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Effects of macrophyte complexity and hydrometric level on fish assemblages in a Neotropical floodplain

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Abstract

Habitat heterogeneity provided by aquatic macrophytes and water level variations (flood pulse) are essential factors in structuring fish assemblages. This study aimed to describe the fish species that prefers macrophytes covered areas and to evaluate how macrophytes complexities and a flood pulse influence the structure of fish assemblages and selected attributes (viz. fish species density, species richness and evenness). Sampling was performed with seining nets in five floodplain lakes associated with the Baía River, before (November to December 2011) and after (February to July 2012) a flood, considering different degrees of macrophyte complexity (Absent, intermediate, and high). A total of 48 fish species was recorded, with Characiformes the most dominant. Eight species were indicators of high complexities (seven before the flood and only one after). Significant differences among the different degrees of macrophyte complexity and before and after the flood were found for assemblage structure, species density and richness. Fish assemblage attributes were high in higher habitat heterogeneity provided by macrophytes, but all before the flood. Nevertheless, macrophyte stands with high and intermediate complexity were less affected by the flood, suggesting that the structure propitiated by macrophytes favors the persistence of the fish assemblage in floodplain lakes. Therefore, any action towards conservation of fish assemblages in macrophytes should consider dam operation upstream, to ensure seasonality of flood pulses.

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Acknowledgements

We sincerely thank José Ricardo Gonçalves, Valdecir Casare, Francisco Alves Teixeira, Valdir Capati, Érica Ikedo, Wladimir Marques Domingues, João Dirço Latini, Sebastião Rodrigues and other technicians who helped during the sampling. The “Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura” (Nupélia) provided the infrastructure for the research. LCG is grateful for the Bolsa de Produtividade em Pesquisa granted by CNPq; JCBS and RMD are grateful to CNPq and CAPES for their respective fellowships. We are also grateful to “Programa de Excelência Acadêmica” (PROEX); “Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais” (PEA), and the Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM). Finally we thank Larissa S. Pereira for helping with the English.

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  1. Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Avenida Colombo, 5790, Maringá, PR, 87020-900, Brazil

    Rosa Maria Dias, João Carlos Barbosa da Silva, Luiz Carlos Gomes & Angelo Antonio Agostinho

  2. PostDoctoral Fellowship, CNPq, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, Brazil

    Rosa Maria Dias

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  1. Rosa Maria Dias
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  2. João Carlos Barbosa da Silva
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Correspondence to Rosa Maria Dias.

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Dias, R.M., da Silva, J.C.B., Gomes, L.C. et al. Effects of macrophyte complexity and hydrometric level on fish assemblages in a Neotropical floodplain. Environ Biol Fish 100, 703–716 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-017-0597-y

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