodocongó, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: A.L.M. Pessanha Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Av. das Baraúnas, 351, Bodocongó, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil email: andrepessanhauepb@gmail.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The distribution and feeding ecology of two puffer fish, Sphoeroides testudineus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Colomesus psittacus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), were investigated in a tropical estuary (north-eastern Brazil). The hypothesis tested was that these two species partition available resources spatially, and that the effects of interspecific competition can be reduced by changes in the feeding strategy and using alternative resources. This study was carried out between February 2011 and January 2012, on a beach and three tidal creeks of the Mamanguape River estuary. Data on the distribution and relative abundance of the two species were collected using beach seine, with data on temperature, salinity and turbidity also recorded. The diets of the species (S. testudineus N = 399; C. psittacus N = 108) were analysed by the Index of Relative Importance (IRI). Sphoeroides testudineus was found in the entire area, but was particularly abundant in the upper estuary, while C. psittacus was captured exclusively in the upper estuary, with all individuals assumed to be juveniles. In regard to feeding, juvenile S. testudineus predated on Bivalves, Ceratopogonidae larvae, calanoids and gastropods; whilst C. psittacus showed a diet more specialized in Brachyura and Cirripedia. These results suggest that there are differences in both habitat utilization and feeding habits of these two puffer fish species in this estuary.

Keywords

Tetraodontidaejuvenile fishesdistributionabundancediet
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 98 , Issue 3 , May 2018 , pp. 581 - 588
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Abdurahiman, K.P., Nayak, T.H., Zacharia, P.U. and Mohamed, K.S. (2010) Trophic organization and predator-prey interactions among commercially exploited demersal finfishes in the coastal waters of the southeastern Arabian Sea. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 87, 601–610.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Andrade-Tubino, M.F., Ribeiro, A.N.R. and Viana, M. (2008) Organização espaço-temporal das ictiocenoses demersais nos ecossistemas estuarinos brasileiros: uma síntese. Oecologia Brasiliensis 12, 640–661.Google Scholar
Barletta, M., Barletta-Bergan, A., Saint-Paul, U. and Hubold, G. (2003) Seasonal changes in density, biomass, and diversity of estuarine fishes in tidal mangrove creeks of the lower Caeté Estuary (northern Brazilian coast, east Amazon). Marine Ecology Progress Series 256, 217–228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barletta, M., Barletta-Bergan, A., Saint-Paul, U. and Hubold, G. (2005) The role of salinity in structuring the fish assemblages in a tropical estuary. Journal of Fish Biology 66, 45–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barletta, M. and Costa, M.F. (2009) Living and non-living resources exploitation in a tropical semi-arid estuary. Journal of Coastal Research 56, 371–375.Google Scholar
Barros, J.C.N., Francisco, J.A., Vasconcelos-Filho, A.L. and Tenório, D.O. (2010) Moluscos encontrados no trato digestivo de Sphoeroides testudineus (LINNAEUS, 1758) (Teleostei: Tetradontidae), no Canal de Santa Cruz, Itamaracá-Pernambuco, Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Engenharia de Pesca 5, 70–80.Google Scholar
Bell, J.D., Pollard, D.A., Burchmore, J.J., Pease, B.C. and Middleton, M.J. (1984) Structure of a fish community in a temperate tidal mangrove creek in Botany Bay, New South Wales. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 35, 33–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brusca, R.C. and Brusca, G.J. (2007) Invertebrados. 2nd edition. Rio de Janeiro: Guanabara Koogan.Google Scholar
Camargo, M. and Maia, T. (2008) Análise Populacional do baiacu, Colomesus psittacus (Tetraodontiformes, Tetraodontidae), no Estuário o Rio Caeté, Costa Norte do Brasil. UAKARI 4, 23–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Castro, A.C.L. (2001) Diversidade da assembléia de peixes em igarapés do estuário do Rio Paciência (MA – Brasil). Atlântica 23, 39–47.Google Scholar
Cervigón, F. (1991) Los peces marinos de Venezuela. Caracas: Fundación Científica Los Roques.Google Scholar
Cervigón, F. (1995) Los peces marinos de Venezuela. Caracas: Fundación Científica Los Roques.Google Scholar
Chiaverini, A.P. (2008) Ecologia Trófica de Sphoeroides testudineus Linnaeus, 1758 e Sphoeroides greeleyi Gilbert, 1900 da Gamboa do Perequê, Pontal do Sul, Paraná, Brasil. Master's Thesis. Universidade Federal do Paraná, Paraná, Brazil.Google Scholar
Clarke, K.R. (1993) Non-parametric multivariate analyses of changes in community structure. Australian Journal of Ecology 18, 117–143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fávaro, L.F., Oliveira, E.C., Ventura, A.O.B. and Verani, N.F. (2009) Environmental influences on the spatial and temporal distribution of the puffer fish Sphoeroides greeleyi and Sphoeroides testudineus in a Brazilian subtropical estuary. Neotropical Ichthyology 7, 275–282.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Figueiredo, J.L. and Menezes, N.A. (2000) Manual de peixes marinhos do sudeste do Brasil. IV. Teleostei (5). São Paulo: Museu de Zoologia – Universidade de São Paulo.Google Scholar
Giarrizzo, T., Jesus, A.S., Lameira, E., Almeida, J.B.A., Isaac, V. and Saint-Paul, U. (2006) Weight-length relationship for intertidal fish fauna in a mangrove estuary in northern Brazil. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 21, 1–3.Google Scholar
Giarrizzo, T., Krumme, U. and Wosniok, W. (2010) Size-structured migration and feeding patterns in the banded puffer fish Colomesus psittacus (Tetraodontidae) from north Brazilian mangrove creeks. Marine Ecology Progress Series 419, 157–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giora, J. and Fialho, C.B. (2003) Feeding biology of Steindachnerina brevipinna (Characiformes, Curimatidae) in the Ibicuí-Mirim River, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Iheringia, série Zoologia, Porto Alegre 93, 277–281.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hartz, S.M., Martins, A. and Barbieri, M.C. (1996) Dinâmica da alimentação e dieta de Oligosarcus jenynsii (Günther, 1862) na lagoa Caconde, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil (Teleostei, Characidae). Boletim do Instituto de Pesca São Paulo 23, 21–29.Google Scholar
Hyslop, E.J. (1980) Stomach contents analysis – a review of methods and their application. Journal of Fish Biology 17, 411–429.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krebs, C.J. (1989) Ecological methodology. New York, NY: Harper and Row Publishers.Google Scholar
Krumme, U. (2004) Patterns in tidal migration of fish in a Brazilian mangrove channel as revealed by a split-beam echosounder. Fisheries Research 70, 1–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krumme, U., Keuthen, H., Saint-Paul, U. and Villwock, W. (2007) Contribution to the feeding ecology of the banded puffer fish Colomesus psittacus (Tetraodontidae) in north Brazilian mangrove creeks. Brazilian Journal of Biology 67, 383–392.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krumme, U., Saint-Paul, U. and Rosenthal, H. (2004) Tidal and diel changes in the structure of a nekton assemblage in small intertidal mangrove creeks in northern Brazil. Aquatic Living Resources 17, 215–229.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laegdsgaard, P. and Johnson, C.R. (2001) Why do juvenile fish utilize mangrove habitats? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 257, 229–253.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mello, R.L.S. and Tenório, D.O. (2000) A Malacofauna. In Barros, H.M., Eskinazi-Leça, E. and Macedo, S.J. (eds) Gerenciamento participativo de estuários e manguezais. Recife: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, pp. 103–118.Google Scholar
Nikolsky, G.V. (1963) The ecology of fishes. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Palacios-Sanchez, S.E. and Vega-Cendejas, M.E. (2010) Cambios em tres especies Alimentícios de Sphoeroides (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) posterior alhuracán Isidoro em Bocana de la Carbonera, Sureste del Golfo de México. Revista de Biología Tropical 58, 1223–1235.Google Scholar
Perry, D.M. (1988) Effects of associated fauna on growth and productivity in the red mangrove. Ecology 69, 1064–1075.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pinkas, L., Oliphont, M.S. and Iverson, I.L.K. (1971) Food habits of albacore, blue fin tuna and bonito in California waters. California Department of Fish and Game 152, 1–105.Google Scholar
Piorski, N.M., Alves, J.R.L., Machado, M.R.B. and Correia, M.M.F. (2005) Alimentação e ecomorfologia de duas espécies de piranhas (Characiformes: Characidae) do Lago de Viana, estado do Maranhão, Brasil. Acta Amazonica 35, 63–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Platell, M.E. and Potter, I.C. (2001) Partitioning of food resources amongst 18 abundant benthic carnivorous fish species in marine waters on the lower west coast of Australia. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 261, 31–54.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rocha, C., Favaro, L.F. and Spach, H.L. (2002) Biologia reprodutiva de Sphoeroides testudineus (Linnaeus) (Pisces, Osteichthyes, Tetraodontidae) da gamboa do Baguaçu, Baía de Paranaguá, Paraná, Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 19, 57–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rocha, M.S.P., Mourão, J.S., Souto, W.M.S., Barboza, R.R.D. and Alves, R.R.N. (2008) O uso dos recursos pesqueiros no estuário do Rio Mamanguape, estado da Paraíba, Brazil. Interciência 33, 903–909.Google Scholar
Ross, S.T. (1986) Resource partitioning in fish assemblages: a review of field studies. Copeia 2, 352–388.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruppert, E.E., Fox, R.S. and Barnes, R.D. (2005) Zoologia dos invertebrados, 7th edition. São Paulo: Roca.Google Scholar
Sabino, J. and Castro, R.M.C. (1990) Alimentação, período de atividade e distribuição espacial dos peixes de um riacho da Floresta Atlântica (sudeste do Brasil). Revista Brasileira de Biologia 50, 23–26.Google Scholar
Santos, A.C.A. and Rodriguez, F.N.C. (2011) Ocorrência e alimentação do baiacu Sphoeroides testudineus (Actinopterygii – Tetraodontiformes) na margem oeste da Baía de Todos os Santos, Bahia, Brasil. Sitientibus série Ciências Biológicas 11, 31–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schafer, L.N., Platell, M.E., Valesini, F.J. and Potter, I.C. (2002) Comparisons between the influence of habitat type, season and body size on the dietary compositions of fish species in nearshore marine waters. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 278, 67–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Triola, M. (2005) Introdução à Estatística, 9th edition. Rio de Janeiro: LTC.Google Scholar
Vasconcelos-Filho, A.L., Silva, K.C. and Acioli, F.D. (1998) Hábitos alimentares de Sphoeroides testudineus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Teleostei: Tetraodontidae), no canal de Santa Cruz, Itamaracá-PE. Trabalhos Oceanográficos da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, 26, 145–157.Google Scholar
Whitfield, A.K. and Elliott, M. (2002) Fishes as indicators of environment and ecological changes within estuaries: a review of progress and some suggestions for the future. Journal of Fish Biology 61, 229–250.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zar, J.H. (1982) Biostatistical analysis. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
Zavala-Camin, L.A. (1996) Introdução aos estudos sobre alimentação natural em peixes. Maringá: EDUEM.Google Scholar