The trophic ecology of marine catfishes in south-eastern Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol 100 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-142
Author(s):  
Pedro V. Gatts ◽  
Marcos A. L. Franco ◽  
Marcelo G. Almeida ◽  
Ilana R. Zalmon ◽  
Ana Paula M. Di Beneditto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Total Mass ◽  
Total Mercury ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Mercury Content ◽  
Isotopic Niche ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Brazil ◽  
Janeiro State ◽  
Prey Items

AbstractThe stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) and total mercury concentrations (THg) of the three marine catfish species Aspistor luniscutis, Bagre bagre and Genidens genidens were evaluated to understand their trophic relationship in northern Rio de Janeiro state, south-eastern Brazil. The δ13C was similar among the three marine catfishes, whereas δ15N was similar in A. luniscutis and B. bagre and lower in G. genidens. THg was higher in G. genidens and lower in B. bagre. The greater assimilation of Sciaenidae fishes and squids by A. luniscutis and B. bagre resulted in smaller isotopic niche areas and trophic diversity but higher isotopic niche overlap, trophic redundancy and evenness. For G. genidens, the similar assimilation of all prey items resulted in the broadest isotopic niche among the marine catfishes. The higher mercury content in G. genidens is consistent with an increased important contribution of prey with a higher Hg burden. The bioaccumulation process was indicated by significant correlations of δ15N and THg with total length and total mass. Additionally, a significant correlation between THg and δ15N reflected the biomagnification process through the food web.

scholarly journals Isotopic niche of the catfishes Bagre bagre and Genidens barbus in a coastal area of south-eastern Brazil

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Paula Madeira Di Beneditto ◽  
Maria Thereza Manhães Tavares ◽  
Leandro Rabello Monteiro
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Area ◽  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Isotopic Niche ◽  
Food Items ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Brazil ◽  
Xiphopenaeus Kroyeri ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Janeiro State

Abstract: The isotopic niche of Bagre bagre and Genidens barbus target of commercial fisheries in a marine coastal area from northern Rio de Janeiro State (~21ºS), south-eastern Brazil was compared to evaluate the feeding assimilation and the trophic relationship. The mean isotopic values of the catfishes and their food items in the δ13C-δ15N space were coherent with their respective trophic positions. The relative contributions of the food items highlighted the shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri as the most assimilated item in the diet of B. bagre, while for G. barbus the model highlighted the fish Porichthys porosissimus. The absence of niche overlap together with the trophic evenness point to a reduced feeding overlap between B. bagre and G. barbus in northern Rio de Janeiro State.

Stomach contents of the marine tucuxi dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) from Rio de Janeiro, south-eastern Brazil

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 253-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Paula Madeira Di Beneditto ◽  
Salvatore Siciliano
Keyword(s):  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Sotalia Guianensis ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Brazil ◽  
Trichiurus Lepturus ◽  
Cynoscion Guatucupa ◽  
Janeiro State

Along the central coast of Rio de Janeiro State (22°25′S–23°00′S), south-eastern Brazil, the marine tucuxi dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) feeds on neritic prey that are distributed through the water column and are abundant all year round. The most frequently found species were the teleost fish Trichiurus lepturus, Cynoscion guatucupa, Isopisthus parvipinnis and Porichthys porossisimus. Fish species were more important than cephalopod species in the diet of the marine tucuxi. Back calculations of prey sizes indicated that they feed mainly on young specimens. The present study provided additional information on the feeding habits of the marine tucuxi dolphin.

Movements of the rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis) in Rio de Janeiro State, south-eastern Brazil

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liliane Lodi ◽  
Rodrigo Hipolito Tardin Oliveira ◽  
Luciana Duarte Figueiredo ◽  
Sheila Marino Simão
Keyword(s):  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Brazil ◽  
Steno Bredanensis ◽  
Janeiro State

Effects of species, sex, length and locality on the mercury content of school shark Galeorhinus australis (Macleay) and gummy shark Mustelus antarcticus Guenther from south-eastern Australian waters

1976 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 603 ◽  
Author(s):  
TI Walker
Keyword(s):  
Total Mercury ◽  
Mercury Content ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Muscle Tissues ◽  
Wet Weight ◽  
The Mean

The mercury levels detected in the muscle tissues of sharks ranged from 0.01 to 2.7 pprn wet weight for school shark Galeorhinus australis (Macleay) and from 0.07 to 3.0 ppm for gummy shark Mustelus antarcticus Guenther. Estimates of the mean mercury levels for the 1971 Victorian landed commercial shark catch were found to be 0.90 ppm for the school shark and 0.37 ppm for the gummy shark. The analyses for total mercury determinations were carried out by five independent laboratories. Preliminary analyses carried out by one indicatcd that most of the mercury in school sharks and about two-thirds of the mercury in gummy sharks was present as methylmercury. The mercury concentrations varied exponentially with shark length. School sharks had statistically significantly higher mercury levels than gummy sharks of the same length and for both the medium- sized and large individuals of each species males had significantly higher levels than females. Levels in male gummy sharks were found to be affected by locality.

Two new Hyalonema species (Hyalonematidae: Amphidiscosida) from eastern and south-eastern Brazil, and further Hexactinellida (Porifera) collected from seamounts off south-eastern Brazil by the RV ‘Marion Dufresne’ MD55 expedition

2009 ◽  
Vol 89 (6) ◽  
pp. 1243-1250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantin R. Tabachnick ◽  
Larisa L. Menshenina ◽  
Daniela A. Lopes ◽  
Eduardo Hajdu
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Western Atlantic ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
First Finding ◽  
Campos Basin ◽  
Eastern Brazil ◽  
Janeiro State ◽  
Hexactinellid Sponges

Descriptions of hexactinellid sponges collected by the RV ‘Marion Dufresne’ MD55 expedition on the Vitória–Trindade seamounts chain (off Espírito Santo State, south-eastern Brazil) in 1987 and stored in the MNHN (Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris) are presented. Hyalonema (Cyliconema) conqueror sp. nov. (the first finding of this subgenus in the Atlantic Ocean) and H. (Prionema) dufresnei sp. nov. (the second record of this subgenus for the Atlantic Ocean) are described as new species. The holotype of H. (C.) conqueror sp. nov. was collected with a ROV at Campos Basin (off Rio de Janeiro State, south-eastern Brazil), while the paratypes originated from Vitória–Trindade seamounts chain and off Bahía State (eastern Brazil). Other hexactinellids reported here, Farrea sp., Sarostegia aff. oculata, Aphrocallistes aff. beatrix, Dactylocalyx aff. subglobosus and Euplectella suberea were known before to be widely distributed in the Atlantic Ocean. The total number of hexactinellid sponges known from Brazil has risen to 15 and from the south-western Atlantic to 23.

Trophic ecology and foraging areas of cetaceans sampled in the coastal waters of south-eastern Brazil assessed through skin δ13C and δ15N

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Victor Uber Paschoalini ◽  
Genyffer Cibele Troina ◽  
Laura Busin Campos ◽  
Marcos César de Oliveira Santos
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Trophic Position ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Cetacean Species ◽  
Δ13c And Δ15n ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Brazil

Abstract We investigated the habitat use and feeding ecology of 10 cetacean species encountered along the south-eastern coast of Brazil (24–26°S) using carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopes. Hierarchical cluster analysis distinguished two main groups based on their isotopic patterns. One group included migratory baleen whales (Megaptera novaeangliae and Eubalaena australis) with the lowest δ13C and δ15N values, reflecting baseline isotopic values of their Subantarctic feeding grounds and consumption of lower trophic level prey. Resident species and those occasionally occurring in Brazilian coastal waters highly differed from the migratory whales in their isotopic values. In this group, Tursiops truncatus had the highest δ13C and δ15N values, indicating coastal habits and relatively higher trophic position. Similar δ13C values were observed in Sotalia guianensis, Pontoporia blainvillei, Orcinus orca and Steno bredanensis. However, the former two species had lower δ15N values than the latter two, indicating different trophic positions. The relatively lower δ13C values observed in Stenella frontalis suggest greater influence of pelagic prey in their diet. Furthermore, the lower δ13C values observed in Delphinus delphis and Balaenoptera edeni were associated with upwelling events that occur along the region, affecting the isotopic values of their main prey. Juvenile M. novaeangliae had higher δ13C and δ15N than the adults, which may indicate feeding in areas with different isoscapes and consumption of pelagic schooling fish with relatively higher trophic levels than krill. This study provides preliminary information that are useful to understand the habitat use and coexistence of cetacean species occurring in south-eastern Brazil.

Evidence for inter- and intraspecific trophic niche separation among deepwater elasmobranchs on the southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 636 ◽  
pp. 107-121
Author(s):  
SEM Munroe ◽  
CL Rigby ◽  
NE Hussey
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Feeding Strategies ◽  
Niche Separation ◽  
Isotopic Niche ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Trawl Fishery

Quantifying the trophic structure and interactions of deepwater (>200 m depth) elasmobranch assemblages is required to improve our understanding of deepwater ecosystems and the impacts of increased deepwater exploitation. To this end, we investigated the trophic ecology of deepwater elasmobranchs on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) using a stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) approach. Our study included 4 species captured in the southern GBR deepwater eastern king prawn trawl fishery: the eastern spotted gummy shark Mustelus walkeri, the piked spurdog Squalus megalops, the pale spotted catshark Asymbolus pallidus, and the Argus skate Dentiraja polyommata. The δ13C and δ15N values of all 4 species ranged from -18.6 to -16.2‰ and 8.3 to 13.8‰, respectively. The small δ13C range was likely due to the limited number of unique carbon baseline sources typically found in deepwater environments. Despite this, 3 of the 4 species exhibited relatively low core (40% SEAb) isotopic niche overlap (<1 to 44%). Isotopic niche separation may be driven by multiple interacting factors including morphology, feeding strategies, or resource partitioning to reduce competition. Isotope analysis also provided evidence for intraspecific variation; S. megalops, D. polyommata and M. walkeri exhibited significant increases in δ15N (~3‰) and δ13C (~2‰) with size. Latitude, longitude, and depth had statistically significant but comparatively minor effects on isotope values (≤1‰) of the 4 species. Cumulatively, our results indicate that isotopic variation among deepwater elasmobranchs on the GBR is principally driven by size and species-level differences in resource use.

Heavy metal distribution in two cetacean species from Rio de Janeiro State, south-eastern Brazil

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (6) ◽  
pp. 1117-1120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Eduardo Veiga de Carvalho ◽  
Ana Paula M. Di Beneditto ◽  
Cristina Maria M. Souza ◽  
Renata M.A. Ramos ◽  
Carlos Eduardo Rezende
Keyword(s):  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Cetacean Species ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Brazil ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Contamination Levels ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Pontoporia Blainvillei ◽  
Janeiro State

Mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) concentration were analysed in muscular and liver tissues of two cetacean species, franciscana Pontoporia blainvillei and boto-cinza Sotalia guianensis, in order to compare their contamination levels in northern Rio de Janeiro State, south-eastern Brazil. The cutlassfish, Trichiurus lepturus, which is the preferential prey of the boto-cinza, have also been analysed. Liver tissue always presented higher concentrations when compared with muscle samples for all the studied metals. The boto-cinza showed higher concentrations for all metals in both tissues than in the franciscana, and the only exception was Cd. This result is probably related to the difference in size prey preference of each cetacean. Mercury was the only element that presented significant positive correlations with body length and age in both cetacean species. The cutlassfish showed rising Hg concentrations with weight and total length, suggesting a possible mercury pathway for marine mammals' contamination.

Diet of the amphi-Atlantic scaphopod Fissidentalium candidum in the deep waters of Campos Basin, south-eastern Brazil

2016 ◽  
Vol 97 (6) ◽  
pp. 1259-1266
Author(s):  
Renato Junqueira De Souza Dantas ◽  
Lazaro Luiz Mattos Laut ◽  
Carlos Henrique Soares Caetano
Keyword(s):  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Inorganic Material ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
High Rate ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Deep Waters ◽  
Campos Basin ◽  
Eastern Brazil ◽  
Polymetallic Nodules

Specimens of Fissidentalium candidum collected at Campos Basin, south-eastern Brazil, had their diet investigated in order to assess its feeding habits. Benthic prey exceeded the planktonic ones as expected and Foraminifera constituted the most frequent prey taxa, comprising about 99.5% of the scaphopod diet; the remaining components included a few molluscs (gastropods, bivalves and scaphopods), a nematode, an ostracod crustacean, fish otoliths, unknown partial organisms and inorganic material (e.g. sediment grains and polymetallic nodules). Amongst the species previously studied, F. candidum stood out by presenting the highest dietary diversity (H = 3.35) and species richness (N = 118). Predator and prey dimensions were not correlated and no spatial variation was observed in the diet amongst the three collection sites in the mid-slope of Campos Basin. Generalism, high rate of rare or unimportant species and high contribution of within-phenotype component to the niche width were important features of the trophic ecology of F. candidum. Inhabiting the deep water of Campos Basin, this dentaliid obtained most of its energy from the benthic microfauna, being a specialized foram predator with moderate preference for, and moderate selection against, several species.

scholarly journals Trophic ecology of the seagrass-inhabiting footballer demoiselle Chrysiptera annulata (Peters, 1855); comparison with three other reef-associated damselfishes

2020 ◽  
Vol 146 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilles Lepoint ◽  
Loïc N. Michel ◽  
Eric Parmentier ◽  
Bruno Frédérich
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Close Association ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Isotopic Niche ◽  
Seagrass Meadows ◽  
Turf Algae ◽  
Herbivorous Species

Many damselfishes (Pomacentridae) are herbivorous or omnivorous with an important contribution from different kinds of algae in their diet. They display different levels of territoriality and farming behavior, from almost non territorial to monoculture farmers. In addition, a few species inhabit seagrass meadows but, presently, none can be considered as seagrass-eating specialists. The footballer demoiselle, Chrysiptera annulata, is found in the seagrass meadows on the reef flat of the Great Reef of Toliara (Madagascar, Mozambique Channel). In the light of this unusual habitat for a pomacentrid, this study aimed to answer three questions: 1) What is the diet of C. annulata? 2) Do the resources supporting this diet include seagrass? 3) Does its trophic niche overlap those of other sympatric damselfishes (Pomacentrus trilineatus, Chrysiptera unimaculata and Plectroglyphidodon lacrymatus) living in close association with macrophytes or eating algae? Stomach content examination and stable isotope analysis showed that the footballer demoiselle is not a seagrass consumer but is an omnivorous/herbivorous species heavily relying on algal resources and small invertebrates. SIAR, a stable isotope mixing model, indicated it assimilated large amounts of turf algae, and various benthic or planktonic invertebrates in lower proportions. SIBER metrics revealed that the isotopic niche of the footballer demoiselle partly overlaps that of its congener, C. unimaculata, but not those of P. trilineatus and P. lacrymatus. Trophic strategies of C. annulata differed both from farming species such as P. lacrymatus and from less territorial herbivores such as P. trilineatus. Its seagrass meadow habitat on the Great Reef of Toliara allows the conquest of an unusual habitat for damselfishes and could limit competition with C. unimaculata, a species displaying the same territorial behavior and the same isotopic niche but living on the reef itself.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document