Feeding and social behavior of the piabanha, Brycon devillei (Castelnau, 1855) (Characidae: Bryconinae) in the wild, with a note on following behavior

Knowledge concerning the behavior of wild freshwater fishes in Brazil is restricted to a few studies, despite such studies being able to answer fundamental questions about conservation. Species of Brycon are amongst the most threatened in the Neotropics, particularly in southeast Brazil, due to anthropogenic activities in this region. This study investigated the feeding and social behaviors of the endangered fish, Brycon devillei in the Preto River, Jequitinhonha basin, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Behavioral data were collected by snorkeling with four spatially separated groups (habituated), and direct observations of shoals were made using an underwater video camera (a total of 448 hours of observations). This species showed diverse tactics to obtain food. However, the species proved to be predominately a specialist surface-picker, which adopted alternative tactics to find food at certain times of the year, most notably when food items on the water surface became low. Feeding frequency was shown to be negatively correlated to agonistic behavior between conspecifics. Feeding associations were also recorded between the anostomid Leporinus garmani, acting as a nuclear species, and B. devillei, as follower species. The data presented here showed the importance of conserving the riparian environment to protect B. devillei populations. Furthermore, the present study included rare observations of nuclear-follower feeding association among freshwater fishes, especially between medium-sized characiforms, being the first observations of such kind in a Cerrado stream.

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As clear as day: nocturnal activity differs from diurnal activity in a temporally constrained capital breeder

Behaviour ◽

10.1163/1568539x-00003553 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 156 (10) ◽

pp. 997-1016 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Zoe L. Fraser ◽

Ross M. Culloch ◽

Sean D. Twiss

Keyword(s):

Activity Patterns ◽

Video Camera ◽

Energy Budgets ◽

Implicit Assumption ◽

Diurnal Activity ◽

Nocturnal Activity ◽

Activity Budgets ◽

Time Activity ◽

Direct Observations ◽

In The Wild

Abstract Time-activity budgets are fundamental to behavioural studies, allowing examination of how individuals allocate their time, and potentially energy, and how these patterns vary spatially and temporally and in relation to habitat, individual identity, sex, social status and levels of anthropogenic disturbance. Direct observations of animal behaviour, especially in the wild, are often limited to daylight hours; therefore, many activity budgets relate to diurnal activity only, or assumptions are made about nocturnal activity. Activity budgets have been a key component of many behavioural and energetics studies of breeding grey seals (Halichoerus grypus, Fabricius, 1791), and yet very little is known about nocturnal activity of grey seals, and a general, implicit assumption of no significant change from day to night seems to pervade the literature. Here we use a combination of high resolution digital video and thermal imaging video camera to follow known individual grey seal mothers from day into night to examine activity patterns during lactation. We show distinct differences in nocturnal activity budgets relative to diurnal activity budgets. Mothers spent significantly more time resting with a reduction of time spent in the alert and comfort move behavioural categories during nocturnal periods. It is clear that diurnal time-activity patterns of breeding female grey seals cannot be extrapolated to represent activity across a 24-hour cycle. These considerations are particularly critical in studies that aim to use time-activity budgets as proxies for energy budgets.

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Freshwater Fish Species of the Oorlogskloof River, Northern Cape Province, South Africa

Our Nature ◽

10.3126/on.v10i1.7746 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 8-16

Author(s):

P.P. Ramollo ◽

M. Schumann ◽

W.A.J. Pretorius

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Freshwater Fish ◽

Relative Abundance ◽

Fish Species ◽

Freshwater Fishes ◽

Endangered Fish ◽

Freshwater Fish Species ◽

Northern Cape

The freshwater fish of Oorlogskloof River were sampled in March 2010. The study aimed to determine the distribution and relative abundance of freshwater fish in the Oorlogskloof River. A total of 4643individuals represented by five fish species belonging to two families were sampled. The Barbus anoplus was only sampled in the upper reaches of the Oorlogskloof River gorge while endangered Labeobarbus capensis appeared downstream in the Oorlogskloof River. Barbus serra dominated the fish species in the system. The invasion of Tilapia sparmanni in this system was confirmed during the survey andthe species appeared to be widespread throughout the system. At this stage it does not appear to be posing a serious threat to the endangered fish species. The Oorlogskloof River can be considered as a potential refuge site for the conservation of some endemic and threatened freshwater fishes of South Africa.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/on.v10i1.7746

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Dive times for foraging dugongs in the Northern Territory.

Australian Mammalogy ◽

10.1071/am01167 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 167 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

SD Whiting

Keyword(s):

Northern Territory ◽

Published Data ◽

Data Sets ◽

Dive Behaviour ◽

Direct Observations ◽

In The Wild ◽

Observer Effects

THERE are few published studies of dive times of dugongs (Dugong dugon). Direct observations are problematic because D. dugon are shy and difficult to observe in the wild from boats without creating observer effects. Time Depth Recorders (TDR?s) can record dive and surface times during dive behaviour, but there are no published data as yet for D. dugon using this technology. Although studies on dive times using Time Depth Recorders (TDR?s) result in larger data sets, their results are difficult to relate to particular behaviours such as foraging. This paper provides submergence and surface interval times for D. dugon obtained by direct observations in Darwin Harbour. Direct observations, although time consuming, can produce important information related to the ecology of D. dugon.

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Consumer perception of generic drug packages and its influence on product choice: a study in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Gestão & Produção ◽

10.1590/0104-530x2157-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

Author(s):

João Marcos Barbosa Carneiro ◽

Estela Maria Pérez Díaz ◽

Eduardo Romeiro Filho

Keyword(s):

Generic Drugs ◽

Personal Information ◽

Minas Gerais ◽

Consumer Perception ◽

Product Choice ◽

Direct Observations ◽

Scenario Evaluation ◽

Minas Gerais State ◽

Four Blocks ◽

General Aspects

Abstract The variety of generic drugs available has been remarkable in the Brazilian pharmaceutical sector, which allows the consumer wide freedom of choice among the various presentations for the same agent. Recognized as equivalent in quality and effectiveness, these presentations differ only in external aspects of the formulation, such as brand, price, advertisement, packaging, etc. In this context, knowing the determinants that lead to a specific choice is very important since it can provide adequate positioning according to the real consumer perception, resulting in a competitive differential. Thus, the focus of this study is perception, understanding and possible impact generated by the packaging and label of generic drugs in a small city located in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The main objective of this article is to raise aspects related to the packaging of generic drugs considered by consumers as elements of choice and preference. For the study, two focus groups and direct observations were made with consumers of generic drugs, to acquire impressions from several labels of the same drug, followed by the formulation and application of a questionnaire. The questionnaire was divided into four blocks, with (1) personal information; (2) general aspects of drugs understanding; (3) packaging perception; and (4) scenario evaluation. Finally, the treatment and analysis of the data obtained as the basis for the conclusions of the study is presented.

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School is out on noisy reefs: the effect of boat noise on predator learning and survival of juvenile coral reef fishes

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2018.0033 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 285 (1871) ◽

pp. 20180033 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Maud C. O. Ferrari ◽

Mark I. McCormick ◽

Mark G. Meekan ◽

Stephen D. Simpson ◽

Sophie L. Nedelec ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Reef Fishes ◽

Juvenile Coral ◽

Fish Cognition ◽

In The Wild ◽

Latent Effects ◽

Predator Learning ◽

The Moment ◽

The Individual ◽

Predator Training

Noise produced by anthropogenic activities is increasing in many marine ecosystems. We investigated the effect of playback of boat noise on fish cognition. We focused on noise from small motorboats, since its occurrence can dominate soundscapes in coastal communities, the number of noise-producing vessels is increasing rapidly and their proximity to marine life has the potential to cause deleterious effects. Cognition—or the ability of individuals to learn and remember information—is crucial, given that most species rely on learning to achieve fitness-promoting tasks, such as finding food, choosing mates and recognizing predators. The caveat with cognition is its latent effect: the individual that fails to learn an important piece of information will live normally until the moment where it needs the information to make a fitness-related decision. Such latent effects can easily be overlooked by traditional risk assessment methods. Here, we conducted three experiments to assess the effect of boat noise playbacks on the ability of fish to learn to recognize predation threats, using a common, conserved learning paradigm. We found that fish that were trained to recognize a novel predator while being exposed to ‘reef + boat noise’ playbacks failed to subsequently respond to the predator, while their ‘reef noise’ counterparts responded appropriately. We repeated the training, giving the fish three opportunities to learn three common reef predators, and released the fish in the wild. Those trained in the presence of ‘reef + boat noise’ playbacks survived 40% less than the ‘reef noise’ controls over our 72 h monitoring period, a performance equal to that of predator-naive fish. Our last experiment indicated that these results were likely due to failed learning, as opposed to stress effects from the sound exposure. Neither playbacks nor real boat noise affected survival in the absence of predator training. Our results indicate that boat noise has the potential to cause latent effects on learning long after the stressor has gone.

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Do Wild Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) Use Tools When Hunting Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus)?

ARCTIC ◽

10.14430/arctic72532 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 74 (2) ◽

pp. 175-187

Author(s):

Ian Stirling ◽

Kristin L. Laidre ◽

Erik W. Born

Keyword(s):

Food Source ◽

Ursus Arctos ◽

Ursus Maritimus ◽

Ecological Knowledge ◽

Polar Bears ◽

Brown Bears ◽

Direct Observations ◽

Odobenus Rosmarus ◽

In Captivity ◽

In The Wild

Since the late 1700s, reports of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) using tools (i.e., pieces of ice or stones) to kill walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) have been passed on verbally to explorers and naturalists by their Inuit guides, based on local traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) as well as accounts of direct observations or interpretations of tracks in the snow made by the Inuit hunters who reported them. To assess the possibility that polar bears may occasionally use tools to hunt walruses in the wild, we summarize 1) observations described to early explorers and naturalists by Inuit hunters about polar bears using tools, 2) more recent documentation in the literature from Inuit hunters and scientists, and 3) recent observations of a polar bear in a zoo spontaneously using tools to access a novel food source. These observations and previously published experiments on brown bears (Ursus arctos) confirm that, in captivity, polar and brown bears are both capable of conceptualizing the use of a tool to obtain a food source that would otherwise not be accessible. Based on the information from all our sources, this may occasionally also have been the case in the wild. We suggest that possible tool use by polar bears in the wild is infrequent and mainly limited to hunting walruses because of their large size, difficulty to kill, and their possession of potentially lethal weapons for both their own defense and the direct attack of a predator.

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First attempt at rehabilitation of Asiatic Black Bear cubs to the wild in Thailand

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.6343.13.6.18411-18418 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 18411-18418

Author(s):

Robert Steinmetz ◽

Worrapan Phumanee ◽

Rungnapa Phoonjampa ◽

Suthon Weingdow

Keyword(s):

Black Bear ◽

Rapid Weight Gain ◽

Surrogate Mothers ◽

Asiatic Black Bear ◽

Supplemental Food ◽

Human Contact ◽

Direct Observations ◽

In The Wild ◽

Foraging Skills

Returning orphan bear cubs to the wild can benefit bear welfare and conservation but is hindered in Asia by the scarcity of documented experience. We experimented with rehabilitation of two Asiatic Black Bear cubs in Thailand using the assisted method of soft-release. We raised the 5-month old cubs for 11 months with minimal human contact in a remote enclosure in high quality habitat, letting cubs out periodically to walk with caretakers in the forest. The caretakers acted as surrogate mothers, allowing cubs to safely acquire foraging skills and familiarity with the forest. Supplementary feeding resulted in the cubs’ rapid weight gain (average 157g/day), faster than would occur in the wild. Faster growth allowed the cubs to be released sooner, reducing the likelihood of long-term habituation. After three months of rehabilitation, the bear cubs started showing signs of being wary of the caretakers (e.g., cautious when we approached their enclosure) and their focus during walks switched from play to foraging. After seven months they began to spend nights away from their enclosure, thus declining the supplemental food. This sequence and timing of increasing separation and independence from people matched other assisted soft releases in the region. The cubs went missing in month 12, shortly before planned collaring and release. They were seen together 2.5 months later on a fruiting tree and ran away when approached. Assisted soft releases might be a promising option for bear rehabilitation in Asia but more data are needed to evaluate their effectiveness relative to other methods. This method affords direct observations of bears in the wild that can augment our knowledge of bear behavior and ecology.

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New records to three Neotropical primates to Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso States and small expansion of occurrence area to Cebus libidinosus Spix, 1823

Revista Agrogeoambiental ◽

10.18406/2316-1817v10n120181072 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Aloysio Souza de Moura ◽

Felipe Santana Machado ◽

Bruno Senna Corrêa ◽

Marco Aurélio Leite Fontes

Keyword(s):

New Records ◽

Minas Gerais ◽

Neotropical Primates ◽

Mato Grosso ◽

Direct Observations ◽

Minas Gerais State ◽

Conservation Actions ◽

Distribution Limits ◽

Faunal Diversity ◽

Cebus Libidinosus

Recent compiled papers demonstrate several gaps in occurrence records and distribution limits mainly due to information deficiency, hindering the management and planning of preservation and conservation efforts. Therefore, the objective of this study is to present and analyze new records of four Neotropical Primates species: Callicebus moloch, Mico emiliae, Ateles marginatus and Cebus (Sapajus) libidinosus. Data collection was assessed by interviews, census on pre-existing trails and direct observations. The expeditions took place in the cities of Pains (Minas Gerais state), Serra do Salitre (Minas Gerais state) and Guarantã do Norte (Mato Grosso state). Mico emilie, C. moloch and A. marginatus were recorded in Guarantã do Norte and C. libidinosus was recorded in Serra do Salitre and Pains. A small expansion of occurrence area to C. libidinosus was observed. We recommend new mammal inventories in order to understand the faunal diversity in these areas and propose new conservation actions.

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Abundance and Species Composition of Cave Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in Selected Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) of Central Visayas, Philippines

JURNAL ILMIAH SAINS ◽

10.35799/jis.21.1.2021.31238 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 73

Author(s):

Gilbert A. Bejec ◽

Lilibeth A. Bucol ◽

Tomas D. Reyes ◽

Reizl P. Jose ◽

Agustin B. Angcog ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Field Survey ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Survey Methods ◽

Land Conversion ◽

Fruit Bats ◽

Direct Observations ◽

Treasure Hunting ◽

The 1960S ◽

Near Threatened

This study assessed the abundance and species richness of bats (Order Chiroptera) inhabiting caves in three KBAs (Key Biodiversity Areas) of Central Visayas: Mt. Bandilaan in Siquijor (13 caves), Mabinay, Negros Oriental (11 caves), and Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape(RSPL) in Bohol (31 caves). The study was conducted between February 14 to September 20, 2019. Of the 55 caves surveyed, 35 caves were inhabited by bats. Field survey methods included mist-netting at the cave entrances and direct observations of roosting sites in each cave. This study captured 754 individuals of bats belonging to 16 species, majority of which are insectivorous species (13 species) and only three species are fruitbats (Pteropodidae). Mabinay caves had the highest number of species (11) and captured bats (271 individuals) while RSPL had 9 species (221 individuals) while Mt. Bandilaan only had five species but relatively high captured bats (262 individuals). Five species are Philippine endemics (Hipposideros obscurus, Hipposideros pygmaeus, Ptenochirus jagori, Rhinolophus inops, and R. rufus) and three Near-threatened species (H. lekaguli, M. schreibersii, and R. rufus). The rare bat species (Dobsonia chapmani) may be locally extirpated in Mabinay, where it last documented at Mambajo cave in the 1960s. The survey also noted the absence of fruit bats (observed in 2011 study) in all of the caves in Mt. Bandilaan, probably due to on-going anthropogenic activities (treasure hunting, bat hunting, guano extraction, land conversion, locals illegal entry, graffiti, etc) in caves surveyed. Large colonies of fruitbats and insect bats in RSPL may have been affected by anthropogenic activities inside the caves. Most of the caves surveyed have been promoted for ecotourism activities.Keywords: cave; chiropteran; extraction; karst; limestone

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Characteristics of Near-Surface Part of the Orzesze Beds in the Region of the Main Saddle in View of Weathering Processes

Gospodarka Surowcami Mineralnymi ◽

10.1515/gospo-2016-0018 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 111-124 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Iwona Jonczy ◽

Borys Borówka

Keyword(s):

Video Camera ◽

Heavy Minerals ◽

Coal Bed ◽

Near Surface ◽

Surface Part ◽

Weathering Processes ◽

Direct Observations ◽

Similar Texture ◽

Made In

AbstractThe article presents the characterization of a near-surface part of Orzesze beds in the region of the main saddle. The lithological profile of the region in concern has been confirmed to contain claystones with interburdens of sandstones and sands occurring at the surface. Among the claystones, a coal bed was drilled into.Field observations with a video camera, direct observations made in the boreholes and laboratory studies of the obtained rock samples have indicated high levels of weathering of the clastic formations.The weathering processes within the sandstones form fissures and rock voids by means of which rainwater flows freely into the deeper parts of the rock mass.The mineral composition of the sandstones includes mostly quartz, accompanied by plagioclases, micas, breccias and heavy minerals in smaller amounts. The binding material is cement-type and clayey-carbonate. The sands occurring at the surface constitute their eluvium, which is evidenced by similar texture qualities of both the sediments. The claystones contain mostly kaolinite and quartz; in their composition minerals from smectite group were also found. They are characterized by very high absorbability, which leads to their swelling and washing out. It has been found that the weathered parts of rocks indicate significantly lowered compressive strength in comparison to the values assumed in case of the rocks of the Orzesze beds.

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